Sunday morning pancakes

The Sunday morning routine is usually this: Rowan comes into bed and we cuddle for a few minutes. As we start to wake up, tickling often happens, some giggles, and then this comment: "Mom, let's go make rectangle pancakes." In our house, pancakes are classified by their shape. A circle pancake is the classic flapjack where batter is cooked on a griddle. A sphere pancake is an ebelskiver, a lovely Danish delight where batter is cooked in a special cast iron pan with cups, creating a spherically shaped ball of cooked dough that is lovingly dipped in anything from syrup to Chris's favorite: cookie butter. A rectangle pancake was classically known in my house growing up as a "German pancake" but they are also known as "dutch babies." An eggy batter is poured into a hot pan filled with melted butter and baked in the oven until it puffs to a golden brown. The pan that I cook this pancake in is a rectangle shape, hence the "rectangle pancake" name. While Rowan appreciates all forms of pancake (crepes included), he is particularly fond of the rectangle variety and loves to help me make it.

We start with butter in the pan (6 pats to be exact), which goes into the oven. Rowan then helps me measure the eggs, milk, flour, and salt into a medium mixing bowl.

We then mix it with our immersion blender and I think it is Rowan's favorite part of the process.

We pour it into the hot pan and put it in the oven, hoping for the same miracle.

While we wait for it to bake, we have time for a random game of peek-a-boo behind the chair.

And with the beeping of the timer, we check to see if the miracle occurred.

I think Rowan could finish a pan of these pancakes on his own if I let him. With a little maple syrup (the real stuff of course) and a few chess pieces, he is ready to enjoy.

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