Aspiring to a souffle, he achieves a pancake at which the reader saws without much appetite

Cinnamon Swirl Pancakes

CINNAMON FILLING:
1/2 cup (1 stick) salted butter, melted
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

CREAM CHEESE ICING: 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) salted butter
2 ounces cream cheese
3/4 cup powdered sugar, sifted
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

PANCAKE BATTER: 1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 beaten egg
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons cooking oil
Directions:
Prepare the cinnamon filling: In a small bowl- mix butter, brown sugar and cinnamon.

Whisk the filling ingredients together and then pour it into a sandwich-sized zip baggie.

Zip up the baggie and lay it on the counter while you prepare the pancake batter.

Prepare the Icing: In a medium microwave-safe bowl, heat butter and cream cheese 30 to 60 seconds, just until butter has melted and cream cheese has softened.

Whisk in powdered sugar and vanilla and combine until smooth. Set the icing aside.

Prepare your batter: In a mixing bowl stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.

In another mixing bowl combine egg, milk, and cooking oil.

Add to flour mixture all at once.

Stir mixture just till blended but still slightly lumpy.

Preheat a large skillet or griddle to medium, and spray it with nonstick spray.

Use an ice cream scoop or ladle to add the batter to the pan.

Use the bottom of the scoop or ladle to spread out the batter into a nice, even circle.

Reduce the heat to medium-low.

Pick up your cinnamon filling baggie and squeeze the filling into the corner.

Starting at the center of the pancake squeeze the cinnamon filling on top of the pancake batter in a swirl (just as you see in a cinnamon roll).

Cook the pancakes 3 to 4 minutes, or until bubbles begin popping on top of the pancake and it is golden brown on the bottom.

Slide a thin spatula underneath the pancake and gently but quickly flip it over.

Cook an additional 2 to 3 minutes, until the other side is golden as well.

When you flip the pancake onto a plate, you will see that the cinnamon filling has created a crater-swirl of cinnamon.

Wipe out the pan with a paper towel, and repeat with the remaining pancake batter and cinnamon filling.

Serve pancakes topped with a drizzle of cream cheese icing.

HELPFUL TIP: Instead of using a ziplock back for your cinnamon swirl, use a squeeze bottle with a cone lid.

You can't compare an apple to an orange. It will cause a lot of self-esteem issues.

Baked Orange Chicken


Ingredients
2 -4 boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into 1 inch pieces + 1 tablespoon oil
1½ cups water
½ cup orange juice
⅓ cup rice vinegar
2½ tablespoons soy sauce
½ teaspoon ground ginger
zest of 1 large orange
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional)
6 tablespoons sugar
¼ cup cold water + 3 tablespoons corn starch

Instructions
Preheat oven to 400.

Heat oil over medium high heat.

When oil is hot, add chicken and quickly brown both sides (about 1-2 minutes each side).

Place chicken in a bowl and set aside.

In a medium sauce pan combine water, orange juice, vinegar, and soy sauce and heat over medium high heat. Stir to combine.

Whisk in ginger, orange zest, crushed red pepper (optional), and sugar.

Whisk and bring to a boil.

In a small bowl whisk corn starch into cold water until dissolved.

Pour into boiling sauce and stir until thickened, then remove from heat.

Place chicken in a shallow baking dish.

Pour ⅔ of sauce over chicken.

Bake 15-20 minutes until chicken is cooked through.

Serve chicken over rice and with remaining sauce.

Garnish with sliced green onions if desired.