Brunch Ferris Wheel Recipe
towering and fun interactive sensation of mini pancakes, challah french toast halves, mini waffles, churro french toast squares, pork sausage, crispy bacon, signature maple syrup, peanut butter sauce syringe, nutella syringe, vanilla sauce syringe, raspberry sauce squeeze bottle & caramel sauce squeeze bottle
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Ingredients
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Small Pancakes & Mini Waffles
Challah French Toast Halves
Churro French Toast Squares
Proteins
Sauces & Syringes / Bottles
Assembly & Garnish
Method
Small Pancakes & Mini Waffles
- 1
Make batter
In a large bowl whisk together 2 cups flour, 2 tsp baking powder, 2 tbsp sugar and 1 tsp salt. In a separate bowl whisk 1.5 cups milk, 2 eggs, 4 tbsp melted butter and 1 tsp vanilla. Combine wet into dry and stir until just combined (lumps okay). Rest batter 10 minutes.
- 2
Cook mini pancakes
Heat a nonstick griddle or skillet over medium heat and lightly grease with oil or butter. Using a 1.5 inch cookie scoop, pour batter to form mini pancakes (~1 tbsp batter each). Cook 1–1.5 minutes until bubbles form, flip and cook another 45–60 seconds. Keep warm on a sheet pan in a 200°F (95°C) oven.
- 3
Make mini waffles
Preheat a mini waffle iron. Lightly grease. Use the same batter (stir before using). Cook according to manufacturer instructions to yield approximately 18–24 mini waffles. Keep warm with pancakes.
Challah French Toast Halves
- 4
Prepare challah
Slice the challah loaf into 1.5" thick slices and then cut each in half lengthwise if you want halves. Arrange on a tray.
- 5
Make custard & soak
In a shallow dish whisk 6 eggs, 1.5 cups milk or half-and-half, 3 tbsp sugar, 2 tsp vanilla and 1 tsp cinnamon until smooth. Dip each challah half into the custard, soaking 10–20 seconds per side (do not oversoak).
- 6
Churro French Toast Squares
- 7
Prep squares and custard
Cut 8 thick slices into 2" squares. Whisk 4 eggs with 1 cup milk, 2 tsp cinnamon, 0.25 tsp nutmeg and 2 tbsp sugar in a shallow bowl.
- 8
Proteins
- 9
- 10
Cook bacon
Fry or bake 12 slices of bacon until crisp. For oven method, arrange on a rack over a sheet pan and bake 400°F for 12–18 minutes depending on thickness. Drain on paper towels and keep warm.
Sauces & Syringes / Bottles
- 11
Signature maple syrup
Warm 2 cups maple syrup gently in a small saucepan over low heat. Keep warm in a pourable container for guests.
- 12
Peanut butter sauce (for syringe)
In a small saucepan over low heat combine 1 cup creamy peanut butter, 2 tbsp unsalted butter and 0.25 cup heavy cream. Stir until smooth and slightly thinned; add a pinch of sea salt. If too thick to syringe, add 1–2 tbsp more cream. Fill one plastic syringe with warm peanut butter sauce.
- 13
Nutella sauce (for syringe)
Warm 1 cup Nutella with 1–2 tbsp heavy cream and 1 tbsp butter over low heat just until pourable. Stir smooth. Cool slightly and load into a syringe for guests.
- 14
Vanilla sauce (for syringe)
If using pastry cream or sweetened condensed milk, warm 0.75 cup with 1–2 tbsp cream and 1 tsp vanilla until pourable. Strain if needed and fill a syringe.
- 15
Raspberry sauce (squeeze bottle)
In a small saucepan combine 1 cup raspberries, 0.25 cup sugar and 2 tbsp water. Cook over medium heat 6–8 minutes until softened. Press through a sieve to remove seeds; return to pan, add 2 tbsp light corn syrup and simmer 1 minute to thicken. Cool slightly and transfer to a squeeze bottle.
- 16
Caramel sauce (squeeze bottle)
Use 1 cup store-bought or homemade caramel. Warm gently and place in a squeeze bottle for easy drizzling.
Assembly & Garnish (Ferris Wheel Construction)
- 17
Prepare base and axle
Use a sturdy round board as the base. Install two small dowels or an axle mount at center to support a vertical post or rotor. The exact construction depends on your ferris wheel prop: ensure dowels are secure and can support weight of stacked items. Place a heat-safe platter on the wheel spokes or on small skewers to hold mini items.
- 18
Skewer and attach items
Thread mini pancakes, mini waffles, churro squares and challah halves onto toothpicks or short skewers arranged radially to mimic gondolas. Alternate item types for visual variety. For proteins, either place whole links on lower tiers or thread small folded bacon segments onto skewers and place on the board base where they won't unbalance the wheel.
- 19
Arrange sauces and syringes
Place the two squeeze bottles (raspberry and caramel) near the wheel for guests, and arrange three filled plastic syringes (peanut butter, Nutella, vanilla) on a small tray. Place the warmed maple syrup in a pourer.
- 20