Sneaky Snickerdoodle Pancakes with Warm Vanilla Sauce + Snickerdoodle Smoothies
Sneaky Snickerdoodle Pancakes with Warm Vanilla Sauce
Big weekend breakfasts are a tradition at our house. My husband runs a busy restaurant during the week, and so Sunday mornings have become sacred in our house. We usually have a late brunch after sleeping in, and we love to have something special to begin our family day together. After a crazy week of going here and there, it's a great way to reconnect, reflect, slow down, and relax. One of our family's favorite brunch choices is our Snickerdoodle Pancakes with Warm Vanilla Sauce. This may be your family's new favorite breakfast, too!
I love snickerdoodle cookies, and they were always my favorite as a kid, mostly because I loved rolling the balls of cookie dough into the cinnamon sugar (and licking my hands after). So, for this recipe we decided to sneak the flavor and texture of the cookies into our pancake batter by adding the cinnamon sugar and the cream of tartar. A grated or minced Granny Smith apple adds a healthy twist.
Once kids eat these soft, fluffy, and slightly chewy Snickerdoodle Pancakes, smothered with Warm Vanilla Sauce, and swallow them down with Snickerdoodle Smoothies, "we want Snickerdoodles" may take on a whole new meaning!
Happy & Healthy Cooking,
Shopping List
- FRESH AND FROZEN
- 2 Granny Smith apples
- 2 frozen bananas
- DAIRY
- 3 3/4 C milk **(see allergy subs below)**
- 2 T butter (1 T is to grease pan, or use vegetable oil or spray) **(see allergy subs below)**
- PANTRY
- 3/4 C all-purpose flour **(see allergy subs below)**
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp cream of tartar
- 1 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon + more for sprinkling
- 7 T + 2 tsp granulated sugar, honey, or 4 tsp stevia
- 1 pinch salt
- 2 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract **(see allergy subs below)**
- 1 T cornstarch
Fun-Da-Mentals Kitchen Skills
- blend :
to stir together two or more ingredients until just combined; blending is a gentler process than mixing.
- boil :
to cook a food in liquid heated to the point of gas bubbles and steam forming (boiling point is 212 F at sea level).
- chop :
to cut something into small, rough pieces using a blade.
- flip :
to turn food, like a pancake or fritter, over to cook on its other side or to coat both sides of food with batter or glaze.
- grate :
to reduce food, like a carrot, to very small shreds or pieces of the same size by rubbing it on a tool with an outside surface that has holes with cutting edges (a grater).
- knife skills :
Bear Claw (growl), Pinch, Plank, and Bridge (look out for trolls) and Rock and Saw.
- measure :
to calculate the specific amount of an ingredient required using a measuring tool (like measuring cups or spoons).
- spoon :
to pick up and move food with a spoon from one place to another.
- whisk :
to beat or stir ingredients vigorously with a fork or whisk to mix, blend, or incorporate air.
Equipment Checklist
- Skillet
- Small saucepan
- Large mixing bowl
- Dry measuring cups
- Measuring spoons
- Whisk
- Grater or cutting board + kid-safe knife
- Liquid measuring cup
- Scoop or spoon
- Heat-resistant spatula turner or pancake turner
- Blender (or pitcher + immersion blender)
- Cutting board
- Kid-safe knife
- Measuring spoon
Ingredients
Sneaky Snickerdoodle Pancakes with Warm Vanilla Sauce
- Pancakes:
- 3/4 C all-purpose flour **(for CELIAC/GLUTEN ALLERGY sub 3/4 C gluten-free/nut-free all-purpose flour)**
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp cream of tartar
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon + more for sprinkling
- 1 T + 2 tsp granulated sugar (or 1 tsp stevia)
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 Granny Smith apple
- 1/2 C milk **(for DAIRY ALLERGY sub dairy-free/nut-free milk)**
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract **(for CELIAC/GLUTEN ALLERGY use certified gluten-free pure vanilla extract, not imitation vanilla flavor—check label)**
- 1 T butter, vegetable oil, or cooking spray to grease pan **(for DAIRY ALLERGY sub 1 T dairy-free/nut-free butter OR use vegetable oil or spray)**
- Sauce:
- 3 T granulated sugar, honey, or 1 1/2 tsp stevia
- 1 T cornstarch
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 1/4 C milk**(for DAIRY ALLERGY sub 1 1/4 C dairy-free/nut-free milk)**
- 1 T butter **(for DAIRY ALLERGY sub 1 T dairy-free/nut-free butter)**
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract **(for CELIAC/GLUTEN ALLERGY use certified gluten-free pure vanilla extract, not imitation vanilla flavor—check label)**
Snickerdoodle Smoothies
- 1 Granny Smith apple
- 2 frozen bananas
- 2 C milk **(for DAIRY ALLERGY sub 2 C dairy-free/nut-free milk)**
- 3 T granulated sugar, honey, or 1 1/2 tsp stevia
- 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract **(for CELIAC/GLUTEN ALLERGY use certified gluten-free pure vanilla extract, not imitation vanilla flavor—check label)**
- 1 dash ground cinnamon
Food Allergen Substitutions
Sneaky Snickerdoodle Pancakes with Warm Vanilla Sauce
- Celiac/Gluten/Wheat: For 3/4 C all-purpose flour, substitute 3/4 C gluten-free/nut-free all-purpose flour. Use certified gluten-free pure vanilla extract, not imitation vanilla flavor.
- Dairy: For 1/2 C milk in Pancakes, substitute 1/2 C dairy-free/nut-free milk. For 1 1/4 C milk in Sauce, substitute 1 1/4 C dairy-free/nut-free milk. For 1 T butter to grease the pan, substitute 1 T dairy-free/nut-free butter OR use vegetable oil or spray. For 1 T butter in Sauce, substitute 1 T dairy-free/nut-free butter.
Snickerdoodle Smoothies
- Dairy: For 2 C milk, substitute 2 C dairy-free/nut-free milk.
- Celiac/Gluten/Wheat: Use certified gluten-free pure vanilla extract, not imitation vanilla flavor.
Instructions
Sneaky Snickerdoodle Pancakes with Warm Vanilla Sauce
intro
Hallo" (HAH-low) or "Guten tag" (GOO-ten tahk), which is "Hello" or "Good day (or afternoon)" in German! The name "snickerdoodles" may come from a German word used for cinnamon rolls: "schneckennudeln," meaning "snail noodles!"
preheat + grease
Preheat your skillet to medium-low and coat it lightly with butter, oil, or cooking spray.
measure + whisk
To a large mixing bowl, have your kids measure and add 3/4 cup flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1 teaspoon cream of tartar, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, and 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons sugar. Whisk together well. Practice some German counting while you whisk: 1 eins (ines), 2 zwei (svie), 3 drei (dry)!
grate + chop + whisk
Have kids use a grater or kid-safe knife to grate or chop 1 Granny Smith apple into tiny bits and add them to a medium bowl. Next, kids can add 1/2 cup milk and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract to the grated or chopped apple. Have kids stir the apple bits into the milk and vanilla. Then ask kids to carefully add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and whisk well to combine.
spoon + flip
Spoon 1/4 cup of batter onto your preheated skillet for each pancake. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes, flip, and cook the other side for another 4 to 5 minutes or until golden brown. Keep the pancakes warm in the oven while you make the Warm Vanilla Sauce.
measure + whisk
In a cold saucepan, off the stove, have your kids measure in 3 tablespoons sugar, 1 tablespoon cornstarch, and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon. Have them stir in 1 1/4 cup of milk and whisk until smooth. Then add 1 tablespoon of butter to the pan.
boil + whisk
Adults put the saucepan on the stove over medium heat, whisking constantly until boiling. Keep whisking! Boil about 2 full minutes (careful with kids around) or until slightly thickened. Take off the heat and stir in 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract.
scrumptious science
In the above step, you will use the gelling power of cornstarch. Cornstarch is a powder derived from the cellulose present in all plant cells. In its natural form, cellulose is like microscopic gelatin. It protects plant cells by cushioning them and filling in all the empty spaces in a cell. In this recipe, we use a powder version with all the liquid removed. When we add this dry cornstarch to a wet mixture, like a sauce, the cornstarch will absorb the liquid, and the cellulose will start to thicken our milk and vanilla into a luscious sauce.
serve + top
Transfer the pancakes to kids' plates and top with Warm Vanilla Sauce. Before kids take a bite, they can shout, "Diese Schneckennudeln sind köstlich" (DEE-zuh SHNECK-en-nud-eln zindt KUST-leek) or "These snail noodles are delicious" in German!
Snickerdoodle Smoothies
chop + blend
Have your kids chop 1 Granny Smith apple and add it to your blender (or pitcher for use with an immersion blender). Next, kids can add 2 frozen bananas, 2 cups milk, 3 tablespoons sugar or honey, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, and 1 dash of cinnamon together with the chopped apple and blend until smooth and creamy! Enjoy!
Hi! I’m Cinnamon!
"Did you know that I'm a spice that comes from the inner bark of certain trees?! You can add me to both sweet and savory foods. Recipes generally call for ground cinnamon, but you can also use cinnamon sticks, dried strips of my bark that curl into a tube shape, to flavor apple cider, stews, curries, and more. Just don't forget to remove the stick before serving! And, what's more, I can make your kitchen and home smell wonderful!"
History
- Some people say the best kind of cinnamon, referred to as the "true cinnamon" and called Ceylon, is native to an island southeast of India called Sri Lanka. It has a more subtle flavor than other types. The most common cinnamon in use today, though, is derived from Cassia, which originated in China.
- Cinnamon is an ancient spice. It was imported to Egypt in about 2000 BCE. The ancient Egyptians used cinnamon together with myrrh to embalm the dead. They considered cinnamon to be more valuable than gold!
Anatomy & Etymology
- Cinnamon is the inner bark of some tree species of the genus Cinnamomum. Cinnamon trees can grow about 60 feet tall.
- Cinnamon farmers begin to harvest cinnamon when the tree reaches two years old. They cut the tree back so that shoots form from the stump. After one more year, the farmers strip the outer bark from the shoots and set the peels out to dry in the sun.
- When the bark dries, it curls into "quills," which are the sticks that are cut and sold as cinnamon sticks. They can also be ground into powdered cinnamon, which is how much of the cinnamon we see is sold in stores. So, what do a porcupine and a cinnamon tree have in common? They both grow quills!
- The word "cinnamon" comes from late Middle English derived from the Old French form, "cinnamome," from the Greek "kinnamon." The Greek was borrowed from a Phoenician word, which was similar to the related Hebrew word "qinnāmōn."
How to Pick, Buy, & Eat
- Cinnamon is harvested twice a year, immediately after the rainy season. The humidity in the air makes the bark peel more easily.
- The bark is typically peeled by hand by skilled peelers.
- The quality of cinnamon is judged by the thickness of the bark, the appearance of the quills (broken or whole), the aroma, and the flavor.
- Cinnamon is a spice used to add flavor to a variety of dishes. For example, it may be added to desserts, chocolate, toast (in cinnamon sugar), fruit (especially apples), roasted veggies, soups, tea, and hot cocoa. It's also good in savory dishes like Bavarian pot roast, Moroccan chicken, and Indian curry.
Nutrition
- It is best to eat cinnamon in small doses in its ground form, sprinkling it on top of food or adding a small teaspoon to food. Eating too much cinnamon could cause adverse health effects.
- Cinnamon has one of the most recognizable scents. Its pungent, spicy smell is due to the chemical called "cinnamaldehyde." This chemical is considered an antioxidant that has some anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties.
- Cinnamon is believed to regulate the sugar in our blood and possibly lower cholesterol; however, study findings aren't clear.
- Cinnamon oil can keep mosquitoes away! It kills mosquito larvae and probably repels adult mosquitoes, too.
What are Snickerdoodles?
- A Snickerdoodle is a delicious cookie made with butter or oil, eggs, sugar, salt, cream of tartar, baking soda, and flour, rolled in cinnamon sugar before baking.
- The signature flavor and the perfect chewiness of snickerdoodles are attributed to the cream of tartar. These characteristics are due to the chemical makeup of the cream of tartar, which prevents the cookies from developing a sugar-crystal-induced crunch that sugar cookies have, giving them a soft and pillowy texture.
- The Joy of Cooking claims that the name "snickerdoodle" is probably German in origin, being a corruption of the German word "schneckennudeln," which is a German cinnamon roll (the word literally means snail noodles!).
- Some believe the name comes from a series of tall tales around a hero named Snickerdoodle from the early 1900s. However, it is also possible that it is simply a nonsense word with no particular meaning, originating from a New England tradition of whimsical cookie names!
Let's Learn About New England!
- The New England region is in the Northeastern United States. It includes the states of Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. The Atlantic Ocean borders New England on the east.
- Indigenous peoples who spoke variations of the Algonquian language were the first to inhabit the region. John Smith, the English explorer, named the region "New England" in 1616. The area was colonized by people, especially Puritans, coming from England in ships, like the Mayflower, beginning in 1620. These early settlements were called the Plymouth and Massachusetts Bay colonies.
- Southern New England (Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island) has more people than northern New England (Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont).
- Massachusetts has the largest population in New England, and Boston, the capital of Massachusetts, is the largest city and metropolis. Vermont is the least populated.
- There are several distinct accents and dialects, especially the Boston accent. It may have come from certain British English accents that dropped a final "R" in a word and had a broad "A" sound.
- The New England states are popular with tourists who take autumn "leaf peeping" drives to view the vibrant colors of the the abundant foliage.
- Candlepin bowling is a popular pastime in New England. The pins are tall, thin, and shaped like a candle, and the bowling balls are small, at 4.5 inches in diameter. The bowling balls are also lighter than the candlepins, different from ten-pin bowling.
- New England culture and cuisine have been influenced by the indigenous Algonquian-speaking peoples, the Acadians, an ethnic group of French descendants, and the early Puritans. Later immigrants, including those from Ireland, Italy, Portugal, and Quebec, have also had an impact.
- Many early colonists were involved with maritime activities, such as fishing and whaling, and seafood significantly contributed to the culture, cuisine, and economy.
- New Englanders have a few different names for familiar foods. For example, they may call sub sandwiches "grinders" and milkshakes "frappes."
- Some of the regional food favorites are baked beans (like Boston baked beans), New England clam chowder, cranberries, hasty or Indian pudding (made with cornmeal), lobster rolls, Parker House rolls (bread rolls invented at Boston's Parker House Hotel), and New England boiled dinner (corned beef with cabbage and other root vegetables).
That's Berry Funny
What's a laughing hyena's favorite cookie?
A snickerdoodle!
That's Berry Funny
Did you hear about the angry pancake?
He just flipped!
THYME for a Laugh
How do you make a pancake smile?
Butter him up!
THYME for a Laugh
I think I should work at a Smoothie shop.
I feel like I would blend in.
That's Berry Funny
What can a whole apple do that half an apple can't do?
It can look round.
Lettuce Joke Around
I named my dog Cinnamon!
He's a lot of bark!
The Yolk's On You
What did the apple tree say to the hungry caterpillar?
"Leaf me alone!"
