Use up that leftover eggnog - make Eggnog Pancakes

I know that we had eggnog popovers yesterday morning, but I couldn't resist just one more eggnog-based recipe. Actually, it was the fact that the popovers were so tasty and reminded me so much of pancakes that I decided to try these.

Eggnog, especially prepared eggnog, is usually relatively thick, so it substitutes in equal volumes for buttermilk in a recipe. It does not have the same properties as buttermilk, however. Buttermilk is slightly acidic and recipes that use it often also use baking soda, which reacts with that acid to produce lift. Since eggnog is not acidic, I used baking powder and also added a beaten egg white to give the pancakes some lift. Overall, the pancakes were tender and tasted lightly of eggnog. You can add a little bit of rum extract, if you have it on hand, to jazz them up a bit, too.

I should note that this will work better with a thicker nog. If your eggnog is more like milk than buttermilk in consistency (Silk Soy Nog is thinner, for example), you may want to add an additional 1/4 cup of flour to produce thicker pancakes.

Eggnog Pancakes
1 cup eggnog
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 large egg
1 egg white
1 tbsp sugar
1 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp nutmeg

In a small bowl, whisk together the eggnog, vanilla and the whole egg. Set aside.
In another small bowl, beat the egg white to soft peaks, adding the sugar when the egg becomes frothy.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and nutmeg. Pour eggnog mixture into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Fold (or gently whisk) in the beaten egg white.
Heat a nonstick skillet or lightly-greased griddle over high heat until a drop of water placed on it skitters around the surface (a good indicator that the heat is just right). Drop by large spoonfuls (to make desired size) into the preheated pan and cook until golden on both sides, turning once.
Serve with maple syrup.