Sleepover Pancakes and Cookies

When the children have sleepovers, it’s our tradition to either bake cookies or make an elaborate breakfast. Somehow the sight of the girls making pancakes, waffles or French toast is a delight that I never tire of. A layer of flour envelops the kitchen, as it’s inconceivable that we use a premade mix. Eggs will sometimes miss the bowl, and gleeful giggles alternate with horrified shrieks of “eeew.” Clean-up is well-meaning but always necessitates a “redo.” It is a fun frolic with a delicious end.

Recently I was sent a new product called Batter Up cookie dough. I must admit I didn’t understand it at first. It was a pre-made frozen cookie dough. To use it, one had to leave it out for an hour before cooking. It usually takes the kids less than 15 minutes to put all of the ingredients for cookies together, so I didn’t get the point. However, I dutifully tried it. We had multiple flavors: Mint Chip, Peanut Butter, Oatmeal Raisin, etc.
 

Kate and Grace Patrice and Gabriella make cookies.

I have to admit they were good. I was anticipating sending the leftovers home with the kids who were sleeping over. There weren’t any. My 11-year-old took me aside to explain. “Mommy,” she said, “we can have all these flavors, and there isn’t any mess!” There is something to be said for that; however, I still admit I prefer the kids learning to measure ingredients themselves.
 

Michela making cookies.

But it is nice to know that if you don’t want to clean up or don’t have the ingredients in your home, there is a tasty product that you, too, can get from your grocer.
 

The finished cookies.

Perhaps one of the most difficult issues, other than clean-up, for many of the breakfast dishes we make is finding the recipe. If you Google it, the word “pancake” yields almost 11 million (yes, you read that right) results. I can also attest that many, if not most, are either not doable or taste terrible. So where to find a great recipe? This is when the bible of cookbooks is still the best. The good old Joy of Cooking, now 75 years old and updated multiple times, has some of the most flavorful, well-tested and straightforward recipes around. Its waffle recipe becomes rich and delicious with the addition of a hint of vanilla. The pancake recipe is so clear that even a gaggle of giggling, soon-to-be sixth graders can follow it themselves and serve the adults a perfectly tasty hotcake that they created “all by themselves.” It still is the bible that is the perfect present for graduation, wedding or going out into the world.

One recent sleepover morning, Gabriella came to me and said, “Mommy, we are going to make pancakes and we don’t want any help.” Although full of trepidation, I said it was OK, though I did keep an ear out for any crashing glasses. Anytime I passed the kitchen, I was treated to a chorus of “We're doing OK” and “We don’t need you.” Sad yet amused, I beat a hasty retreat. Listening to their dialogue was fabulous. Serious attention was paid to which ingredient went in when. Consternation broke out when it was discovered that they had forgotten to add baking soda. However, all went well, and I was soon called over for the ceremonial lighting of the stove. Although I was still unable to help, I was allowed to watch and make sure they didn’t set fire to themselves or others. As I sat watching I counted bowls. I was amazed that it took five enormous glass bowls to make one batch of pancakes, but I was told by the gaggle that they had to find the one that was exactly the right size.
 

Evie Rose Baldwin and Gabriella make pancakes.

Soon the pancakes were sizzling and ready to be served. As we sat at table, Michela, now six, told the gaggle of big girls that they made pancakes surprisingly well. Beaming with satisfaction, the big girls bounced out to plan their next sleepover. I was left with a kitchen that, although a bit greasy, was filled with love.
 

Ta-da! The finished pancakes.

Classic Pancake Recipe
Joy of Cooking

About 16 4-inch pancakes

Whisk together in a large bowl:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons sugar
1 3/4 tablespoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
Combine in another bowl:
1 1/2 cups milk
3 tablespoons butter, melted
2 eggs
(1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract)

Mix the liquid ingredients quickly into the dry ingredients. Use ¼ cup batter for each pancake (my children decided to make them silver dollar pancakes, using about 1 tablespoon for each pancake).
Ignore lumps, Superior results are gained if they are mixed, then rested.
Turn the cakes only once and do not flatten; it will make them rubbery.