When it comes to Important Worldwide Problems, the issue of leftover pancakes is really not one of them.
But if in your family you have a designated Pancake Maker who doesn't believe in moderation and must make about 48 at a time (that would be SpyDad, in my family), you might occasionally find yourself in an excess pancake situation. The idea of throwing out the extra pancakes is just awful, but then again, sometimes you get tired of just eating them straight.
And for those times, I have designed several fun uses for those leftover tasty cakes. And yes, in advance, I am very proud of myself.
Pancake French Toast: Taking a cue from leftover toast, make some pancakes perdu! Following the same steps you would use to make French Toast, get your griddle nice and toasty and fry up some egg-and-sugar-and-milk coated 'cakes for a tasty and decadent morning treat.
See? Easy.
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Doughnut Fake-Out: Nope. Those aren't doughnuts. They're Faux-nuts! Simply pop out the center of a pancake (use an apple corer for a perfect circle, or just hack it out like I did with a knife) and frost it in your favorite doughnut icing colors. Easy, sweet, and fun!
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Petite Pancake Layer Cake: Now, to say that I am proud of this mini cake would be a vast understatement. I kind of think I'm a genius. All you have to do is layer pancakes with frosting, and you've got yourself what could pass as a gourmet torte (or at least a mini Smith Island Cake!). Since I believe in moderation, I made mine 6 layers, but seriously, the sky's the limit.
Look, here I even put a macaron on top to show you the full scope of its mini adorableness!
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Pancake Black and White Cookie: While frosting that pancake torte, I realized that these pancakes were the perfect palette to create mini black and white cookies. So I whipped up some vanilla and chocolate frosting (a recipe can be found here, if you look for the icing) and made some black and whites. This was a no-brainer--I mean, these drop cakes are already practically pancakes. The texture is a little different, but they're pleasantly passable.
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Pancake Mini Dessert Tacos: Inspired by the choco taco, this totally sweet treat is a pleasure to make and a pleasure to eat. Wow friends with your total cleverness as you bend the pancake gently to mold to a taco shape, fill it with a little chocolate ice cream (I used Jeni's Splendid Ice Cream, in the Roxbury Road flavor--jealous?), and top it with some tinted coconut. If desired, add some easter candy to really bring the seasonal aspect home.
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Of course, you don't have to stop here. There are so many things that you could do with leftover pancakes. Make them into pancake fries (like these pie fries!). Sandwich frosting in between two for a delicious snack! Crush them and mix them with frosting instead of cake, for pancake pops! Mash em with ice cream in your blender for a Pancake Shake! Use them as your carbohydrate base for bread pudding! Seriously, the world is your pancake oyster. Live your leftover pancake life deliciously!