I picked up a few (okay, four, to be exact) cans of pumpkin at the grocer last week, so I've been looking for new and exciting ways to utilize it, other than the typical pumpkin pie application. The day before Halloween, my sister in law called to see if she could come visit. What a lovely surprise! We don't get to see her nearly as often as we'd like.
(Max waking Auntie up on Halloween morning to wish her a happy birthday!)
Halloween also happens to be her birthday, so I was delighted when she agreed to stay over for the night and spend the morning of Halloween with Max and I! What a perfect excuse for pumpkin pancakes, I thought. I've never attempted to make them before and I've never tried them, but I kept thinking to myself, "How could they POSSIBLY be anything but delicious?!"
(my attempt at a heart shaped pumpkin pancake for my sister's birthday... I'll keep working on that... )
And, wow. I couldn't have been more pleased with the final product! They had the taste of pumpkin pie (although, not nearly as sweet) and the consistency of them was heaven. Not as light and fluffy as your typical pancake, but still light and fluffy. And creamy. Amazingly creamy. It was almost like eating a pumpkin pie, minus the crust! I was going to make an accompanying cider syrup, but I just didn't have the time. Butter, real maple syrup and a dusting of powdered sugar finished the pancakes off beautifully!
(yes, I tried to make it look like a jack-o-lantern... tried is the operative word here.)
You really must try this recipe... We'll be using it every Halloween from here on out, and I'll probably even make them the morning of Thanksgiving. What a special fall treat!
PUMPKIN PANCAKES
1 cup flour
1 tbsp brown sugar (packed)
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp cloves
1 tbsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup pumpkin (canned or fresh)
2 tbsp vegetable oil (coconut oil probably would work great, also!)
In a large bowl, combine all dry ingredients well. In a medium bowl, lightly beat eggs and add remaining wet ingredients, mixing well. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix well (there may be a few lumps left, that's okay.) I used a ladle to pour out the pancake batter, but whatever works best for you. Cook on both sides until golden brown and enjoy warm! I hope you love them as much as we did!
