Chocolate brownie flapjack stack with pretzel brittle and peanut butter sauce

Let's be honest here, we'll use any excuse to have dessert for breakfast. The person who decided muffins were an okay way to start the day? Genius. I mean, you're eating cake for breakfast, people! Just without the frosting. And somehow it's now healthy for you?  That person deserves a high five! 

Now if we're going to be eating cake for breakfast, then sneaking a little chocolate into flapjacks (or pancakes or crumpets or whatever you choose to call them) is perfectly acceptable. And since I'm the one coming up with this recipe, well then you won't be surprised that I threw in some pretzel brittle (salted pretzels drenched in caramel) and a little (okay a lot of) peanut butter sauce just for funzies. Because who said breakfast had to have restrictions? Lunch and dinner don't have to deal with this kind of stereotyping!

An oozey gooey decadent tower of breakfast deliciousness!

 The flapjacks are basically little round brownie blobs - moist, dense and rich, which goes perfectly with the salty-sweet peanut butter and pretzels. And I even put your morning cup of coffee IN the flapjack. Who's the genius now? 

Mile-high chocolate brownie flapjack stack with pretzel brittle and peanut butter sauce

Recipe created for Food and Home Entertaining Magazine

Makes 12-15

200g sugar

200g cake flour

100g cocoa powder

7.5ml (1/2 tbsp) baking powder

pinch of salt

1 egg

125ml (1/2 cup) buttermilk

5ml (1 tsp) vanilla extract

160ml hot black coffee

30g smooth peanut butter

60g butter, melted

Pretzel brittle

100g salted pretzels

200g sugar

Peanut butter sauce

1 cup  (250ml) creamy peanut butter

60ml (1/4 cup) peanut oil

60ml (¼ cup) icing sugar, sifted

pinch of salt

To make the brownie flapjacks, mix all the dry ingredients together. Whisk the eggs, buttermilk and vanilla and add to dry ingredients. Combine coffee, peanut butter and butter and add to the mixture. The mixture should be of a dropping consistency.

Heat a non-stick pan and grease thoroughly. Drop spoonfuls of the batter into the pan. When bubbles start to form on the surface, flip the flapjacks over and cook on the other side for 1-2 minutes. Repeat with the remaining batter.

To make the brittle, scatter the pretzels on a nonstick baking mat or baking paper. Place the sugar in a saucepan with ¼ cup water and heat gently until sugar is dissolved. Bring to the boil and simmer until the sugar turns a deep caramel. Remove from the heat and immediately pour over the pretzels. Allow to set. Break into pieces.

To make the sauce, combine all the ingredients together and stir until smooth.

Serve the flapjacks piled high on top of each other, sprinkled with pieces of brittle and drizzled with peanut butter sauce.

Honey and toasted almond puff pancake

Also known as a 'Dutch baby' this beautifully puffy pancake is a different spin on a breakfast favourite. It's essentially a sweet Yorkshire pudding;  a 5-ingredient batter which is poured into a preheated pan with lots of melted butter. I love how the puffy edges go crispy and almost embrace the fillings that you could add in the middle. Think berries or sliced fruit, scoops of vanilla ice cream or dollops of creme fraiche. I kept mine delightfully simple with a drizzle of honey and a scattering of toasted almonds. And if you'd rather to stick to the good ol' classic pancake then give my milk tart pancakes a try!

Honey and almond puff pancake

Serves 1-2

37g (1/4 cup) flour, sifted

15ml (1 tbsp) castor sugar

1 egg

60ml (1/4 cup) milk

½ tsp vanilla essence or extract

15g butter

25g flaked almonds, toasted

Honey, to serve

Icing sugar, to dust

Preheat oven to 200C. Place a 10cm cast iron skillet, pan (with an oven-proof handle) or oven-proof dish in the oven for at least 20 minutes to preheat.

In the meantime, combine the flour and sugar. Add the eggs, milk and vanilla and whisk to form a smooth batter. Once the pan is preheated, remove it from the oven and add the butter. Coat the pan with the melted butter then immediately pour in the pancake batter and place back in the oven. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the pancake is puffy and golden brown. Remove from the oven and serve immediately scattered with almonds, drizzled with honey and finished off with a dusting of icing sugar.

TIP Take care when removing the pan from the oven as it will be very hot!