Name: Reindeer Pancakes
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 12 servings
Ingredients: 24 bacon strips; 2 cups all-purpose flour; 3 tablespoons sugar; 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder; 1/2 teaspoon baking soda; 1/4 teaspoon salt; 2 large eggs, room temperature; 2 cups buttermilk or 2% milk; 2 tablespoons butter, melted; 2 teaspoons vanilla extract; 2 tablespoons butter, for cooking; Whipped topping in a can; 24 fresh blueberries; 12 fresh strawberries, tops removed; Maple syrup, for serving

Bring the magic of the holidays to your breakfast table with these fun and festive reindeer pancakes. Easy to prepare and perfect for family gatherings, these adorable pancakes are a treat for the taste buds and a feast for the eyes. Get ready to flip some holiday magic!

Ingredients

24 bacon strips

2 cups all-purpose flour

3 tablespoons sugar

1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 large eggs, room temperature

2 cups buttermilk or 2% milk

2 tablespoons butter, melted

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 tablespoons butter, for cooking

Whipped topping in a can

24 fresh blueberries

12 fresh strawberries, tops removed

Maple syrup, for serving

Instructions

1 Cook the bacon

2 In a large skillet, cook the bacon according to the package directions, keeping the bacon in whole strips. While the bacon is cooking, prepare the strawberries by removing the tops, but keep the berries themselves whole. Rinse the berries and set them aside to dry. Let the cooked bacon drain on a paper towel-lined plate to absorb excess bacon grease. Cover and set the cooked bacon aside to keep warm.

3 Make the pancake batter

4 In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In another bowl, whisk together the eggs, buttermilk, melted butter and vanilla extract until blended. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients just until moistened. Let batter sit five minutes.

5 Cook the large pancakes

6 Working in batches, swirl a small amount of butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat until the skillet's bottom is completely covered in butter. Use half the batter to make larger pancakes, using 1/4 cup measurements. Cook until the bottoms are golden brown, for two to three minutes. Flip; cook another one to two minutes or until golden brown.

7 Cook the small pancakes

8 Use the other half of the batter to make smaller pancakes, using 2 tablespoons batter per pancake. Cook until both sides are golden brown, about two minutes each.

9 Assemble the reindeers

10 To assemble each reindeer pancake, lay one larger pancake on a plate, then place a smaller pancake on top, overlapping the larger by about 1 inch. Add dollops of whipped cream for two eyes on the large pancake and a dollop of whipped cream for a nose on the smaller pancake. Place two blueberries on top of the whipped cream for the eyes and one large strawberry on top for a nose. Arrange bacon as the antlers above the larger pancake. Repeat with the remaining pancakes. Serve with maple syrup, as desired.