Sunday Morning Familial Rituals: Outer Space Pancakes
In our house on the weekends (and really during the week if I'm being completely transparent, I just make enough on the weekends and freeze them between wax paper for weekday breakfast) pancakes are KING. Meaning my kids expect pancakes when the weekend rolls around and will take nothing less. And just because they know I'm already a parent riddled with guilt around balancing my work life with my home life I do try and make them extra special at times by doing the requested shapes they've asked for. Enter the outer space pancakes. I usually get my molds I use for shapes from large metal cookie cutters, but this particular set came from Williams Sonoma. I originally ordered them for an outer space theme bday brunch I was hosting for my son's party one year and they've just been the gift that keeps on giving since then. I have a squirt bottle that helps to get the mix right into the mold as well with less mess, but once you start to use molds on a regular basis your standard measuring cup will do just fine as well. The best basic pancake recipe I found years back was from Martha Stewart (who adapted it from someone else I believe) and I have adapted it over time with additions to my family's liking. Do you have a favorite weekend breakfast food, share!
XO
Ingredients
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 large egg
2 tsp vanilla extract
zest from a lemon or orange (about 1 tbsp.)
In a small bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together milk, butter, vanilla extract and egg. Add dry ingredients to milk mixture; whisk until just moistened and add zest to combined mixture
Heat a large skillet or griddle over medium heat. I like to oil my griddle with butter, I think its gives more flavor to the final product but it does burn faster than oil.
For each pancake, using a 1/4 cup measuring cup, spoon out each pancake
Cook until surface of pancakes have some bubbles and a few have burst, 1 to 2 minutes. Flip carefully with a thin spatula, and cook until browned on the underside, 1 to 2 minutes more. Transfer to a baking sheet or platter; cover loosely with aluminum foil, and keep warm in oven. Continue with more butter and remaining batter.