cooking with kids :: rolly-polly pancakes

it's a crepe! it's a pancake! whatever it is--it's yummy!

breakfast is by far the easiest meal around here. in fact, some days i serve only breakfast foods all day because it's easier than fighting to get my 3.5 year old to eat a chicken nugget or godforbid a vegetable.

given that many of his favorite breakfast foods are sweet or have sweet syrup on top, I try to make healthy versions of things that go under the syrup like waffles, pancakes and french toast. whatever a mom can do to keep healthy and still edible, you know?

with that, I give you Rolly Polly Pancakes. part crepe, part pancake, all YUM. these are particularly fun for kids, because you can roll just about anything up inside them creating many different tastes in one snack-sitting. we like bananas, walnuts, raisins, jam, almond or peanut butter and sometimes even O's (Joe's Os or Cheerios). cold glass of soy milk and we're good to go!

ROLLY-POLLY PANCAKES
definitely use a non-stick pan--don't bother with any other kind unless you are French or like a good cry.
recipe from the Kinderhof Cookbook.

3 eggs
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour (or all-purpose is fine, too)
1 1/2 cup soy milk (or cow)
2 tsp. vanilla extract pinch of salt

1. beat all the ingredients with a whisk or in the blender until smooth. let the batter stand for about a half hour.

2. heat your pan on medium, add a bit of butter to the pan and ladle about 1/3 of a cup into the pan. tilt and swirl until evenly spread.

3. cook for about a minute, until the edges can be easily lifted. flip and cook lightly on the other side--20-30 seconds.

4. slide onto a plate, slather with the fillings of your choice, roll and eat!

got any fail-safe kid recipes you wanna share? i'm all ears!

favorite recipes :: buttermilk pancakes

i love pancakes.

okay, i guess i have never met someone who doesn't, but i *really* love pancakes. and i don't require anything fancy. some blueberries is really all i need. good ones. preferably picked a day or 2 before using.

most weekends i make them. and if i don't, i want to. i've been known to try to talk my son into wanting them, too, so i don't feel like it's just for me, but really it is.

"want mommy to make pancakes?"
"no. i'll have some cereal."
"wanna HELP me make pancakes?"
"no. i'll have daddy flakes (translation: Wheaties) for breakfast."
"oh.......i thought we could make them together. warm up some yummy maple syrup!"
"that's okay, mommy."
*pause while i think harder*
"how about if we put CHOCOLATE chips in them??"
"okay mommy, but can i also have a few chocolate chips in a bowl, too?"

yes. i do what i have to do to make it appear like i'm doing it for the kid.

here is our favorite, favorite recipe for pancakes. add whatever fruit you like or chocolate chips.

BUTTERMILK PANCAKES
adaped from martha's recipe out of her Comfort Foods book

2 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda 1/2 tsp.
salt 1 tablespoon sugar
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
3 cups buttermilk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus 1/2 teaspoon for griddle

Heat griddle. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar in a medium bowl. Add eggs, buttermilk, vanilla and 4 tablespoons butter; whisk to combine. Batter should have small to medium lumps.

Heat oven to 175 degrees. Test griddle by sprinkling a few drops of water on it. If water bounces and spatters off griddle, it is hot enough. Butter the griddle.

Pour pancake batter with ladle. When pancakes have bubbles on top and are slightly dry around edges, flip 'em. Cook until golden on bottom, about 1 minute.

Keeping finished pancakes on a heatproof plate in oven. Serve with butter and warmed maple syrup.

can you say, yum?