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Happy Birthday Pancakes

By April 3, 2017April 16th, 2017255 Comments


If thereโ€™s one thing Iโ€™ve learned in my career as a parent, itโ€™s this: It does not take a whole lot to make a kid happy. I knew a mom a while back who had a special favorite pink plate reserved for sick days, so when her daughter was home with the flu, there was at least one bright spot in the day if she had the stomach for a Saltine or two. (Prompting her daughter to once say โ€œI love being home sick!โ€) I know parents who decorated their 13-year-old daughterโ€™s room with homemade flag banners and crowned her with a paper tiara for her half birthday. (Prompting the 13-year-old daughter to instagram a shot of the whole affair with the caption โ€œI love my parents!โ€); I know another dad who randomly announces โ€œCarvel Night!โ€ at the dinner table and then bolts with the kids, without cleaning up, to the nearest outpost in order to secure their Flying Saucers and soft serve vanilla on a wafer cone with rainbow sprinkles. (Prompting the mom at that dinner table, who I, ahem, know very well, to say โ€œAre you sure youโ€™re all not just trying to get out of clean-up here?โ€)

As long as weโ€™re on the topic of sprinkles. These pancakes: They are in Joy the Bakerโ€˜s newest book, Over Easy, a gorgeous little collection of recipes devoted to breakfasty brunchy meals and features the kinds of dishes โ€” Buttered-Pecan French Toast, Chicken and Maple Waffle Sandwiches, Brown Butter Banana Bread Doughnuts โ€” where youโ€™re like Yes, those are the foods that make everyone happy. How have I forgotten that?ย 

I stopped on the Happy Birthday Pancakes photo, though, which are classic fluffy buttermilk numbers, but include the kind of small detail that will yield big birthday memories for a kid: the rainbow sprinkles folded into the batter. So simple, so doable, so sweet.

Even sweeter: A Giveaway! Comment below to be eligible for a free copy of Over Easy. One reader will be chosen at random and contest ends on Wednesday, April 5 at 5:00 pm ET. Thanks Joy!


Happy Birthday Pancakes

SERVES 1

Speckled with rainbow sprinkles and made in a small, stackable batch, theyโ€™re a surprise just for the birthday boy or girl.

2โ„ 3 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 โ„ 2 teaspoon baking powder
1 โ„ 2 teaspoon baking soda
Generous pinch of salt
1 large egg
1 โ„4 cup buttermilk
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
1 โ„ 2 teaspoon plus a dash of pure vanilla extract
1 โ„ 2 cup heavy whipping cream
2 teaspoons confectionersโ€™ sugar
About 1 tablespoon clarified butter (or regular butter) for the pan
2 tablespoons multicolored jimmies (sprinkles to Northeasterners!), plus more for topping

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

2. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg, buttermilk, butter, and ยฝ teaspoon of vanilla. Pour the whole mixture into the flour mixture and whisk until the wet and dry ingredients are fully incorporated. Let rest for 10 minutes.

3. In a medium bowl, whisk the cream by hand or with a hand mixer for about 5 minutes, until it holds very soft peaks. Add the confectionersโ€™ sugar and a dash of vanilla and beat for about 3 more minutes, until it forms slightly firmer but still spoonable soft peaks.

4. In a medium nonstick skillet over medium heat, melt about half of the clarified butter.

5. Just before cooking the pancakes, fold 2 tablespoons of jimmies into the batter. Spoon 2 heaping tablespoonfuls of batter into the skillet. Cook until browned around the edges, about 2 minutes. Flip the pancake and cook until browned on the other side, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a plate and repeat with the remaining batter, adding the rest of the butter to the pan to cook (you should have 6 small pancakes).

6. Stack all of the pancakes on a plate. Top with the whipped cream, sprinkle with more jimmies, light a candle, and sing โ€œHappy Birthdayโ€!

Reprinted fromย Joy the Baker Over Easy.ย Copyright ยฉ 2017 by Joy the Baker, Inc. Interior and cover photographs by Jon Melendez. Published by Clarkson Potter/Publishers, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC.

Update: The winner has been notified. (Congrats Heather!)ย Thanks to everyone who played.

255 Comments

  • Avatar dianne says:

    sprinkles are the best! they might even make up for my less than photo-worthy pancakes!

  • Avatar Rachel says:

    Love this idea โ€“ so simple and fun!

  • Avatar sarajane says:

    Oooh YUM! Thanks for the offer!

  • Avatar Diane says:

    Would love to receive this book โ€“ looks fantastic!

  • Avatar Lori says:

    I love Joyโ€™s blog โ€“ her Sunday entries always give me lots to read and think about! Isnโ€™t that the best use of the Internet? Love to both of you โ€“

  • Avatar Michelle says:

    Oh, I love this! What a sweet memory for our kiddos! Iโ€™m going to try to remember to make these for the next kidโ€™s birthdayโ€ฆwhich isnโ€™t until September, so hopefully I do!

  • Avatar SR Stiglitz says:

    Fab idea! Iโ€™ve been looking for fun easy ways to put a sparkle into my daughterโ€™s days. Thank you!

  • Avatar Anna says:

    I love Joy the Baker! She has been in my regular food blog rotation for years!

  • Avatar Kay says:

    I eat the same thing every morning for breakfast and Iโ€™m in a rut. I need some new ideas!

  • ronda says:

    Sprinkles and brunch that is combination to not be missed.

  • Avatar Tina says:

    I love Joy the Baker. This looks like a great book!

  • Avatar Carolee says:

    We have a cupboard full of different types of sprinkles in our house which I have used often to create a small celebration of some event in our family life. This cookbook looks awesome โ€” I would love to win it!

  • Avatar pat says:

    Interesting to see the key ingredient listed as โ€œjimmiesโ€ Iโ€™m from Pennsylvania originally, and we always called them โ€œjimmies,โ€ but I never see/hear the term used any more. It seems like itโ€™s always โ€œsprinkles.โ€

  • Avatar Megan says:

    Hmm, I may need to make these for first grader who is having spring break withdrawalโ€ฆ.thanks!

  • Avatar Allison says:

    Awww! This is a super sweet birthday idea

  • Avatar d says:

    Ohh! Iโ€™d love a copy of her new book.

  • Avatar Elizabeth Degenhard says:

    Thank you for your wonderful books! I plan to surprise a friend on her birthday this month with _How to Celebrate Everything_, as I love my copy. If Iโ€™m ever feeling uninspired, I just flip through your books or go to your website!

  • Avatar Schuyler Bogel says:

    What fun!

  • Avatar Carrie says:

    I love Joy The Baker! I already bought the book for myself, but itโ€™s also on my list as a birthday gift for a friend. Like you said, โ€œYes, those are the foods that make everyone happy.โ€

  • Avatar Madelaine says:

    Such pretty pancakes! I will be stealing this idea for special breakfasts ๐Ÿ™‚

  • Avatar Phaedra says:

    Anything that adds to making daily life fun? Iโ€™m in! I would love to win a copy of Over Easy . brunch is All The Things.

  • Avatar April May says:

    I will just have to decide what occasion Iโ€™m celebrating when I make these for dinner tonight!

  • Kelly W. says:

    This sounds like the perfect cook book for me! I love simple, cozy food. Thank you Joy and Jenny!

  • Avatar Jennifer Lewis says:

    I love this simple, easy way of celebrating special daysโ€ฆor of celebrating any day to make it special! Also, brown butter banana bread doughnuts sound like heaven to me. This sounds like a great book!

  • Avatar Kelly S says:

    Oooo โ€ฆ these look yummy and a great way to start a birthday!

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