Eggnog Pancakes with Fresh Cranberry Syrup

Six years.

January first, 2024. I woke at five, as usual, and lay in the dark for a while before getting up. Six years since I pulled myself out of the Judith River in a snowstorm and chose to be alive. It's a sentence I can say without the weight it used to carry — not because the weight wasn't real, but because I've held it long enough that my arms have gotten stronger. The sentence is part of me now. It's not the only part, but it's one of the load-bearing ones.

Margaret had stayed through the new year, which I didn't ask for and am grateful for. We had a quiet house on New Year's Eve — Patrick in his chair, Margaret and I on the couch with a fire and a movie we'd both seen before, which is the best kind of movie for a night when you don't want to be surprised. Just before midnight we turned on the television for the countdown, which Patrick watched with the mild amiable skepticism he brings to all public celebrations. When it hit midnight he said "another year" and went to bed, which is exactly right.

In the morning I walked down to the river. I do this every January first — not a pilgrimage, not a performance, just a thing I do. The Judith was running low under ice at the edges, the main channel still dark and moving, same as it always is. I stood there for about ten minutes with my hands in my pockets and my breath in the air and thought about the person who fell in and the person who climbed out and all the people I've been between then and now.

Six years sober. The book coming in May. The ranch paid for. Patrick still here. Cole building something real. Margaret at the table on New Year's Eve. Tom at eighty-three making notes for another book. Dr. Crain on quarterly check-ins, which means I've earned the distance. The six-year version of me is someone I could not have predicted. That seems right. That seems exactly right.

Black-eyed peas on New Year's Day, as always. Patrick says his mother made them for luck and his grandmother made them for luck and we make them for luck and also because they're good. I add smoked ham hock, some greens, cornbread on the side. This meal is a promise to the year. I keep making it.

The walk to the river comes before the black-eyed peas — but before the walk, there’s breakfast, and on New Year’s morning I want something that feels like the day deserves. Eggnog pancakes have become that thing: rich and a little spiced, with a cranberry syrup that’s bright enough to cut through the cream, just tart enough to remind you the year is still new and hasn’t softened yet. Patrick eats two stacks without commentary, which is his version of a standing ovation. Margaret has seconds. We’re all still in our socks.

Prep Time: 10 min | Cook Time: 25 min | Total Time: 35 min | Servings: 4 (about 12 pancakes)

Ingredients

For the Pancakes:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 1/4 cups full-fat eggnog
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Butter or neutral oil, for the griddle
For the Fresh Cranberry Syrup:
2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
1/2 teaspoon orange zest
Pinch of salt

Instructions

Make the cranberry syrup. Combine the cranberries, sugar, water, orange juice, orange zest, and pinch of salt in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir to dissolve the sugar, then bring to a gentle boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, until the cranberries burst and the syrup thickens slightly, about 10–12 minutes. Remove from heat. For a smoother syrup, press through a fine mesh strainer; for a chunkier texture, leave as-is. Keep warm over low heat.
Mix the dry ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, cinnamon, salt, and sugar until evenly combined.
Mix the wet ingredients. In a separate bowl or large measuring cup, whisk together the eggnog, eggs, melted butter, and vanilla extract until smooth.
Combine. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir with a spatula until just combined — a few lumps are fine. Do not overmix or the pancakes will be tough. Let the batter rest for 3–5 minutes while you heat the griddle.
Cook the pancakes. Heat a griddle or large nonstick skillet over medium heat and lightly grease with butter or oil. Pour about 1/4 cup of batter per pancake onto the griddle. Cook until bubbles form across the surface and the edges look set, about 2–3 minutes. Flip and cook until the underside is golden brown, about 1–2 minutes more. Repeat with remaining batter, adjusting heat as needed.
Serve. Stack 3 pancakes per serving and spoon warm cranberry syrup generously over the top. Dust with a little extra nutmeg or powdered sugar if desired.

Nutrition (per serving)

Eggnog Pancakes with Fresh Cranberry Syrup — A New Year’s Morning Worth Waking Up For