Pretty Magnificent Pancake Christmas Tree

Are you thinking about elevating your cooking game this Christmas? Perhaps you're stuck on what to make for dessert? Or maybe you're even looking for a way to festive-y breakfast on Christmas morning? 

If any of those questions speak to you then we have the best. pancake. recipe. ever (and we're not even joking). 

Introducing, the pancake Christmas tree! 

Yes, you read that right. With a cooking time of only 15 minutes, you can fill your family with joy by cooking and putting together a Christmas tree made out of pancakes, filled with strawberries, raspberries and cherries and drizzled in maple syrup.

Perfect for adding a little festive flair, this sweet creation will get you a lot of 'I love you's in only 4 steps! 

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Method 

1. Combine the flour and the sugar in a large bowl and make a well in the centre before adding the milk, egg and vanilla. Whisk the mixture until it's  smooth. 
2. Heat a lightly greased non-stick pan over medium-low heat. Then separately pour 3 tablespoons, 2 tablespoons and 1 tablespoon of pancake mixture into the pan to make 3 different-sized pancakes. Cook them for 1 minute each side or until they're nice and golden. Repeat the process. Once done you should have 2 pancakes of each of the 3 sizes (6 pancakes in total). 
3. Use electric beaters to beat the cream and icing sugar together in a bowl until firm peaks form, or if you're in the Christmassy spirit, until peaks form that look like the mountains outside of Whoville. Spoon the mixture into a plastic piping bag and snip off the end to create a small opening.
4. Place one of your largest pancakes on a serving plate and pipe on some cream before decorating it with some of the fruit. Top with the next biggest pancake. Repeat layering with cream, fruit and pancakes in ascending order, finishing with fruit. Drizzle over maple syrup and sprinkle with coconut flakes. Dust with icing sugar to serve and enjoy your festive, fruity creation! 

FAQs

Can I also use a pancake packet mix to make these?

Absolutely! We can't promise the pancakes will taste the same but as long as you still follow the above steps, your pancake tree will look the same!

Do pancakes taste better with milk or water?

We're a little biased considering our above recipe uses milk but we think the pancakes taste way better due to the creaminess and consistency of the batter! However, if you don't have milk, water is a fine substitute and won't change the taste of the pancakes much.

Why aren't my pancakes fluffy?

If your pancakes look like a little deflated, try not to over-mix the batter. Over-mixing allows for the gluten to develop, making your pancakes slightly tough and rubbery. Stop mixing the batter once all of the ingredients have come together - it's totally okay if there are still some small lumps of flour! These will go once you start cooking them.