Confessions of a Pancake Queen

 Forgive me, Spatula, for I have sinned…

Spatula

It has been TEN DAYS since my last pancake flip.

But, thanks to perfectionism, late night test-batches and a resulting overflowing freezer, only THIRTY SIX HOURS since my last indulgence… 😀

Coconut Cauliflower PancakesCoconut Cauliflower Pancakes topped with “Healthy” Chocolate Sauce, pom seeds, and shredded coconut in the “dawn” of the ever faithful lightbox!

Since I can’t exactly get in the kitchen and whip up a breakfast worth celebrating on Pancake Sunday (damn crutches!), I thought I’d borrow Sarah’s theme of “confessional Sundays” and share a few things I’ve learned over the years in all my
pancake flippin’!

I figure I’d do this in installments since there are quite a few bases to cover what with the utensils, basic ingredients, specialty ingredients, add-ins, and toppings…
Sound good to you? Good, I thought so! 😉

Ok, let’s talk Pancakes UTENSILS!

Pancake Making - UtensilsThe basic (and MOST important) items you need to whip up a batch of delicious pancakes in your own castle kitchen…

Pancake Making Must Haves - Griddle

A LARGE non-stick skillet (or griddle).

I absolutely LOVE my pancake griddle! It is definitely one of my most used kitchen appliances. You don’t have to pay big money for some fancy schmancy one either…mine cost around $20 and I’ve been using it for almost a year now without a single problem.

Before I was lucky enough to own one of these babies (and because I am one of the most IMPATIENT people I know, especially when it comes to food), I would use three different skillets to cook 3-4 pancakes. That way they would all be done at the same time and I wouldn’t have to wait! Lol

The one trick with a skillet is to make sure you leave yourself enough “maneuvering” room between the pancakes so that when you go to flip them, you don’t end up flipping one onto another…believe me, I speak from PLENTY of experience!

Pancake Must Haves - Oil:Non-Stick SprayNon-stick cooking spray (or coconut oil)

To get away from relying on the cans of stuff with “mystery” propellants, I took a whole TEN dollar bill and invested in a Misto! You fill it half full of your favorite oil (I use extra virgin olive oil), give it a few pumps, and you’re good to go spray! 😀

You can also use melted coconut oil. Just dip a folded up paper towel into the oil and quickly/lightly wipe down the surface of your skillet (or griddle) before getting started.

Just DON’T forget this step or your skillet will be eating your pancakes…NOT YOU!

Pancake Making Must-Haves - UtensilsA sturdy spatula/turner, mixing spoon, rubber spatula, and wire whisk

Your spatula should be large enough to hold the entire size of your pancake and should be comfortable to work with. I actually got a new spatula this Christmas and was super excited about it until I realized it was way too big and ended up getting in my way more than anything…bummer, I know. 🙁

Any ol’ mixing spoon will do. I prefer a medium-sized plastic one because it’s lightweight and has a good handle for griping.

The rubber spatula is not required, but it is definitely RECOMMENDED. After stirring my batter and spooning it onto my GREASED griddle, I like to run the rubber spatula around the sides of my bowl to make sure I get every last drop of yummy pancake batter deliciousness.

Pancake Taste

And well, since this IS a confessional post, I’ll admit, sometimes that yummy pancake batter deliciousness goes straight into my mouth instead of in the pan…

Hey, gotta check for poison! 😉

The whisk is double-duty instrument. I use it to mix my dry ingredients (to break up lumps in the flour and also to ensure I don’t end up with clumps of baking powder, spices in the middle of my cakes) and I also use it (in the case of NON-vegan recipes) to whip my egg whites before adding them to the batter.

Bowl

And last but not least…a good medium-sized mixing bowl.

Ya know, to hold all that yummy pancake batter deliciousness! Preferably, you want one WITHOUT bread dough in it though…sue me, it’s the only picture I had!

I hope you all found these little tips & tricks helpful! More to come from my pancake-makin’ repertoire in the coming weeks! Hey, before long, I’ll have ALL of you turned into my little squires! 😉

Let me know if you have any specific questions and I’ll be sure to include them in the upcoming posts!

GREEN Pancakes! Now, who’s coming over to whip up a batch GREEN cakes for their favorite
crippled Queen? 😉

All recipes can be found under my RECIpage tab!

♣ HAPPY ST. PATTY’S DAY! ♣

Will you be celebrating the holiday with some green pancakes? shakes? BEER? 😉

*Linked up with Danielle’s National Breakfast Week roundup!*

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48 Responses to Confessions of a Pancake Queen

  1. Aren’t Misto’s the best?!? My husband bought one for me at Christmas, that has a little window on the container so I can see how much is in the bottle. Fancy, right? 🙂 I think he found it at Costco. I haven’t been able to find it since though, but found the regular version at Marshall’s, so I bought a few for gifts for my Mom and a couple of friends. They love it!

    • kissmybroccoli says:

      The BEST! Well…my second one has been anyways! For some reason, the first one that I bought got some sort of clog in it and it wouldn’t spray at all…just dribbled down the side and made a horrible mess. I just took it back to the store and exchanged it and this one has been working GREAT! Wish mine was a bit fancier like your’s though! 😉

  2. ah i have a misto and i love it! no need for PAM anymore!

  3. Oo I think I need to invest in a misto too. We don’t have coconut oil spray here so whenever I use spray oil for something it is always olive not coconut.

    Mmm pancakes…coconut and cauliflower is going on my must try list!

    • kissmybroccoli says:

      It really is a great investment, but it only works for oils that are liquid at room temp so coconut oil won’t work…I know, boo! 🙁 I use olive oil in mine though and I never notice that it affects the flavor of my sweet dishes!

      You HAVE to try the pancakes! They are soooo fluffy and delicious…I actually had more from my frozen stash for breakfast this morning! 😀

  4. lindsay says:

    the batter is the best part! It’s worth the tummy ache, well most of the time. LOL

  5. I have one spatula that I love. It is the perfect shape and size. It’s also old and melted in spots. I have looked and looked but there’s just not a comparable one in existance. So I feel your spatuala thing. 😉

    Happy St. Patrick’s Day!!!

  6. I havea confession too… I’m a horrible pancake flipper, which is probably why I almost never make pancakes. I get way too impatient and scared that my pancakes are going to burn so I almost ALWAYS flip them too early and make a huge mess. Maybe it’s time to invest in a nice pancake girdle to give myself some extra motivation? 😉

    Happy St.Patty’s, lady! I’m not really celebrating with anything green today, but I think I’ll try my hand at making some Irish soda bread. I’ve never had any, so I’m not even entirely sure what the heck it is!

    • kissmybroccoli says:

      I used to be the same way! It just takes a bit of patience…and a low cooking temperature. I never go over medium heat…better low and slow than high and dry burnt to a crisp! 😉 Just wait for the batter to either bubble (or in the case of most gluten-free varieties) or start to turn crisp on the edges and a little dry-looking. Then make sure you get COMPLETELY under the pancake with your spatula before you turn it.

      I’ve always wanted to try making Irish Soda bread! Sam made some and said it was great…crusty on the outside, soft and buttery on the inside! Mmmm!

  7. Pancake griddle is definitely necessary! I don’t have one, but I used to use my parents all the time when I was living at home – now I end up crowding them onto one skillet which doesn’t usually work out so well.

    I need a misto! I tried used an oil/water mix in a spray bottle, but it didn’t work very well so now I’m back to conventional sprays. Need to look into one of those!

    • kissmybroccoli says:

      Oh yeah, I’ve tried the oil and water mix too…sounded like a good idea! Lol The misto has been the best…and not very expensive either!

  8. Oh man, I feel your pain. I had foot surgery a couple years ago & my husband had to do everything for me. I’ll come make you a waffle?!

  9. In future posts, I’d like to see more shakes, and I don’t bean of the drinking kind. 🙂
    Great post idea. Very clever. I actually have a Kitchen Aid spoon/scraper. Two tools in one one.
    Happy St. Patrick’s Day.

  10. We got a new oven in January that has a skillet attachment that goes over 2 burners. It is the COOLEST THING EVER and I will be very sad when I have to leave that oven when we move. We own a big electrical skillet thing, but never use it. I might have to break that out again.

  11. About. Freaking. Time!!!!!! 🙂 keep em coming!

  12. Well, I guess I need to bring an extra suitcase to the States only for Pancake equipment. I can not get over that we can’t even find a spatula in every store. Thanks so much for all the tricks, reaaally helpful! Just one dumb Swiss-question – what heat do you cook them? Like low-low or middle-low, or…?
    PS. Don’t stress yourself over the package! I have everything but the baking. Need to lay my hands on that soon but can’t until next weekend. No rush! And be CAREFUL – the shipping costs are horrendous. Please don’t overpack it and then you are homeless and ruined just because of my greed!! 🙂

    • kissmybroccoli says:

      Good question babe! I should have included that! I usually don’t go over medium heat…any higher and they tend to crisp up too fast before they’re ready to flip!

      And thanks for the tip! Fortunately I already have my mind prepared for the costs. I sent my first international package last year and went waaaaay overboard packing it…cost me like $75 to ship it?!?! 😯

  13. Hope you are better!!!!

    I have a Misto! 🙂

    How about you make pancakes for all of us! 😉

  14. I NEED a misto! I’m adding that to my wish list.
    You look beautiful in orange my dear!

  15. I LOVE my pancake griddle!!! And not only is it awesome for pancakes, but it is great for grilled cheese/sandwiches, too! 🙂

    So, I just learned that Trader Joe’s now has coconut oil cooking spray. How cool is that?? I need to buy some ASAP.

  16. Heather,
    I have a spatula I adore which came with a long-dead George Foreman grill thingy. My spouse, with his big hands, got a massive Kitchen Aid one that he thinks is da bomb. But you cannot maneuver it in my little skillet, so what’s the point?

    I love your pancake confessions, and I’d like to know if you have any tips on saving and reheating extra pancakes for future meals.

    Thanks!

    • kissmybroccoli says:

      Exactly! Bigger is NOT always better, right?! 😉

      As for saving extras, what I usually do is lay them out in a single layer to cool completely…then I put them in a zip top freezer bag with a piece of wax/parchment paper in between each cake (so the little devils don’t get stuck together!). They’ll keep like that for months! And when you’re ready to eat them up, just pop them straight into the toaster or you can thaw them in the microwave for a couple of seconds so it doesn’t take so long to toast up! 😀

  17. The Misto spray rocks. My mom discovered it somehow and she bought one for me too. Unfortunately it does not work with coconut oil (it just gets stuck in there, sigh). It’s a handly little gadget though. And I’m kinda jealous of your pancake griddle. I just use a pan. But then again, I usually just make one big ass pancake instead of a lot of small ones so it works for me. So far at least. Feel better darling!

  18. I’ve never actually looked at the ingredients in my oil spray – eek! A misto is a great idea though. That is going straight on my wish list. 😀

    Happy St. Patty’s Day!

  19. You know, after I finished my pancakes this morning, I was like…why, oh why, did I not use green food coloring??

    Hindsight’s 20/20!

    That Misto thing is pretty cool, I might have to check it out!

  20. I use one little pan and it is such a pain. Takes forever. I need a griddle.

  21. Emily says:

    These tips are actually really helpful! My pancake making skills are definitely lacking (especially in comparison with yours!) and now I know why.
    1.) I don’t have a griddle (I just use a skillet on the stove)
    2.) I don’t use a whisk to beat my ingredients
    3.) I don’t have a misto!

    Okay, so maybe that last one isn’t directly affecting my pancake-making abilities but nevertheless, I need one asap!

    <3

  22. I think all of my pancake troubles would be solved with a griddle. Because one of my biggest issues with pancakes is that they take too long, and I have to sit and watch them, and never cook them quite right.
    But until my apartment is NOT a shoebox in NYC, I think I’ll stick to waffles 🙂 Great post!!

  23. My confession is that I actually have all those pancake utensils but never use them! I know horrible right!?! When I make pancakes for myself I usually only make a three small protein ones real quick before running out the door. My hubby is more of the pancake making man but I do have quite a few of your I’m dying to make! Maybe I’ll bust out all my pancake necessities this weekend and get flipping!

  24. Umm, I’m DEFINITELY a cook-all-your-pancakes-at-once-in-three-different-pans type girl. Inpatient is my name, hot pancakes are my game! 😉 A stack isn’t nearly as delicious when half of it is cold. However, a stack isn’t nearly as delicious when half of it is burned, either, which is exactly why I need to take your advice and buy a pancake griddle. When three flames are burning, at least one pan always gets neglected! :'( Had I known that griddles were so cheap, I would have purchased one a long time ago (and saved thousands of pancakes from their scorched doom).

    I bought my mom a Misto for Christmas last year, but still use the propellant spray myself. Welp. Maybe a nutritious stack of green pancakes will offset the chemicals I’m ingesting, until I have time to get one myself? I sure hope so, because I’m going to check out a few of those recipes right now!

    Hope you had a lovely weekend! <3 xoxo

    • kissmybroccoli says:

      Aww, poor neglected pancakies! 😉 You always leave the sweetest comments, girlie! I want you to know that (even though I’m JUST NOW responding) each one brightens my day! Love you and hope you’re having a great weekend! xoxo

  25. I have one of those misto spray things and it is SO handy! One of the best Christmas presents my mom thought of!

  26. Calee says:

    i eat the batter too. mark thinks i’m weird.

    • kissmybroccoli says:

      Hello?! They’re panCAKES! No one (with a right mind) ever thinks twice about taking a taste of cake batter! 😀

  27. LOVE this! I never make pancakes–as you know–but I like to know that I could…if I wanted to.

    I really need to invest in a Misto. In the long run it saves you money, too…not just confusion over what you are actually spraying onto your pans and food. 🙂

  28. Oh I miss my pancake griddle! Mine broke and I never replaced it. It’s the best though, and I definitely feel you on the multiple pan maneuver, and trying to shove multiple mini pancakes in one pan and then flipping them on to eachother. So mad! 😉

    I really need to get a misto. I’m moving next month and need a bunch of new household items and that’s going on the list.

    • kissmybroccoli says:

      Ahh, one of the best (and worst) things about moving…buying new stuff! 😉

      So glad to know I’m not the only one who’s made and accidental pancake “sandwich”! haha!

  29. Oh goodness girl your pancakes always make me drool! And I just ate!!

    That spray thing is awesome! Someday when I really have my own place I’d consider buying that! And a griddle. And a wafflemaker. 😉

  30. Kat says:

    AHH this post is the best! And might I add that orange and your eyes are a super hot combo. Like woah, beauty queen!! 🙂
    I need to pick me up one of those spray things! Although I dont even know why I bother. My pancakes will never be as pretty as yours. Plus half the time I eat them before they even hit the plate lol Just standing there noshing on pancakes while the others are cookin’ up!

    • kissmybroccoli says:

      Oh what I wouldn’t give to catch you in your kitchen eating pancakes straight out of the skillet! Lol And seriously girl, you are too sweet! I never noticed that orange brought out of the color of my eyes until now…hmm, looks like I need to introduce a new color into my wardrobe! 😉

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  32. Love this!!! A griddle is definitely a must….they never come out the same when I’m away from mine. I can also relate to the spatula bit. I NEED to scrape every last bit on the griddle!!!

    • kissmybroccoli says:

      Right?! No batter goes to waste…if I want a thick FLUFFY pancake, I need all I can get! And seriously, I can’t believe I went so long without owning a griddle…hands down best IMPULSE buy yet! Lol

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