The Nog Blog featuring Somethin' Pumpkin

Having sipped my first on Saturday morning, my season of egg nog exploration was ready to begin.  And if one is prepared to explore, one should be ready for international adventures.  Thus, my next nog expedition brought me to the International House Of Pancakes to sample their enticing Holiday Hotcakes.

The officially sanctioned “IHOP” description of the “Eggnog Pancakes” reads as follows: “Vanilla cream with cinnamon and nutmeg, layered between sweet golden pancakes.  Crowned with whipped topping, a sprinkle of cinnamon sugar, and butter rum flavored sauce.”  To start, I must have looked younger than 21 years of age, because I saw no butter rum flavored sauce atop my hotcakes.  The terms “whipped topping” and “cinnamon sugar” can be loosely translated as “not really whipped cream” and “not really cinnamon,” but they both passed muster as far as this dish and overall IHOP standards are concerned.  “Sweet golden pancakes” means “the ‘P’ in IHOP: standard issue.”  Unlike the Gingerbread and Pumpkin Pancakes also offered as part of this promotion, the pancakes themselves in Eggnog Pancakes have not been altered.

The real star of this show, so to speak, is the “vanilla cream with cinnamon and nutmeg.”  This cream, hastily applied to my pancakes as if by an eager three-year-old constructing a peanut butter sandwich, resembles in texture nothing less than Boston cream mixed with tooth paste.  If you have no problem with the texture (which, surprisingly enough, I did not) then you will likely find that the no doubt NASA-trained IHOP flavor engineers have managed to concoct a goo that eerily approximates the taste of egg nog.

These pancakes are available on their own (two to an order) or in combos featuring various permutations of potatoes and breakfast meats.  I must strongly discourage the combination of the Egg Nog Pancakes with any sides; likewise, I recommend ordering a glass of water or hot tea to accompany your order.  My decision to add a side of hash browns (heavily onioned) and a cup of extremely rich hot chocolate left me with a case of morning sickness from what appeared to be a pancake baby gestating not so slowly in my stomach.  This meal can be enjoyed, but proceed with caution.