Piggy Pancakes

To ease my "back to school blues", we have a few traditions that help us make the transition of lazily getting up at 9:30 into getting up at bright and early for school...Piggy Pancakes! We make them for breakfast each year on the first day of school and they are so much fun. I noticed when I went back through the pictures that my piggies have mutated over the years...probably from my lack of properly following recipes. In case you ever want to try these on your own, I've included the actual recipe below. I found this back in the fall of 2008. It's a Betty Crocker recipe featured in a Bisquick booklet that you find in the checkout lines at the grocery store.


Piggy Pancakes

1. Heat griddle or skillet over medium-high heat or to 375°F. In medium bowl, stir Bisquick mix, milk and eggs until blended.
2. Lightly oil griddle. For each pig face, pour slightly less than 1/4 cup batter onto hot oiled griddle. Pour scant tablespoonful batter onto griddle for snout and another scant tablespoonful for ears.
3. Cook pancakes until edges are dry. Turn; cook until golden.
4. To serve, place large pancakes on individual serving plates. Place 1 small pancake in center of each face for snout; poke 2 holes for nostrils with end of handle of wooden spoon. Cut second small pancake in half for ears; place at top of face. Use blueberries for eyes.

This is my favorite pancake tip for when I do actually make a batch from "scratch".

Tip:
To keep pancakes warm, place them in a single layer on a paper-towel-lined cookie sheet in a 200 degree oven. Don’t stack warm pancakes or they will become limp and soggy.

Usually, I do use a Bisquick (heart healthy) pancake mix, although my mom swears by Pioneer Buttermilk pancake mix. I agree with her, Pioneer does make the yummiest quick "from scratch" pancakes.

If you're more of a visual person, like me....watch this video for step by step instructions. I wish I could say I know just how to attach and enable the link for the video, but I don't. So, you're going to have to copy & paste if you want to watch...

http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/piggy-pancakes/1c60fb72-3aba-4085-8eea-f7c7867b5565

Hope you enjoy the video...just keep in mind, I do not have such a beautiful kitchen. My kids are not all that smiley and clean. I don't put my pancake batter in a squirt bottle, and we don't all stand pleasantly and quietly around a griddle. I don't even own a griddle.

Confession...I don't make these from scratch. First day of school?? Are you kidding me?? No way...freezer section is much more my style. I just warm them up in the microwave, use a straw to poke nose holes in the mini pancake, add chocolate chip eyes, and the kids have piggy pancakes!

Enjoy!