*Piggy Pancakes for a Fun Holiday Breakfast

Starting the day with smiles and laughter is always a good thing. I can count on that very thing when I'm serving up Piggy Pancakes. 

It doesn't have to be a special occasion to make these, but I think they'd make any day feel like a little celebration. One time, to get Bridger to join me for breakfast, I sent him a picture message of the place setting above to let him know what we were having for breakfast. He quickly came upstairs with a grin. Piggy pancakes really a great way to start the day.

This fun little breakfast idea started a few Christmases ago when my daughter Sierra flew in from Denver to spend the holidays with us. I wanted to make her something special to help her feel at home, and decided this little pig face would be easy to do with pancake batter.

That morning at breakfast, before digging in to her breakfast, Sierra took a picture of her pig-shaped pancake, and posted it on Facebook with these simple words, "I'm home." She just melts my heart. Mission accomplished.

To make the pancake shapes, use your favorite pancake batter. Pour about 1/3 cup of batter to make a circular pancake. Then add a scant 1/4 cup on both sides at the top of the circle to form the ears. To achieve the pointed ear shape, simply drag a utensil from the thicker part of the ear out to the upper edge to make it point. Make a smaller circular pancake to be used as the nose.  

We have used dried blueberries, raisins, and chocolate chips to make the eyes and nostrils. Bridger would like to make his pig a brown-spotted one next time. We're thinking we could let the chocolate chips melt, and paint spots with the chocolate on the piggy's face. It might just turn into a mess, but he would have fun attempting it! He loves his chocolate chips, and the more, the merrier!

You can make your pigs as large or small as you want.  I make them large enough to fill the plate!

Sierra's Facebook post.