Five Things to Do With Leftover Pancakes

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!

Does Cake Taste Different Depending on Your State of Mind?

Cake always tastes delicious. That's a fact and nobody can take that away from you.

But here's a question that, once it occurred to me, made me pause to ponder: does the same cake taste different depending on the time of day and your state of mind? Obviously, there was only one way to find out: I had to make myself a cake-eating guinea pig in this important experiment.

So I made up a batch of cake--cupcakes, in fact. Vanilla with chocolate frosting. Actually, it was the cupcake version of my birthday cake from last year. So I know it's a cake I like. I put several in the freezer so they wouldn't go stale, and then rationed them out to myself over the next several days, experimenting with how the cake would taste at various times of day and centered around different activities.

Oh, the things I do for science! Here's how it went. 

Wake n Cake: Cake eaten directly after waking up. That's right. I had the cake at the ready, so that when I woke up, I literally turned over to my night table, grabbed the plate of cake, and dug in (what I do for the sake of research!). Believe it or not, it isn't the first time I've done something like this, but it is the first time I tasted mindfully and really observed the experience. I still had morning breath and felt sleep-fuzzy, and the cake almost seemed like an interloper in my sleep world. My taste buds rejected it at first as foreign, odd. But the more I ate, the cake taste coated my mouth and I tasted sweet, not sleep. Not a bad way to wake up the taste buds, but I think I'll wait at least 10 minutes in the future before going for the cake.

Cake Interrupted: Cake while eating TV. It basically went like this: I'm eating, I'm eating, it's sweet, and then it's gone. Wait, how did that happen? I realized that while the cake tasted good, I barely registered the experience. I felt like I'd had just a bite or two, and I wanted more. I can see why eating in front of the TV is not good for you--you don't eat mindfully at all!

Cake OM: cake after yoga class. This was probably the best cake of all. I felt like my senses had been awakened by stretching my body, and walking outside into the brisk coldness and walking two blocks home, I felt invigorated. Still in that zen state of mind, I ate quietly, slowly, and mindfully. I tasted every bite, and every bite tasted like a sweet reward. I highly suggest eating cake after yoga or exercise. 

Virtuous cake: cake eaten after salad. Have you ever eaten a slice of cake directly after eating a salad? It's weird, man. You've got the natural sweetness of the salad ingredients--the crispy lettuce, carrots, etc. And the tartness of the vinaigrette. Then you have a slice of cake, and it just tastes weird and sour for a few bites. Luckily, after the initial few bites my taste buds were acquainted with the cake, and I found it an enjoyable experience. But the first few bites were really not that enjoyable.

Naughty cake: cake eaten post cheeseburger. I'm told that eating a fat slice of cake after eating a nice fat burger is not so good for you, healthwise. But I'm here to make an argument for its nourishment of the soul. The gorgeous contrast of the soft sweetness of the cake following the savory salty unctuousness of the burger is an absolute thing of beauty. It felt like yin and yang. I craved ice cream with the cake, or to have the cake slightly chilled for even more of a cooling, sweet contrast, but the room temperature cake seemed to do just fine. Verdict: Thumbs up. 

Cake Walk: cake eaten while walking around the block. Eating and walking is an interesting experience. For me, it is a mixed bag. It's enjoyable because I like the feeling of eating outside--the air on your skin, even cold, stimulates my taste. But eating a slice of cake (a strange food to be eating while walking) made me self conscious, and I think this took away from tasting because I was concerned about people looking at me. Verdict: thumb halfway. 

Cake Dreams: Cake eaten right before bed. Do sweet foods give you sweet dreams? Well, I thought they might at first, because eating cake at night in bed is AWESOME. Not so awesome, however, is a half hour later when you're trying to sleep and find yourself all sugar-fired-up and ready to like, dance the macarena or something. Of course, I am not a big late-night eater, so this made me uncomfortable and too energized before bed. 

Sweet Product: Whoopie Pies From Chococoa Baking Company

Not so long ago, I received an email from a place called Chococoa Baking Company, asking if I'd sample their whoopie pies.

Turns out this retail bakery (with an online and wholesale division) has made quite a name for itself in the North Shore of the greater Boston area, where they've been churning out what they call "the Whoopie"--a mini (3 bite-ish) version of the popular treat that is "A smaller, richer, triple chocolate version of the childhood treat." 

Co-owners Alan and Julie have some eclectic inspiration. For Alan, this is the realization of a lifelong dream to develop a snack food. He thanks his two heroes: first his mother, and then...former Federal Reserve Chairman, Alan Greenspan. Of course. As he explains it, "My mother was a great baker and always trying new recipes." As for Mr. Greenspan? He said that you do not need to develop a new product but rather improve an existing one. Nice. 

Julie, Chococoa's co-owner, is a Maine native who grew up making whoopie pies with her grandmother and mother; she felt that the classic treat could benefit from a makeover, too. 

Sure, I said, and they sent me a sample. But I don't know if they were aware of what exactly awaited their sweet treats when I received them. Because, you see, I like to get to know baked goods before I sample them. So, I unwrapped them and had way more fun with them than I ought to have.

First, I showed one my hamburger phone.

HAMBURGER PHONE!

I showed a few my book. They made appropriate cooing sounds of approval.

I gave some a healthy snack.

I safely wrapped a few and took them for a walk.

I took them to an 18th Century Garden. Bet you're wondering how I knew it was an 18th Century Garden.

I showed them statues.

I showed them historical landmarks.

Back home, I introduced one to a naked baby.

One enjoyed a conversation with a cupcake.

I shared with them some of my artwork.

I showed them my unicorn collection:

They were so happy.

and then I ate them.

Wow, you're thinking, when did this turn into a Whoopie Pie snuff film? No, people. They're just whoopie pies. They're meant to be consumed.

And for sure, these ones were rather tasty. In the parcel, as you've noticed in the pictures, there were several different flavors of filling. I tried ones filled with vanilla cream, salted caramel cream, raspberry cream, and chocolate ganache. 

What's clear is that these are a step above your typical ubiquitous whoopie pie, quality-wise--the fillings are on par with the frostings at a high end cupcake shop, and the cake is quite nicely made--very chocolatey, and not crumbly or devoid of flavor like so many whoopie pies can be, in my opinion. 

I vote that they are a highly satisfying treat. And proof that sometimes it's great to take some childlike joy in your food, and play with it!

Buy your own whoopie pies to mess with! If you're in Newburyport, visit 50 Water Street, where they have a retail location; or, order online. Here's their website.

50 Uses For Oreos You May Not Have Considered

Oreos are not good--they are great. But even while I'm sure you're highly qualified to appreciate their greatness, there may in fact be some uses for these sweetwiches that you've never considered. Ponder these ideas, preferably while savoring an Oreo in whatever way you prefer to eat yours. Marvel at how a treat you know so well now has so many new ways to be loved! Count your blessings that we live in a world where Oreos are plentiful.

Here we go: 50 Uses for Oreos You May Not Have Considered.

Source: bakeitinacake.com via Cake on Pinterest

1. Bake them into a cupcake! (picture above, courtesy Bake it in a Cake)
2. Coat them in chocolate, rather than buying the chocolate covered kind.
3. Use one as a pendulum. Ponder how delicious the passage of time can be.
4. If it's a little stale, use it as a hockey puck.
5. Image: WikihowDIY Quadruple Stuf Oreos! Take the cookie side off of two Double Stuf, and stick them together. YES!
6. Eat it awesomely: dunk an oreo in milk with a fork! 
7. Use an Oreo as an artist model and create a portrait. 
8. If you're able, make this rainbow oreo a reality--because this was only a promo image. Like the writer of this article, I was disappointed that it was not a real thing!
9. Imagine what the world would look like if Oreo was the moon. 
10. Make Oreograms! Send friends notes with oreos included. It's bound to make their day sweet!
11. Image: InstructablesMake something cute, such as oreo panda cupcakes!
12. Drop them from a 5-story building and see what's left when they hit the ground.

13. Give it a smiley face with writing icing and call it your new friend. Quickly become your new friend's worst nightmare by eating it.
14. Image: Culinary Concoctions by PeabodyThree words: Oreo. Krispie. Treats.
15. Put them in your peanut butter sandwich.

16. Stuff them in a chocolate chip cookie.
17. Use them as a cookie crust for a pie!
18. The ideal counter-weight for holding a balloon, or many!! (liberties taken with a National Geographic photo)
19. Make Oreo Soup: Put Oreos in a bowl of milk. Let sit for 20 minutes. Eat this fantastic mush with a spoon. Oreo Soup!
20. Scatter them at a wedding instead of stupid rice.

21. Use them as game pieces instead of checkers.
22. Mash them into a milkshake for a fresh and delicious Cookies N Cream Shake.
23. Hold your own "Down With Hydrox" rally, and serve Oreos as refreshments.
24. Let them float in a dish of milk for the cutest little castaway float ever. Then make Oreo Soup (see #19).
25. Make S'moreos.
26. Make an Oreo Friendship necklace. Seriously!
27. Oreo and peanut butter pie. YES!
28. Make Oreo Pops!
29. Image: Serious EatsUse them to make this cake.
30. Eschew the Oreo and make a cake that LOOKS like a giant oreo.
31. Share one with a friend.

32. Make an adorable little chair using an oreo as the seat. 
33. Shellac them and turn them into jewelry or paperweights.
34. MAKE THIS CAKE. 
35. Make them into a manhole cover for elves!

36. Use them as an "O" in various witticisms.
37. See how many you can fit in your mouth at once. Post pictures, please. 
38. Make an Oreo Mickey and Minnie Mouse. Cute.

39. Make an Oreo flower! Marvel at how impressed your friends are by your "special" art.
40. Oreo pudding poke cake. YES!
41. Learn about them: here's a brief history.
42. Make an Oreo rainbow. 
43. Deep-fry 'em and pretend you're at the state fair.
44. Ask one to marry you. Hope it says yes.
45. No-bake Oreo Pie cups!
46. Stuff them in donuts (oh wait, Dunkin Donuts already did that!)
47. Cookies n cream scones, yo!
48. Image: KraftTry banana pudding that employs oreos instead of nilla wafers. Why not?
49. Make Oreo Martians! Cute.
50. Eat 'em. OK, probably you have considered this use...but you know, it can't hurt to reinforce that this is a good idea.
    
    

Got a favorite use for Oreos that is not mentioned here? Leave a comment, sweeties!

A World in Which Chocolate Bars Cost $18

Recently, I was offered a sample of a new chocolate bar.

It's called Good & Evil, and it's a bar with a serious pedigree: it was designed by big names such as Eric Ripert, Tony Bourdain and Christopher Curtin of Éclat Chocolate. As I was informed, the bar is "made from extremely rare Peruvian cacao beans and studded with nibs, will make its official debut at the New York Chocolate Show on Friday, November 9."

Oh, and did I mention...it's $18 per bar?

Yes. You heard me. This bar of chocolate is $18 at eclatchocolate.com. 

Would I like a sample? Heck yes. I want to know what an $18 chocolate bar tastes like!

But while I waited for the bar to arrive, I had a good few days to fantasize about a world in which chocolate bars are $18. What else would happen in such a world, I wondered? Well, I was pretty sure that in this brave new world...

Or maybe...just maybe...a world in which there are $18 bars of chocolate is an opportunity to make the most motherfluffin' amazing s'more of your life.

Which is exactly what I did when I received the sample. Since this was a fancy s'more, I decided to use some of my leftover Walkers shortbread. A chocolate like this was worthy of something more delicious and fancier than a commercial graham cracker, in my opinion. But the marshmallows...I just used regular jet-puffed ones. Don't judge me.

You guys. It is possible that this was the best s'more ever made in the history of the world. It was buttery and expensive and sweet, all at once. The cheap marshmallows made it a sort of "silver spoon and paper plate" type of experience.

I don't think I can ever eat a "regular" s'more ever again. Gosh, is this like flying first class--you can never go back to coach, comfortably?

Oh, I'm kidding. The chocolate is very, very good--but I'll be honest, I don't know if I ever would have tried it if it hadn't been offered. But I sure enjoyed it once they did offer it to me.

It was a rather nice way to taste the "sweet life". Want a taste? It's available for $18 on eclatchocolate.com if you are curious.

Sweet Art: Popcones

Welcome to my creative process.

Today, while I was spending some time creating clever illustrations, I had an observation. It was this. The way I draw ice cream cones...

and the way I draw popcorn...is pretty similar.

See? They're both ok with it. They embrace the fact that while they share similar shapes, they are actually quite different. 

But it got me thinking - could I create a real-life popcone?

Highly inspired by this idea and in need of a fun procrastination project, I hit photoshop, and I made this. POPCONE! 

But then I thought it would be more magical and cute to make them tiny. So I asked a friend if she had any popcorn, and asked for two good-looking kernels. She didn't ask why, she just gave them to me.

And I grabbed my art supplies, and made a few lines. And after a few minutes I had these:

OH MY GOD! Ice cream cones for elves!

Popcones! So there is your sweet observation of the day, illustrated sweetly: popcorn and ice cream cones have more in common than you might think. 

Cake Mix Science

I remember when I was young, observing my mother make cakes, and how something always kind of bugged me: the difference between cake batter and frosting.

Consistency-wise, the cake batter and the frosting really didn't seem terribly different to me--why did they have to be treated so differently? One went in the oven, and the other had to wait til that part was cool and was then spread all over the baked part.

But what would happen if you just combined the cake and the frosting before baking? Could you streamline the process?

Although I'm much older now, I'm clearly not wiser, because I took the time to see what would happen today. I conducted my experiment with Duncan Hines Butter Golden Cake Mix and Whipped Fluffy White Frosting in a tub.

I started out by respectfully following the directions. The mix asked to be combined with 3 large eggs, 1/2 cup water, and 7 tablespoons of softened butter. I did so.

Per the directions, I mixed it in a large bowl in my stand mixer on low speed until combined, then jacked up the speed and mixed for four more minutes. Meanwhile, the oven was preheating.

And then I went rogue. I took the entire tub of frosting, and folded it into the cake batter. It made the consistency of the batter silky and sticky. And delicious.

Here's what it looked like before going in the oven.

I spread the thick batter in the prepared cake pans and baked it for 22 minutes, as suggested on the box. I divided it between two 9-inch cake rounds. I baked one first, in case I messed up.

I know you're not supposed to, but since I was already breaking the rules I opened the oven part-way through baking. Here's what it looked like. Weirdly it looked like it had mini marshmallows in the middle.

When I took the cake out of the oven, here's what greeted me.

It was a bit jiggly in the middle, but it appeared to have set on the sides and top. So I let it cool for a while - a long while, about 2 hours. During this time it deflated somewhat. 

Then I flipped it over on to a plate. It was gooey in the middle, but not really liquid. More pudding-like, or gooey butter cake innards-like.

I thought "since it already has frosting, does that mean I don't have to frost it?". And then I quickly answered myself: "Don't be stupid, of course you still have to frost it."

So I did. And I added sprinkles.

When cut into at room temperature, the center was quite gooey. Cutting was kind of difficult. I got frosting on my fingers...but I made it out of this situation OK.

After chilling the cake in the fridge, cutting was much easier.

So how did the cake taste? It was actually pretty good. It was more dense than a typical cake--while it had risen in the oven, it deflated into a dense round after cooling. It was somewhat like a Philadelphia butter cake or gooey butter cake in its texture--crunchy on the outside, gooey and creamy in the center. 

Actually, I'd go so far as to say I'd do this again. The slice I had was decidedly tasty--very moist, and extremely decadent. Final word? I want more.

Oreo Etiquette

OreOMG! These creme-filled cookies are delicious. They're to be loved. But...let's be serious here...are you really showing the proper Oreo etiquette at all times? OreOh, Dear. Please, allow me to educate you on the proper way in which to conduct yourself when you find yourself up close and personal with an Oreo Encounter.

If you'd like to express delight:

To show your appreciation for something tasty you just ate:

To indicate that you're deeply pleased after eating a fat stack of Double Stuf Oreos:

In response to someone saying "Oh noes! I dropped my Oreo in my milk!":

To express your utter delight about eating an Oreo on the Eiffel Tower:

For if someone says "excuse me, I believe you're eating my Oreo, may I have it back, please?":

...and of course, to express disbelief, happy surprise, or just sheer amazement, it's always appropriate to exclaim thusly:

Of course, this is just a small sampling of the proper etiquette when it comes to Oreos; hopefully you've gotten the idea and will be able to apply this newfound knowledge to any number of social sandwich cookie situations. For more Oreo fun, visit their website.

Sweet Treats: Peeps Dumplings

Today, I found myself with a few little ingredient odds and ends at hand.

Included: Peeps, pie crust, tinted coconut.

And so I thought...why not engage in a little Peeps Torture? After all, this a documented fun activity. Who hasn't enjoyed a little Easter-time Peeps torture? 

And so, I cut out scraps of pie crust in a size about 5 inches by 5 inches.

On top of it, I laid a little bed of tinted coconut.

And then I put a Peep on top of that...like putting it on a little nest. 

And then I gathered the crust and sort of "tented" it around the peep. Like a little bed!

Is it just me, or does Peep #2 look a little concerned?

Well, he had good reason for concern. He was next to be put into a bed. A forever bed.

and then...I put these little dumplings in the oven. And then...

Aaaaaah!

Here's how to make this magic happen at home.

Peeps Dumplings

Ingredients

• Pie crust scraps (enough to roll back out to about 5x5 inches)
• As many Peeps as you have pie scrap pieces
• shredded coconut 
• Chocolate chips or chocolate pieces (I didn't to this but think it would taste good so I am suggesting it here)

Procedure

1. Place one Peep and whichever fillings you'd like on the center of each piece of pie crust.
2. Form a little "tent" around the peep, making sure to seal the top off to prevent oozing.
3. Bake at 400 degrees for 7-10 minutes, or until it starts to brown.
4. Let cool, but serve still slightly warm.

The Secret Lives of Cupcakes

What do cupcakes do after the bakery closes? This is a question I think about a lot. I like to imagine them as little elves, getting to the real work of misbehaving and making magic after hours. And after I received this wonderful batch of cupcakes decorated to look like my Cuppie character at the CakeSpy Official Book Launch Party, made by New York Cupcakes and wearing wrappers by Bella Cupcake Couture, I had a chance to see for myself. Here's what they did:

This little cupcake took a ride on a pug...

This little cupcake helped me bake...

This little cupcake considered cannibalism...

These little cupcakes like Bakerella...

This little cupcake didn't even know it was being hunted...

This little cupcake dreamed of unicorns...

This little cupcake enjoyed the harvest...

These little cupcakes hung out with some hotties...

This little cupcake made a big mess...

This little cupcake didn't fear death...

But perhaps he ought to have.

...the end.

Epilogue: a giveaway! For week 2 of the CakeSpy book giveaway bonanza, simply leave a comment on this post answering the question: have you ever encountered a sweet treat that was so cute that you couldn't eat it? Be honest. The winner will receive a signed copy of CakeSpy Presents Sweet Treats for a Sugar-Filled Life and will be chosen at random on Thursday, October 27, at 5pm PST. Entrants from all over the world welcome!