My In-laws went on a big trip and to clean out their fridge before they left they gave us a bunch of their produce, including about a 7lb bag of carrots. We tried all kinds of things - carrot risotto, roasted carrots, carrot bread. I am actually not a huge fan of carrots - at least not in the form of baby carrots in my lunch, they taste like dirt to me. 

However, in our endeavors with carrots over the last few weeks I have to say, there wasn't a single preparation I didn't like. My favorite was just simple roasted carrots with salt and pepper - the roasting really concentrates the sweetness. 

This recipe from Picky Cook was also a big winner. Don't let the name fool you, these pancakes aren't too sweet like real carrot cake, just sweet enough - and the nuttiness of the walnuts balances out the sweetness.

What I really liked about these pancakes was how different they were from my normal weekend breakfast repertoire. 

CARROT CAKE PANCAKE RECIPE

(From pickycook.com, originally adapted from Cooking Light)

1 1/4 c. all purpose flour
1/4 c. toasted chopped walnuts
2 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. freshly ground nutmeg
pinch of ground ginger
1/4 c. dark brown sugar
3/4 c. buttermilk
1 tbl. canola or vegetable oil
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
2 large eggs - lightly beaten
2 c. grated carrot - about 1 pound
1 tbl. orange zest
butter for pan

Combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger in a large bowl with a whisk.

In a medium sized bowl, whisk brown sugar, buttermilk, oil, vanilla and eggs together.

Add sugar mixture to the flour mixture and gently combine with a large spatula. Do not over mix.

Fold in the carrots, orange zest and walnuts. 

Heat a cast iron skillet/griddle/other large skillet over medium heat. Coat the bottom with butter (I simply used cooking spray). Spoon (1/4 cup) batter into the skillet and gently spread the batter out a little bit. Cook for a couple minutes or until you see the top covered with bubbles. Flip over and cook another minute or two.