#965 Building a stack of pancakes that looks just like the front of the box

Neil Pasricha

The goal

It’s no joke and it takes teamwork, timing, and trust, but building a stack of pancakes that looks just like the front of the box can be one of the most rewarding breakfast experiences of your life. Here’s how you can make the magic happen:

1. Assemble a team. You will need a Cook, a Condimenter, and a Table-Setter. The Cook should be an early riser and self-starter. They need to have the skill and confidence required to make breakfast for a group as well as a basic understanding of what a circle looks like. Your Condimenter needs to understand the value of real butter and decent maple syrup and know where to find it. A driver’s license is necessary here. And lastly, there’s the Table-Setter. Prior experience is mandatory. Also a plus is the ability to fold napkins into nice triangles.

2. Night-Before Prep Work. Yes, the show begins the night before. The Condimenter needs to make sure all the key ingredients are in the house. Is there enough powder in the pancake box? Is the tap water running okay? How about the syrup and butter? If necessary, make a list and go to the store before it closes. We don’t want to find out in the morning that something’s missing. Nobody will sleep well not knowing.

3. Rest up. It doesn’t matter what time you go to sleep. Just make sure you squeeze enough solid hours of golden slumbers in there to power up the juices and get the engine revving the next morning. Remember: groggy kitchen work is sloppy kitchen work. Nobody likes an oblong pancake.

The spider pancake

4. Wake up and get down to pancakes. Showtime! Now it’s the Cook’s time to shine. This job is not for the weak minded. The Cook must first set the oven to a low temperature, because that’s going to be the holding bay until a full stack of pancakes are ready. This isn’t going to be one of those “Got a fresh one on the frying pan — who wants it!” type of days. This is a slow building crescendo towards a massive stack of pancakes. Let’s not forget that. Once we’ve got the oven set low, the Cook starts doing their thing — tying their hair into a bandana if necessary, getting the frying pan warmed up, mixing the batter. The Cook must be able to sacrifice their own rumbling stomach for the good of the group. There can be no breaks until the full stack of pancakes are cooked, kept warm, and ready to serve. The Table-Setter must be busy here too, pulling out the silverware, laying out the plates, and folding napkins. And rounding out this majestic circus-like performance is the Condimenter, busy pouring juice and jigsawing perfect squares of butter.

Team, remember what we’re playing for here: a towering stack of hot, fluffy pancakes drizzled with sweet, slow-moving syrup, delicately topped with a thick, perfectly melting square of butter.

Yes, it takes a bit of time. Yes, it takes real effort. And yes, you will require a solid lineup of team players who never take their eyes off the end goal. But what could be more fun on a weekend morning than creating your very own stack of pancakes that looks just like the front of the box? (Hint: Nothing.)

AWESOME!

What we're playing for

28 thoughts to “#965 Building a stack of pancakes that looks just like the front of the box”

  1. Awww man, those look delicious.

    …But I’m pretty lazy. So I might just go to my regular cafe and get a plate of adorable pikelets with strawberries, cream and maple syrup. And a smooth hot chocolate, of course!

  2. I loved this one!! I keep trying to get perfectly symmetric circles that sit neatly on top of each other, but there are usually irregularities in the edges :-). And the syrup never manages to slide off the stack in those beautiful little rivers!!

  4. I suck at making pancakes. The first one that I do gets burnt every time. After that, one side looks near perfect but the other side is a mess. At least I cook them all the way through now. My first attempt at pancakes ended badly. The middle was still doughy and chewy. I’m a good cook,too… these pancakes, man, they just get me every time.

    1. It sounds like you just haven’t got the pan temperature quite right. This could be caused by simply having the burner too hot, but it could also be caused by using a thin frying pan. Pancakes work best with the thickest pan you can get your hands on. Allows the heat to radiate more gently into the dough.

    2. I have cooked/eaten pancakes as a weekend treat for years. The first pancake is usually a sacrifical one. You need a good thick frying pan that heats up so when you put drops of cool water on the pan it skips across. Ideally you should not have to put any oil down if using the right kind of pan. If you do, do sparingly or the pancake will be too oily. Next you use a soup ladle and get some batter scooped out into the pan. Only turn once the bubbles on the top start to break. Lift gently to turn and watch the bottom does not burn. Perfection every time! I use the recipe from the Joy of Cooking.

  5. Well, I NEVER!!!
    (all due respect, Neil, hint- *something*),
    So…
    “Hippity hop to the I Hop, to get a stack of pancakes…some for you and some for me and some for the whole team there’ll be!
    Your kitchen and my kitchen’s clean so the whole dang day is free, free, free!”
    Awesome!!!

  6. I make pancakes every weekend (when possible) using my Grandmother’s recipe. However, I never try to make a stack – we tend to eat each one as it comes out of the pan!
    Here’s the recipe if you want to try it:

    Sift dry ingredients in a large bowl: 1.5 cups of flour, 3 tablespoons sugar, 3.5 teaspoons baking soda, pinch of salt
    In a separate bowl: beat 1 egg, add 1.33 cups of milk, 1 tsp of vanilla, 2 tablespoons melted butter (I use microwave to melt the butter).
    Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir until mixed. If I think it’s too thick, I sometimes add a bit more milk – carefully! You don’t want it to get too thin.
    Enjoy!

  7. I’ve always wanted to do this! I think I’ve done it once with waffles. I’m not sure. Building the Perfect Pancake Stack seems to require great skill. I’m not sure I am ready for such a noble and majestic feat. Perhaps someday I will be worthy.

  8. I think I’m the only human who doesn’t like pancakes…yech! So,I’ll just imagine you’re discussing waffles and, yeah, then I get it. :) I used to make these big, yummy Belgian waffles on Sundays and I’d make extra so I could freeze ’em and we’d have waffles for the weekdays. Pat of butter, real maple syrup, and a hot waffle…mmmmm! Beats the cr*p outa pancakes any day! Of course, I don’t need a stack of waffles. I mean, I like waffles, but I don’t want a stack of grilled dough for breakfast…yikes! While we’re on the topic, why do restaurants insist on filling out a delicious breakfast with a side of pancakes? Like Denny’s Grand Slam, which is eggs, meat, and pancakes. I say, skip the pancake and instead add on a waffle! But no, most restaurants usually charge extra for the waffle. That’s taking advantage of the waffle people. Right there, that proves the value of waffles over pancakes! Pancake vs Waffle rant over and out. Go on with your day.

    1. I LOVE your integrity! I am another human who does not like pancakes but waffles nor crepes rhymed with IHOP:)
      Since recipes and tricks of the trade are flying about today, would you consider sharing yours for belgiam waffles, Kathy?!:)

      1. C’mon klalota and Wendy… you know you want to make a big stack of pancakes. Give em to your neighbours.

        1. LOL@Christine! Nah, you can have our share, Christine…but then Wendy & I get all of the bacon! Nomnomnom!

      2. I didn’t make any special ones…simply used the old Bisquick Baking Mix. So you’re not pro-pancakes either? Cool, I’m not alone! Chalk that up 2 waffles vs. 58,396,229 pancakes…waffle momentum’s building!

        1. Too funny ladies:)
          Kathy, you can have bacon all to yourself….I’ll take bruce;)
          Thanks for the waffle tip! I LOVE it! From the box! Easy, breezy, beautiful!
          We’ll take the cheeky talk from Emmy. And some of those awesome topping ideas too, huh!
          Here’s my favorite on waffle and french toast:
          butter, icing sugar and a real lemon…Yummy, yummy, yummy, I got love in my tummy!!!

          1. I’ve never had the lemon (very new-to-me idea…I do like lemon, so it’s worth the try), but the sugar is yummy! I sometimes sprinkle it on as it tastes like carnival funnel cake for breakfast!

            1. I think I’ve had one waffle…. once when I was 7 or something. I had it with ice cream and honey I think, and I had to take some really disgusting banana medicine at the time so I mixed it in to disguise it but I spat it back out again and everyone said ew :/
              Also, until about 3 years ago when I saw it in a recipe book, I had never heard of putting sweet things on french toast. The cinnamon and honey on it sounded absolutely disgusting! We’ve always had tomato sauce with ours. But a few months ago, I tried honey on my french toast, and it’s an acquired taste but I like it :) And I also had honey and ice cream and banana on it the next time- even better. I guess it’s standard pancake toppings- although I would NEVER have tomato sauce on pancakes! XP

          2. Gasps! My goodness, never ate a waffle?! I thought you lived Down Under not outerspace! LOL! Really though, you’re missing out on a real treat. You simply must eat a waffle forthwith! You’ll love them. I recommend maple syrup & butter or strawberries & whipped cream as topping…mmmmmmm!

  9. People who use mixture from boxes or bottles are pussies. Pancakes aren’t pancakes unless they’re actually made, not just mixed.
    I’ve made stacks of pancakes a few times since first seeing this post in 2010! I don’t make them thick and fluffy… that’s an idea for next time :) I ALWAYS have them with ice-cream and maple syrup, and with banana and sometimes berries too :D Two pancake-occasions ago, I added the juice from some stewed plums dad had made, and used a bit of chocolate milk, and they were SO GOOD. I tried to recreate them the next time but with adding a bit more fruit, and I also added yoghurt and almond meal… Well, when it got to the frying pan, the first one ended up as a big sticky lump. Mum suggested adding another egg so she whizzed it and I only then remembered there were fruit pieces in there so she mixed it all up evenly :/ But then we tried again annnd… flop. So she added more flour, then again it flopped, so we added more flour and it was good! And they were browny-pink too! And yummy :D I had them with maple syrup, neopolitan icecream, berries, banana and cherries :) Yum dessert!
    I don’t use a recipe- in my opinion, it’s just one of those you learn over time and you don’t even think about using a recipe. Like hot chocolate, or smoothies. Just one egg to each cup of flour, and a bit of milk til it goes really runny. Then add fruit or sugar or whatever you want!

  11. My relatives every time say that I am killing my time here at web, except I know I am getting experience every day by reading such good posts.

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