This is a simple way to amaze your kids at breakfast and get them excited about eating. A little creativity will make you a hero in the kitchen.

Also see how to be a lunch hero

My son makes requests for "special pancakes" every weekend.

Please check out my other instructables and I also have a diy podcast called mechanicalmashup.tv

It all starts with simple "just add water" pancake mix.

Step 1: The Batter

Mix the batter just a little thicker than usual, make sure you get all the lumps out. This is a great chance for the kids to participate.

Step 2: The Setup

Pour some of the batter into a ziplock bag. Don't worry about spills because I rarely get it all in without slopping some down the side. Once the bag is closed, you can wash the outside with water to reduce further mess. Tip the bag upside down and snip about 3 mm off of one corner of the bag. The size of the hole is dependent on the thickness of the batter and is something you need to experiment with. If you find the hole is a little big, you can tape it closed and cut the other corner.

Step 3: The Pancakes - Method 1

I normally run the element on the stove a little cooler than normal for pancakes. This gives you a little more time to create you art work. Be careful not to burn yourself because your hand will be close to a hot pan. I sometimes let my son create the first shape on a cold pan and then heat it up after.

This is where you get to be creative! Try just about anything or let the gang make requests. If you are suffering from "special pancake" block, just try different geometric shapes. Kids will be thrilled about triangle shaped pancakes.

One trick I have learned is to outline your shape and then fill in the inside after. If you don't go quick, you will have weird lines on one side of the pancake (not a big problem, just serve it good side up)

Flipping can be tricky, i use lots of butter so it doesn't stick and a big spatula. Let it get good and cooked on the one side before attempting to flip.

Step 4: Method 2

For hard to flip or disjoint images, draw the image and let it cook for as long as you dare. Then just pour a whole regular pancake over top. Note the letter "B" is written backwards, you need to do this because anything you draw shows as a mirror image with this method.

If you can make some nice images of Jesus maybe you can make a lot of money selling pancakes on ebay.

You don't have to be careful flipping with this method so make sure you give it some flair for the audience!

Another thing I have done in the past is to put a small pancake on a plate, then put slightly larger and larger "O" shaped pancakes on top to form a bowl that I filled with fruit and ice cream. - YUM!