Santa's Christmas Wreath Pancakes and Santa's Hat Pancakes

Christmas Cupcake Murder

## Ingredients for Santa's Christmas Wreath Pancakes and Hat Pancakes

* 1 Tablespoon brown sugar
* 1 Tablespoon baking powder
* 1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1 and 1/4 cups all-purpose flour ***(pack it down in the cup when you measure it)***
* 1 large egg
* 1 and 1/4 cups half and half ***(light cream)***
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 1/2 stick ***(2 ounces, 4 Tablespoons)*** salted butter, melted

## Ingredients for Cinnamon Powdered Sugar Glaze

* 1/4 stick ***(2 Tablespoons)*** salted butter
* 1 to 1 and 1/2 cups powdered sugar ***(pack it down in the cup when your measure it)***
* 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1 to 2 Tablespoons milk or light cream

## Ingredients to Decorate Santa's Christmas Wreath Pancakes and Santa's Hat Pancakes

* 16 red and/or green candied cherries ***(If you can't find candied cherries, you can substitute maraschino cherries.)***
* 4 large strawberries ***(You can substitute frozen strawberries if you thaw them the morning you plan to make the pancakes.)***

### To Make Santa's Christmas Wreath Pancake and Santa's Hat Pancake batter:

* Place the Tablespoon of brown sugar in a large bowl on the counter.
* Add the Tablespoon of baking powder and mix well.
* Sprinkle in the cinnamon and salt. Mix them in thoroughly.
* Measure out the all-purpose flour. Make sure you pack it down in the measuring cup when you measure it.
* Mix the flour in thoroughly.
* Crack the egg in another bowl. Use a whisk to mix the yolk and the white together. Mix until the egg is frothy.
* Add the cup and a quarter of half and half. Mix it in thoroughly with the egg.
* Mix in the vanilla extract.
* Melt the half stick of salted butter in a small bowl in the microwave. Set the bowl on the counter and let it cool to room temperature.
* Add the melted, salted butter to the bowl with the egg and light cream. Mix it in thoroughly.
* Make a well in the center of the bowl with the dry ingredients.
* Drizzle the liquid ingredients into the well in the bowl of dry ingredients, stirring constantly. Mix until everything is blended together. **This forms your Santa's Christmas Wreath and Hat Pancake batter.**

**Hannah's Note: Pancake batter improves if it sits in the refrigerator overnight. Bubbles may form on the surface, but that's fine. You'll mix it up again in the morning before you make it.**

* In the morning, take the bowl of **pancake batter** out of the refrigerator, and let it sit on your kitchen counter while you make the **Cinnamon Powdered Sugar Glaze**.

### **To Make the Cinnamon Powdered Sugar Glaze:**

* Place the quarter stick of salted butter in a small microwave-safe bowl.
* Heat the batter on HIGH in the microwave for 30 seconds.
* In another bowl, mix up the powdered sugar and cinnamon.
* Pour the melted butter into the bowl with the powdered sugar and cinnamon mixture.
* Add milk or light cream, in small increments, until the glaze reaches drizzling consistency.

### **To Fry The Pancakes:**

* Lightly spray a nonstick frying pan with Pam or another nonstick cooking spray. Alternatively, put an ounce of butter in the center of a nonstick frying pan. **(I used a 12-inch Teflon frying pan.)**
* Turn the burner on MEDIUM heat. If you used butter, use a spatula to move the butter around in the frying pan so the whole bottom is coated.
* When you think your frying pan is hot enough, test it by sprinkling a few droplets of water in the pan from the tips of your impeccably clean fingers. If the droplets of water "dance" around in the pan, your frying pan is ready.
* Give your pancake batter a final stir. Then ladle approximately 1/3 to 1/2 cup of batter into the center of the heated frying pan.
* Quickly, using a heat-resistant spatula or the back of a wooden spoon, spread the batter around in the pan, so that it makes an 8-inch to 10-inch circle.
* Let the large pancake cook approximately 2 minutes, or until you notice little bubbles begin to form on the top of the pancake and the edges look slightly dry. This means it's time to turn the pancake over and fry the other side.
* Slide the blade of a heat resistant spatula under your pancake to loosen it from the pan. Then use it to flip the pancake over so that the uncooked side is on the bottom. Fry another 1 to 2 minutes more, or until the center is cooked, and the bottom is slightly browned.
* Remove your pancake from the pan and put it on a serving plate. (Unless you're Mike, or someone at your breakfast table insists that they're starving, the normal serving is 1 to 2 pancakes.)
* Remove the centers of the pancakes, and put them on smaller plates. They will eventually become **Santa's Hat Pancakes**.

### **To Decorate Santa's Christmas Wreath Pancakes:**

* Either sprinkle the top of your "wreath" with powdered sugar, or *drizzle* on **Cinnamon Powdered Sugar Glaze**.
* Dot the top side of the "wreath" with red and/or green candied cherries to resemble the berries on a wreath.

### **To Decorate Santa's Hat Pancakes:**

* Spoon a small circle of **Cinnamon Powdered Sugar Glaze** in the center of each small pancake.
* Cut the stem part off a fresh ***(or frozen and thawed)*** strawberry to give it a flat bottom to sit on. Be sure to leave the top of the strawberry intact. *That's the top of the Santa's Hat.*
* Place the strawberry, point up, in the center of the circle of glaze. Then drizzle a little more glaze around the base of the strawberry so that it looks like the white fur on the bottom of Santa's Hat.
* Dab a little more glaze on the tip of the strawberry so that it resembles the tassel on the tip of Santa's hat. You can also decorate Santa's hat Pancakes with whipped cream if you wish.

Yield:  Makes approximately 4 Santa's Christmas Wreath Pancakes and 4 Santa's Hat Pancakes.

Christmas Wreath Pancake ideas

Santa Hat Pancake with whipped cream ideas