6 Tips for Great Pancake Art
Once a week we enjoy pancakes for breakfast, and I never know what shape, animal, person, object, picture, princess or super hero will be requested. I guess circle pancakes are too boring, or maybe they don't taste as good to a 5 year old... Whatever the reason, they are a thing of the past, unless I happen to be making them for my husband and I. I love being creative with crafts and in the kitchen, so I am always up to try a new pancake design, but it's always been a pretty messy job. That is until I discovered ONE super handy tip that I tried out this morning and it worked so beautifully I just had to share it.
Now, it's possible I am just late to the "art of pancake making" game, and am the last to learn about this useful tip. But I am sharing just in case there are others out there struggling with a pancake mess. I am also sharing other helpful tips that have helped me make some pretty cool pancake art over the last few years. I hope this helps some other mamas (and dads) out there!
1. Use a zip lock bag & tall glass! This is everything you need to know!!! Okay, let me explain a little. I know they sell dispensers that you can pour the pancake batter into, but I have never cared for them because I prefer to use something disposable that I can toss in the trash when I'm done with it. So, I have always used a zip lock bag and cut the tip to make pancake art, frost my cupcakes, you name it! But it was always a little tricky having my little one hold the bag while I try to spoon it in without making a complete mess. Take a look at this nifty little trick:
All you need to do is place the plastic bag in the cup, fold the top back over the edge of the cup and let the cup hold your bag open for you, which frees up your hands to just worry about pouring the batter into the bag. Simple as that! Pull the bag out, squeeze out the air and zip it closed, snip off the tip of one of the corners and you are good to go!
If you have never tried this, you must make pancakes tomorrow morning and let me know how it goes! The best part is, you can throw the bag in the trash when you are done, and you should have very little mess to clean up!!
2. Cut just the tip of the bag. It is easy to cut too much off of the bag, which results in too much of the pancake mix pouring out in the pan. Start with a small snip because you can always cut off more if it's not allowing enough out.
3. Make sure batter is not too thin. I never measure when making pancakes, I always eyeball the consistency, but if you must measure then do so. Just make sure if the batter is a little too runny, that you add some more mix to it to thicken it up. It needs to be a tad thicker to hold the shape once you squeeze the batter onto the pan.
4. Make sure pan or griddle is hot enough. I always pour a small tester pancake to start with to make sure the pan is hot enough. If it doesn't sizzle just a little when you pour the batter on, then wait a few more minutes. Typically, medium heat works best for me, but stoves may vary. When you are drawing with pancake batter, you need the pan to start cooking the batter right away so it helps hold the shape. However, if the pan is too hot, it may burn part of the pancake before you get done with your "drawing".
5. Draw the outline first, and anything else you want to stand out. Then fill in the middle. Whatever is drawn first with the pancake batter will naturally cook a little longer and be darker, which will help your artwork be more recognizable. Which leads me to my last tip...
6. Be willing to laugh at yourself. After all, you still have to draw the pictures in the pan yourself, while holding a bag of batter... They won't always look just like you had pictured. The great news is it is for your little one (not an art critic) and they will think it is so cool regardless. Yay for little minds and big imaginations!!
Let your creativity run wild!