Here is the irony of cooking with kids: The recipes that seem the least dangerous, easiest to make, and that kids will actually eat (pancakes), also have the messiest ingredients (flour, egg, sugar). But also after doing a variety of recipes with them over the past few weeks, I have also realized that they can make a mess out of any ingredient -orange peel in the fish tank?? What? It made me realize that there will always be a mess in the kitchen regardless of what it is we are cooking. The sooner I embraced that fact, the sooner I was able to move on and actually enjoy the process…well, mostly. So, as with any recipe, embrace the idea of cleaning spilled flour off the ground, sugar out of the chairs, and broken egg off the table, and let’s get to it.
What Are Pancakes, Anyway?
While common knowledge to most, I’ve asked both Siri and Alexa more questions that I “should know” than I care to admit. Cough Cough….5th grade math….So without further ado, adiou? (“Alexa. How do I spell ado?)
Anyway, pancakes are basically flat, round, doughy discs that kids (and adults) love. They’re essentially the culinary equivalent of the wheel – revolutionary in their simplicity. And what’s not to love? A semi-sweet canvas that you can slather with sugar, syrup, butter, or enough toppings to rival a dessert buffet.
Ingredients
- Flour: Flour serves as the main dry ingredient in pancakes.
- Baking Powder: Helps makes pancakes rise
- Salt: A pinch of salt enhances the flavor.
- Granulated Sugar: Adds sweetness to the pancakes.
- Egg: Eggs act as a binder, helping to hold the pancake batter together.
- Milk: Milk provides moisture to the batter (easy to use dairy-free substitutes).
- Butter or Oil: Butter or oil adds richness to the batter and prevents the pancakes from sticking to the cooking surface.
- Vanilla Extract (optional): Vanilla extract is often used to enhance the flavor of the pancakes.
- Cinnamon: Adds a sweet and spice flavor.
Let’s do this
- Prepare the Batter: This is the part where kids can really shine. Watch in as they attempt to crack eggs without getting shell pieces everywhere or measure out flour without creating a white cloud explosion in your kitchen. Grab a mimosa for added patience.
- Mix It Up: Give them a whisk and watch as they expertly splash batter all over the walls, floor, and maybe even the ceiling.
- The Pour: Now comes the delicate art of pouring pancake batter onto a hot griddle. Check out chef Dizzle’s abstract pancake shapes that defy geometry. Who needs perfectly round pancakes, anyway?
- Flip Out: This is where the real fun begins. Hand your child a spatula and watch them attempt gravity-defying pancake flips. Not for the faint of heart.
Step 3: Pancake Toppings
Now that you’ve got a stack of misshapen pancakes, it’s time to get creative with toppings. Here’s where kids’ culinary prowess truly shines:
- Chocolate Chips: Why settle for the occasional chocolate chip when you can have an entire pancake comprised entirely of chocolate chips? That’s the spirit!
- Sprinkles: Because who says sprinkles are only for cupcakes? Cover those pancakes in a technicolor explosion of sugar. Dentist appointments, here we come!
- Maple Syrup: The golden nectar of the pancake gods. Kids will delight in pouring enough syrup to drown a small island, ensuring a sticky, sugar-induced frenzy for the rest of the day.
- Berries: Won’t be consumed if the above is on the table, but thought I would add it anyway.
- 5. Butter: Because everything is better with butter.
So get after it and have fun. Remember, Clorox wipes do a decent job of wiping up spilled batter and syrup drippings. And get it before it dries. Otherwise you have a cement like substance that is impossible to clean up. Happy cooking.
KID COOKING GUIDE
PARENT PREP: because someone has to do the dirty work
KIDTASTIC! Tasks for the kiddos
PARENT TASK: Keeping kids out of the hospital one task at a time
TEAM TASK: Working together to get it done
PARENT CHEAT: I have a million things to do and cooking isn’t one
**Every child is different when it comes to what they can do in the kitchen. The “kidtastic!” And “Parent tasks” are only suggestions when it comes to dividing up jobs. Always supervise your child in the kitchen and go at their pace.
Parent Cheat: None
Parent Prep: None
Easy pancake recipe
Ingredients
- 1½ cups flour
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 egg
- 1¼ cup milk can substitute non dairy milk
- 3 teaspoon melted butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
- Kidtastic!: Add all dry ingredients to a bowl and mix.
- Kidtastic!: Add in wet ingredients into the bowl one at a time and continue to mix until everything is blended evenly.
- Team Task: Turn on stove to medium and spray or butter a pan or griddle. Add about ½ cup batter into the pan. Cook until the batter starts getting a bunch of little holes (about 3 minutes) and then flip. Continue cooking for about a minute longer or until lightly browned on both sides.
- Kidtastic!: Top with syrup, butter, fruit, chocolate chips or anything else. ENJOY!!
