Little pumpkin faces are beginning to emerge everywhere in the City. My children shriek with glee, “Look, Mama! A jack-o-lantern! It’s spooooooooooooky!”
When I see those jack-o-lanterns, I start thinking of all the pumpkin baked goods we’ll be delving into over the next few months. Scones, muffins, Fall lasagna, pump-chip cookies and, of course, our pumpkin pancakes. This time of year, when the pumpkin puree seems dauntingly in excess, we invite friends over to share fluffy pumpkin pancakes, decorated with raisin or chocolate chip faces for Halloween and served aside real maple syrup.
This year we made our pancakes in the cooking classes. It’s no surprise that this recipe was a total hit with the kids, but adding the pumpkin puree makes everyone happy since it lends both extra nutrition and extra flavor. It wasn’t just the kids who were munching happily on their pancakes. Seasonal crowd pleaser? Ahhh, yeah!
Pumpkin Pancakes
makes enough for 4 adults and a few Minis
*4 c. flour (experiment here: oat, spelt, buckwheat, etc. but round it out with all-purpose)
*1/8 c. (2 T.) baking powder
*1 t. salt
*1/4 c. brown sugar
*1 t. ground cinnamon
*1 t. ground ginger
*1/2 t. ground nutmeg (or freshly grated)
*1 1/2 c. pumpkin puree ***see note if using canned puree
*3 eggs
*1 c. plain yogurt
*4 T. butter, melted (optional but delicious)/ substitute a 1/3 c. water if you like
*raisins, chocolate chips, and/or dried ginger and other fruits
Preheat your oven to 200 F. Take out the platter or pan from which you will serve your pancakes.
In a large bowl, measure out the dry ingredients (the flours, the baking powder, salt, brown sugar, and spices). Let your mini-chef give them a good whisk, telling them to take it slow so that all of the powdery ingredients stay in the bowl. Create a small hole or “well” in the center of the dry ingredients where you will pour in your wet ingredients.
Crack the eggs into a separate, small bowl and beat them a little bit. Pour these into the well you made in your big bowl. Add the yogurt, pumpkin puree, vanilla, and butter, and stir them together before proceeding to mix the wet and dry ingredients together till there is no powder showing but there are still many nice lumps. Fold in a couple of handfuls of raisins.
Let the pancake batter sit for at least 5 minutes without stirring. Send it some love and good vibes. (This is also a good time to set the table and warm up some real maple syrup and pour it into a little cream pitcher for serving.
Big Person: Heat your pan over medium-low heat. Add a teaspoon of butter to the pan and coat the pan’s entire bottom.
Using an ice cream scoop, scoop up some of the batter and plop it onto the pan or skillet. Cook the pancakes on the first side until you see bubbles beginning to form. Then, turn them over and cook another minute or so, till the second side is golden. All the made pancakes can go onto the serving platter and into your warm oven till they are ready to be served.
***Canned puree has less water content than fresh pumpkin puree, so add water as necessary, starting with 1/4 cup, till the batter is a decent consistency.
