Pancakes are perfect for breakfasts or suppers, meals or snacks. They can be sweet and decadent or healthy and filling depending on the ingredients that are used. Plain pancakes can become boring over time. However, various shapes, and various fillings, such as the five below, can give them new life.
Some fillings can be mixed into the pancake batter before it is fried on a griddle. One filling that is a favorite of children in particular is chocolate chips. For the sweetest taste, the cook should choose milk chocolate chips. While regular-sized chips may be used, mini morsels are more pleasing to the eye, are a better size for thin pancakes and do not make as much of a mess on a hot griddle.
Another filling meant to be mixed in before the pancake is fried is fresh or frozen fruit. Most people opt for berries because they are so colorful. Often, fresh fruit is used during the summer months when it is on hand and naturally sweet; frozen fruit is the easiest choice during the winter. Blueberries are a quintessential favorite as seen here.
A spin-off of a berry filling is an apple and nut filling, which is particularly tasty during the autumn months. Although any type of apple can be used, most prefer to choose a naturally sweet or tart apple such as a Braeburn, Fuji or Granny Smith. These should be finely chopped and folded into the batter along with chopped walnuts or pecans. This will create a sweet and hearty meal.
Other fillings can be added to the pancake after it has been fried. These pancakes are often rolled around the filling. The easiest and most child-friendly option is to spread jam or fruit preserves on the pancake and finish by rolling it. For a dessert-like look, it can be topped with a dollop of whipped cream.
For a more grown-up approach, the cook could roll thin crepe-like pancakes around a banana that has been cut in half vertically. She could sprinkle brown sugar on top of the banana or make a rich spiced sauce with cream, cinnamon nutmeg and butter. An example of this is shown in this recipe.
The possibilities for pancake fillings are positively endless. They can change a pancake from drab and everyday to a special delicacy. The above five should give any cook the impetus she needs to make her next meal truly extraordinary.