Sunday, March 4, 2012

Cinnamon Roll Pancakes


 When I was a kid, sleepovers were a pretty no nonsense affair... 

I'd head over to my friend's house,
we would eat whatever was for dinner,
watch  "The Brood"  or some scary movie on HBO,
maybe call a boy and hang up on him
and then settle into a four hour game of Monopoly... 

There were no major activities, outings, crafts
or cupcake decorating sessions planned... 

We winged it, hung out, gossiped and had fun... 

Jack invited a buddy over Friday night and I kept it simple... 

We hit Chipotle for some grub
and at home the boys drifted between video games
and Magic Spin Art in the kitchen... 

Man, that thing can fling paint to all reaches of the room... 

I had a frozen pizza from Aldi stored on the deck
to manage late night munchies and popcorn in the wings... 

Neither was enlisted and the boys hit the hay about 10:30... 

It was almost too easy, except for the major clean up
of crumbs, scraps of paper, paint everywhere,
wet towels on the bathroom floor,
pillows flung about
and game pieces strewn across the den... 

I was waiting for a midnight wake up crisis and it did not happen...  

So, the next morning I decided to make a special breakfast
to cap off a satisfactory sleepover... 

Cinnamon Roll Pancakes... 

A Pinterest find... a good and sugary one, at that... 
Thank you, Recipe Girl!

I'll be darned if those cakes don't taste just like an
Ann Sathers mega gigantic cinnamon roll... 


Now, my kids like pancakes,
but it's not as if they beg for them, dream of them,
want to be pancakes for Halloween... 

Until the Cinnamon Roll Pancake.... 

Their eyes rolled back into their heads and the
"Ummms....Ahhhsss.... Ohhhhsss" were involuntary.... 

They asked for seconds... 

This happens about as often as Haley's Comet,
even if they like what I cook... 

Always in a hurry to leave the table to do the next thing... 

But now they wanted more...

So, what if the glaze is pure confectioner's sugar? 

It's a moment of bliss....
before they resume torturing each other again... 

I'll take it...

Here is how to make these delectable cakes. 

Enjoy...


Cinnamon Roll Pancakes


Yield: Eight 4-inch pancakes
Prep Time: 25 min
Cook Time: 10 min
 
Ingredients:
CINNAMON FILLING:
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, just melted (not boiling)
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
1/2 tablespoon ground cinnamon
CREAM CHEESE GLAZE:
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
2-ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
PANCAKES:
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon canola or vegetable oil

Directions:

Prepare the cinnamon filling: In a medium bowl, stir together the butter, brown sugar and cinnamon. Scoop the filling into a quart-sized heavy zip baggie and set it aside (see *Tips below).
Prepare the glaze: In a small pan, heat the butter over low heat until melted. Turn off the heat and whisk in the cream cheese until it is almost smooth. Sift the powdered sugar into the pan, stir and add in vanilla extract. Set the pan aside while you make the pancakes.
Prepare the pancake batter: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Whisk in the milk, egg and oil, just until the batter is moistened (a few small lumps are fine).
Cook the pancakes: Heat a large, nonstick skillet over medium-heat and spray with nonstick spray. Use an ice cream scoop (or 1/3 cup measuring cup) to add the batter to the pan. Use the bottom of the scoop or cup to spread the batter into a circle (about 4-inches in diameter). Reduce the heat to medium low. Snip the corner of your baggie of cinnamon filling and squeeze the filling into the open corner. When your pancake begins to form bubbles, add the filling. Starting at the center of the pancake, squeeze the filling on top of the pancake batter in a swirl (just as you see in a regular cinnamon roll). Cook the pancake 2 to 3 minutes, or until the bubbles begin popping on top of the pancake and it's golden brown on the bottom. Slide a thin, wide metal spatula underneath the pancake and gently but quickly flip it over. Cook an additional 2 to 3 minutes, until the other side is golden as well. When you flip the pancake onto a plate, you will see that the cinnamon filling has created a crater-swirl of cinnamon. Wipe out the pan with a paper towel, and repeat with the remaining pancake batter and cinnamon filling. Re-warm the glaze briefly, if needed. Serve pancakes topped with a drizzle of glaze.

Tips:

*Quick and easy tip: Use a boxed pancake mix as the base for this recipe.
*Tips for the cinnamon filling: Before swirling, open up the baggie again and give it a good stir to re-incorporate any butter that may have separated from the sugar. You want the mixture to thicken a bit- it's best when it's similar to the squeezing texture of a tube of toothpaste, which will happen if you leave it at room temperature for several minutes. Don't try to use the filling for the pancake swirl unless it has thickened as it will be too runny to make a solid swirl.
*Keep the heat low or your pancakes might cook up too quickly. Don't flip them until you see those bubbles starting to pop on top. Flip them with a wide spatula so you can grasp the whole thing without batter and filling dripping all over the place!
*I wrote a very detailed post on how to get the cinnamon filling *just right* on my Gingerbread- Cinnamon Roll Pancakes Post. Check it out before you attempt these!
*If you're trying to justify your intake of decadent cinnamon rolls, you can make this a tad bit healthier by using half whole-wheat flour and low fat cream cheese, or enjoy the pancakes without glaze.
Source: RecipeGirl.com

No comments:

Post a Comment