NUTELLA PANCAKES ... WITHOUT THE MESS - the crisp little look book

Hi Everyone!

Today I’m sharing a quick trick I discovered when making Nutella pancakes!

All you mommas out there know the drill … you spread the Nutella on the pancakes and more ends up on faces and hands than in mouths. I even tried to sandwich the Nutella between two pancakes and then slice them into “sticks”, hoping that would remedy the problem. Oliva just opened em’ up and messiness ensued.

So, after some good old fashioned mommy-style experimentation, I’ve got it down … mess free Nutella pancakes!

Ok, ladies! Go ahead and prepare your ordinary pancake mix … Trader Joe’s actually makes a pretty amazing gluten-free mix if that’s your jam. We’re not a gluten-free family, but I accidentally purchased it once, and we thought it was so yummy, light n’ fluffy that we just kept buying it instead of the regular flour-based kind.

Now, you want to make sure you have a small cup of Nutella, a butter knife, and fork nearby and ready to go … as soon as you drop that batter on the griddle you need to move fast! After you’ve dropped the batter in the pan, using your knife take a few dollops of Nutella and drop em’ on top of the pancake. Quickly take the fork and swirl it around, trying your best to swirl it along the entire top of the pancake, extending all the way to the edges (you want to make sure your little gets a taste of that awesomeness in every bite!). But use a light hand, you don’t want to reach the bottom of the pancake where it meets the griddle … just try to skim the surface of the pancake as you swirl.

Ok, I know what you’re probably thinking at this point … this is tougher than it sounds because Nutella is pretty thick! Just so you don’t get any ideas, oh, I don’t know, like microwaving it for a few seconds to thin it out … don’t waste your time. Tried it, it doesn’t work! It actually just gets thicker … BUT, if you want to use peanut butter instead of Nutella, the pre-heating trick works like a charm, so have at it! For the Nutella, just be patient, it may take a few tries, but you’ll get the technique down. As I said above, the best advice I can give is to move swiftly, before the batter cooks and thickens!

Now, a few quick notes … because you’re swirling the batter around, the pancake will grow in size … just something to be aware of when you judge how much batter to use. And, spoiler alert … these won’t be the prettiest pancakes you’ve ever made … just sayin’. As you swirl and spread the batter around, the edges will get a bit ruffled … no perfect circles here. Not that Olivia cares …. she just wants Nutella in those cakes!

Ok, now wait until you see bubbles surface, and flip as usual. Cook until done on the other side, and flip onto a plate! And you’re done … mess free Nutella pancakes.

I usually make a whole batch of these on the weekends, and freeze individual portions. They make a great last-minute breakfast during the week when I don’t have time to make Olivia’s normal old-fashioned oatmeal weekday breakfast. Just pop em’ in the toaster for a minute or two and serve!