Materials list:

Help your child find these materials or a close substitute: 

For a printable PDF of the recipe click here!

INGREDIENTS:

BATTER

• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 2 tbs white sugar
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup milk
• 1 egg, beaten
• 3 tbs butter, melted (Can replace with 2 tbs vegetable oil.)
• Batter flavoring options include:
  • 2 tbs cocoa powder + 1 tbs extra sugar
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp cardamom
  • 1 tsp ginger
  • 1 tsp lemon zest
  • 1 tsp lime zest
  • 1 tsp orange zest
  • 1 tsp honey
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • Or anything else you have at home that you think would be delicious! (Consider spices, citrus, and sweeteners.)

ADD INS

• Use 1/4 cup in all. Options include:
  • Chocolate chips
  • Bananas
  • Berries (fresh or frozen)
  • Peaches (fresh or frozen)
  • Nuts
  • Raisins
  • Or anything else you have that could be sprinkled into a pancake.

SYRUP

• 1/3 cup maple syrup
• Flavoring options include:
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 1” piece of ginger
  • 1/4 cup berries
  • 1/4 cup peaches
  • 1/4 cup raisins
  • 1×3” piece lemon peel
  • 1×3” piece lime peel
  • 1×3” piece orange peel
  • 1 sprig rosemary
  • 1 sprig thyme
  • 1 sprig mint
  • Or anything else you have. (Consider spices, fruit, citrus, and herbs)

EQUIPMENT

• Large mixing bowl
• Other smaller bowls (for melting butter and beating eggs)
• Mixing spoons
• Measuring cups and spoons
• Liquid measuring cup
• Hard spatula
• Non-stick pan (for pancakes)
• Small saucepan (for syrup)
• Stove
• Optional: Knife and cutting board (if chopping add-ins)
• Optional: Microplane (if zesting fruit)

Activity Steps:

Use these to keep your innovator on track as they create: 

DESIGN

1. Be visionary by deciding how to customize your batter, add-ins, and syrup. Gather the necessary ingredients.

PREP ADD-INS

1. Set your add-ins aside so they’re ready to go once you start cooking. If necessary, chop large ingredients (bananas, nuts, etc.) into smaller pieces.

PREP BATTER

1. Prepare dry ingredients. In a large bowl, mix together 1 cup flour, 2 tbs sugar, 2 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp salt, and any dry batter- flavoring ingredients you’re using (chocolate powder, spices, etc.).
2. Create a well where you’ll pour your wet ingredients.
3. Prepare wet ingredients.
   • Melt 3 tbs of butter. (Let butter cool slightly before using.)
   • Beat the egg in a small bowl.
   • If you’re using citrus as a batter-flavoring, prepare 1 tsp zest.
4. Pour 1 cup milk, melted butter, the beaten egg, and any wet batter-flavoring ingredients you’re using (zest, honey, etc.) into the well in the dry ingredients bowl.
5. Mix until just combined. Don’t over mix! There will still be some lumps in the batter.
6. Set the batter aside.

MAKE INFUSED SYRUP

1. Pour 1/3 cup syrup into a saucepan and add your chosen flavoring ingredient (spice, fruit, zest, herbs, etc.)
2. Cook on medium heat until the syrup starts to simmer. Then adjust the heat to low. Simmer for 5 minutes.
3. Pour syrup into a bowl or jar to cool.

COOK PANCAKES

1. On medium heat, lightly grease a pan with butter or oil. Wait until the pan is hot, but not smoking.
2. Pour a portion of the batter onto the hot pan. For a 6” pancake use about 1/4 cup of batter.
3. Sprinkle your add-ins on the pancake as it cooks.
4. Leave the pancake undisturbed until the edges are set and small bubbles start to pop on the surface (2-4 minutes). If the pancakes are cooking too fast or slowly, adjust the heat.
5. Check the pancake to see if it’s brown on the bottom. If so, flip it.
6. Cook the second side until lightly browned, 2-3 minutes more.
7. Repeat until all your batter is cooked.
8. Plate and enjoy! Fill out the Pancake Tasting Notes page to capture ideas for future redesigns.

Guiding Questions:

If your child is stuck, try asking these questions to help them keep on innovating: 

• What one flavoring ingredient are you most excited about? How can you build more custom flavors around that ingredient?
• Of the ingredients we have, which do you think would go well together? How might you balance flavors (for example: something sweet to balance out something tart)?
• What do you notice about the heat of the pan/ how fast the pancakes are cooking? Might you turn the heat up/down?
• How might you get creative with the pancake size/ shape? The way you place the add-ins on the pancake? The arrangement of components on the plate?

More Ideas:

Every project presents opportunities to add your own twists or extensions. Here are some ideas to get you started: 

• Add a third custom component: flavored whipped cream! Just as you customized your batter, you can add chocolate, spices, citrus zest, or different sweeteners to flavor whipped cream. Start by adding small amounts of your chosen ingredient into a plain batch of whipped cream, then taste and adjust as desired.
• Perfect your dish. After tasting, come up with an improved version of your custom recipe and make it again. Use your own ideas and ask for suggestions from the other people who tried your first batch.
• Make it official. Name your dish and write down the final recipe so you or someone else can make it again. Now you have a signature breakfast dish!
• Try to make a totally different pancake next time that uses all new flavoring ingredients.

Wrap Up Questions:

Lock in the learning by asking your child these questions about their project and how they practiced the featured Innovator’s Mindset element: 

• How did your pancakes turn out? What do you like most about them? What might you do differently if you cooked them again?
• What makes your pancakes unique? What visionary twist did you try that you were especially excited about?
• Does this inspire any ideas about how you might innovate on other basic dishes?

Great learning can come from sharing successes and failures—to solidify your own experience as an innovator and to inspire others.

SHARE WITH galileo

Take a picture of your child’s primo pancakes and share it with the Camp Galileo Anywhere Facebook Community.

Share with family and friends

Your innovation doesn’t stop with you. Inspire someone else by sharing your project challenge—maybe they’ll try it themselves or maybe your project will give them a new idea.

• Who: someone in your house, a family member, a friend
• How: in person, on the phone, online
• When: anytime, starting now!