How to Make Designer Pancakes

Nothing says yummy like a giant stack of designer pancakes made exactly how you like them. Whether they're topped with butter and honey or as decadent as Ghiradelli chocolate with powdered sugar, you can't go wrong with this legendary comfort food. Here are some tips to help you make designer pancakes!

Instructions

1. Mix your batter on the thick side. This is for a couple reasons. If you are making different shaped pancakes, they will hold the shape better. Also if you are adding contents (such as strawberries) to your batter it will hold better in the pan. Most people use good old Bisquick or something similar. So rather than adding a full cup of water per serving try adding 3/4 of a cup. This will thicken the batter. (Use the same amount of eggs required per serving.) Also for a hint of additional flavor add some high quality vanilla extract. This is the secret ingredient that will leave the happy recipient saying "What was that ingredient?"

2. Grab a plastic zipper-top storage bag. Take a cue from pastry chefs. When they make extravagant pastries they use a pastry bag and funnel their dough or cream through the tip of the bag. Place your batter into the 2-gallon plastic storage bag and cut the tip of the bag with a pair of scissors, making a hole that is about 1/3-inch in diameter. Congrats! You have just made a make-shift pastry bag! Then as a pastry chef would, create a fantastic shape in your skillet. It should be noted that shapes solidify best if the skillet is already heated. Keep it over a low flame until you complete your shape, and then turn up the flame as you normally would for the rest of cooking.

3. Add Fruit! This is the most common variation on the good old American pancake. Strawberries, blueberries, bananas, you name it, why not throw it in a pancake? But don't just toss it in the batter. Place the batter in the skillet with your pastry bag (making whatever shape you desire) and then create a design with your different fruits. You can make everything from a "smiley face" to a beautiful mosaic. This is also a great thing to do with kids after a "sleep-over" party. They can each design their own pancake!

4. Create a decadent masterpiece. We know that pancakes are fun, but did you know that pancakes can be sexy? You bet. On a lazy Sunday morning, with your significant other, whip up some pancake batter in the kitchen. Then pop a bottle of champagne, toast each other, and begin your lazy day. Experiment with chocolate, cinnamon, nutmeg, sweet cheeses and more. Get the pottery wheel imagery from the movie "Ghost" in your head and run with it. The truth is, designer pancakes are in the eye of the beholder. There is no right or wrong, simply what you feel. So have fun, and be sexy!