How to Cook: Pancakes

Pancakes are something that we usually eat all the time. We buy our mixes, add water, and cook them up. The thing is that they are ridiculously easy to make, yet we never seem to make them from scratch! I did not mainly because making or buying "Buttermilk" was a about as much as a hassle as killing every stupid Poe for a bottle on Zelda! Why should I do that unless I want absolute perfection? (I did it anyways, but I digress)

In Zelda, that last bottle is not "necessary", you can still win the game without it, but we prefer to unlock every possible thing to "master" the game. While you can make all the Buttermilk Pancakes you wish from scratch, why not simply make some simpler ones? There pancakes are as easy as buying a Bottle of Lon Lon Milk to get a free bottle! Especially compared to dealing with the other things to do for the "better" ones. (I wonder if anyone understood that rant/analogy...)

If you live on Grandmas ranch you may have three sticks of butter and two cups of Buttermilk on hand, but most people don't, sorry Food Network!
These pancakes take no buttermilk, they do not require a stick of butter, and they hardly require anything more than your pantry basics! Easy! And, you can make as many variations of pancakes as you want from this simple batter! I will go over three ways to make these. (Oh my goodness, just like the first three bottles in Zelda!...Okay, I'll stop...)


What you will need:

- Frying Pan
- Oil or Butter, to coat the pan
- Spatula
- Whisk
- Medium Bowl
- Small Bowl
- Measuring cup or ladle to pour

Ingredients:

Basic Batter

- 1 Cup Flour
- 1 Tablespoon Baking Powder
- 2 Tablespoons Sugar
- 1/2 Teaspoon Salt
- 1 Egg
- 1 Cup Milk
- 2 Tablespoons Oil (Olive or Vegetable)
- 1/2 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- Pinch of Nutmeg and Cinnamon

Add these additional ingredients to make the varieties!

Stuffed Pancakes

Filling
- 1/2 Cup Ricotta
- 1/2 Cup Plain Yogurt (I used Greek)
- 1 Tablespoon Sugar
Pancake
- Mixed Berries, to taste

(You will also need 2 more small bowls and a spoon)

Chocolate Pancakes


- 2 Tablespoons Cocoa Powder
- 1 1/2 - 2 Tablespoons Sugar
- Chocolate Chips (Optional)

Blueberry Pancakes


- Blueberries, to taste (duh...)
- A pinch more of Cinnamon and Nutmeg



Mix the dry ingredients together in the bowl until fully integrated and it looks smooth, basically mix out any clumps.

Beating the egg in a separate, small owl is a good idea. This way if the egg is rotten it will not ruin the batter, most chefs do this. If you're lazy, just crack it into the bowl and pray for freshness!

Add the egg and the other wet ingredients to the dry mix, and mix together. 

Add the scoop and get ready to cook!

Now, when you buy the mix they just have all the berries or chips or whatever in the batter mix. The best thing is to add these to the individual pancakes and not into the batter. 

Heat the pan to Medium-Low, and coat the pan with lubricant of choice. The batter will spread out as it cooks, so you don't need to pour nearly as much as you first think. 

Stuffed Pancakes

Mix all the ingredients for the filling into a bowl, so the sugar is thoroughly mixed in. 

Cut all the berries into small pieces and microwave for about 1 minute to soften them up. 

Pour the batter and allow it to cook for a minute or two, when the bubbles are forming and it is almost ready to flip. 

Add the creamy filling to the center, and top that with the berries. You want about one regular sized spoon scoop each. 

Cover the top with a bit more batter, just to cover the fillings. 

Carefully and quickly flip the pancake over and allow that side to cook for a couple minutes. Flip and let each side cook for another minute. 

If there are berries left after you cook them, add those to the top along with the berry juice from cooking in the bowl. Serve how you like them! I like Syrup and powdered sugar myself!

Chocolate Pancakes

Add the cocoa powder and extra sugar to the mix and stir. 

Pour the batter into the pan, it will probably be a bit thicker than the others. Top with chocolate chips, or any other chip or fruit you like! Flip and cook the other side. Cook each side, after flipping, about another minute each! 

Since Valentines day is coming up, you can add red coloring to them to make "Red Velvet", or even add white chocolate chips! If you are super mushy, you can shape them like a heart (awwwww), because nothing says "I Love You" like heart shaped breakfast food! 

Use a smaller spoon or a cookie cutter to shape these. You can cut the sides to help the shape alone after cooking as well. 

Blueberry Pancakes

For these, just add blueberries to the pancakes as they are cooking, as well as the extra Nutmeg and Cinnamon to the batter. 

Blueberry Pancakes are so happy! 

You can also add the batter to a Zip Bag, cut the tip, and shape them any way you want that way! 

Pancake basics are very simple. 

Don't make the batter too thick or thin! It should spread out evenly and not be too runny, sliding all over the pan, or too thick, which makes them...gross. You should be able to pour them slowly and evenly. Add milk or flour if the consistency is off. 

Quickly flip! Doing it too slowly makes it harder, believe it or not. You need a well coated pan so they do not stick at all. The sides should firm up and there should be bubbles atop the whole cake when they are ready. 

Lower and Slower! Don't put them on high, or you will have a burnt and runny pancake, yuck! So on a scale of 1-10, cook them at about 5. 

Scoop small! Like I said, they spread out. Don't pour them as big as you want them, but less than half of the size you want. Using a scoop is smart, it makes things easier! 

These ones are crispy on the outside, and soft on the inside, I know that there is a lot of Baking Powder, but that makes them fluffy! 

This is a simple, easy recipe, nothing fancy. I am not claiming that they are "the best", but for how quick and simple they are, they are pretty dang good! So I hope you enjoy these! 

Enjoying the noms of their labor, 

-C.A.M.

Navi Truffles

When thinking of fun recipes to make for party snacks I figured out that making truffle shaped like Fairies would be fun. Making them "Navi" would be even more fun, because what is more satisfying than finally being able to just eat (and hence destroy) the annoying fairy from Ocarina of Time! I am sorry to the "Navi Fan Club" out there, but she is annoying and the only part about OoT I dislike would have to be her incessant nagging... But, making her in food form was enjoyable, so let's get to it!

You will need:

- 1 Can Sweetened Condensed Milk (14 Ounce)

- 2 Cups Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

- 11/2 Cups White Chocolate Chips

- 1 Tablespoon Shortening

- 24 or more Pretzels, regular shape, depending on how many you wish to make

- Blue or Green Sparkle Sprinkles

- Toothpicks (Optional)

For Cookware

- Wax or Parchment paper

- Spoons for mixing

- 2 Microwavable bowls, Small and Medium

- Bowl or plate for sprinkles

- Plastic or Cling Wrap

- Melon-baller, Tablespoon, or small metal spoon

As well as patience.

First, combine the Semi-Sweet Chocolate and the Sweetened Condensed Milk in the Medium bowl.  Microwave the mixture until the chocolate is melted.

The rules for melting chocolate in the microwave are!

Either use the "Melt Chocolate" setting, or set it to low heat.

Use short 1 minute heating and stir after each time.

Not doing this can scorch the chocolate so you must be careful!

Once it is melted and combined, cover in cling wrap and set in the fridge until it is solid. This can take from 1-4 hours, depending on how strong the fridge is.

Next, melt the white chocolate with the shortening in the small bowl.

Then, get out the desired amount of pretzels.

Dip the pretzels on both sides and lay on wax paper to cool. 

You can leave them whole, or carefully cut the bottom rim off to give them a more "Wingy" look.

This does not show them on wax paper, but I assure you that you need to use it. 

I did them both ways to show you.

Next, spread out your sprinkles and have them ready, you can lay them on a plate, in a bowl, whatever you would like.

Once the chocolate in the fridge has hardened enough, take it out and begin making round truffles with a melon-baller or a spoon. You want about a tablespoon for each one.

Once they are all formed, remelt the remaining white chocolate, if necessary, and lay out more wax paper.

Add a thin layer of white chocolate to each one, then roll them in the sprinkles and place on the wax paper to dry. Once you have formed the amount you would like, dab chocolate to the backs of the "Wings" and stick them to the "Body".

Repeat until you have made as many as you want and let them all sit on a counter or in the fridge. Once they are firm you may add toothpicks to the base, if you so desire.

These are very tasty as well as kawaii~!

Yes, the pretzels were not covered enough, I'm aware of this.

Additional Ideas!

You can also roll these in cocoa powder or powdered sugar for "regular" truffles.

You can also add clear sprinkles to the pretzels to make the whole thing sparkle!

Or, you could even melt a little chocolate, place in a ziplock bag, cut the tip, and make faces on them!

Also, you can try all kinds of plating like sticking in foam with toothpicks or any other creative way you would like!

I hope you will enjoy nomming, and hence silencing, Navi as much as I did! Who knew she was so tasty?

Enjoying the noms of their labor,

-C.A.M.

How to Cook: Coffee Syrups/Lattes

The winter season is the time where all of your money disappears, hence why it is called "Magical", right?

I kid you, I love Christmas, Thanksgiving, New Years, "The Holidays", etc. Though most of my does money goes to gifts and hot drinks and soups. . .

A great way to save is to make your own coffee at home so you are not as tempted to spend it on Starbucks. Let's face it, we have all had a tea or coffee from that place. So how will you afford to buy all the awesome gifts for your family and friends this year if you are spending about $5 or more a day on drinks alone? Now you can't buy them the Han Solo Ice cube Tray, nerdy shirts, or new expansions to World of Warcraft and other games! Oh, the horror!

To help you with this problem, since I can't give out my own money (or lack-there-of)to you, I will help you make your own delicious drinks so you can save your own!

For this recipe you basically make a simple syrup and add the flavor you want to that.

Simple Syrup

What you will need:

-3/4 Cup White Sugar

-1 Cup Water

-Saucepan

You will also need an airtight sealable container, like a jar or Tupperware, and something to strain with, cheese cloth works the best. You can try a coffee filter, but that will take about 10 hours to do and will rip at the slightest bit pressure, trust me that you will want a cheesecloth or fine strainer instead.

I made three kinds of syrups when I did this.

Pumpkin Spice, Chocolate, and Peppermint/Candy Cane.

The pumpkin spice was inspired by Sugar Crafter, I tweaked it a bit but give her the credit for it, the others I made on my own.

You will add these ingredients to the Simple Syrup depending on what you want. You can add the ingredients depending on how strong you want it to taste, keep in mind it is supposed to be a concentrated syrup though.

Pumpkin Spice

- 1 1/2 Tablespoons Pumpkin Pie Filling

- A dash of Cinnamon, Clove, and Nutmeg

or

-1 1/2 Tablespoons Pumpkin Puree

- 2 Teaspoons Cinnamon

- 1/4 Teaspoon Clove

- 1 Teaspoon Nutmeg

Chocolate

- 3-4 Tablespoons Cocoa Powder

- 1 Teaspoon ground Chocolate

(I used a cocoa with ground chocolate in it already)

- 1 Extra Tablespoon Sugar

- 1/2 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract

Peppermint/Candy Cane

- 1-2 Teaspoons Mint Extract

- 3 Teaspoons Candy Cane Candies

(Any type of candy that is flavored like peppermint/candy cane will do)

Directions

Add all of your ingredients to the sauce pan and set the burner on Medium-Low heat. Simmer the mixture. Do not let it boil or the sugar may burn. Continue stirring it for about 15 minutes, or until the sugar is integrated completely. We do not want any floating, undissolved sugar lingering at the bottom of the pan like treasure on the sea floor.

Turn off the heat and let the syrup set for a few minutes off of the burner. While that is sitting get out the strainer and secure it on your container.

Slowly pour your syrup through the container and let it drain into the jar. You will probably need to scrape the residue, aka reason for straining, off so that the syrup drains faster and does not clog.

Seal the container, as it sits it will get thicker. You can store this for about a month in the refrigerator.

The best way to prepare this is in a "Latte", which is really just Milk and a few shots of expresso or Strong Coffee. The weaker your coffee, the less milk you want to use.

I could not steam the milk, (if you can then great!) so instead I heated the milk, not letting it boil, and added it to the coffee. I used 2 shots of expresso and filled the rest of the mug with milk.

Then add about 2 Tablespoons of your syrup. Or more depending on how strong you want it to taste.

You can even make a Peppermint Mocha with the chocolate and peppermint combined, at least that's why I made those two.

Add Whipped Cream or some Frothy Milk to the top, if you have some, and enjoy!

You can even put it in a travel mug or those types that look like the cups they give you in Coffee Shops if you would like!

This is a great thing to make for yourself, to impress company, etc.

Really you can make any kind that you want to, just add what you like to the Simple Syrup and follow the instructions.

Also, if you are really trying to save money this year, not only can you make these to save for Christmas gifts but you can give it as a gift! Wowie!

Enjoying the noms of their labor,

-C.A.M.