Pumpkin Pancakes
Pumpkin everything is a fall cliché trend I am happy to join. I went to not one, but two pumpkin patches this year.
One is Maris Farms, which has massive corn mazes, giant bubbles, apple barrel guns, ropes course, farm animals, piglet and duck races, bounce houses, lots of games, and a pumpkin patch. The highlight is the corn maze/activities more than the pumpkin patch, which the girls will enjoy when they’re older. However, I would not recommend a corn make with a toddler, a newborn, and me leading the directions because we got hopelessly lost and needed to be rescued.
The other was Carpinito Brothers Pumpkin Patch as a meetup with one of my heme-onc co-fellows, who has a daughter a year younger than Isabelle. We had been trying to have them do a play date all summer and we finally got to have them meet up! They were suspicious and kept their distance at first, but warmed up and even had a high five / hug at the end.
I bought sooo many pumpkins (which amused and amazed B’s parents, who are staying with us until Thanksgiving). I also decorated our fireplace with fall leaves, fairy lights, and lanterns for a cozy feel.
While B is not a big fan of pumpkin, he does enjoy pumpkin pancakes, so I spent a morning making these! I wanted a nice tall stack, so I made many small pancakes. B kindly helped me get the action “pouring maple syrup” shot I see from food magazines.
The batter does take longer to cook than the usual pancake batter (perhaps from the pumpkin puree moisture), but the wait is worth it because they are so fluffy.
Recipe adapted from NY Times. Enjoy!
Pumpkin Pancakes
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
11/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 1/2 cups buttermilk (I substituted with milk + vinegar)
3/4 cup pumpkin purée
2 eggs
3 tablespoons melted butter, plus more for greasing the skillet
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Toppings: whipped cream, crushed pecans, maple syrup
Directions
In a bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices together
In another bowl, whisk the buttermilk, pumpkin purée, eggs, melted butter and vanilla extract until well combined. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.
Grease a small skillet over medium-low heat. Add pancake batter, cook for a minute or two, until the batter bubbles at the edges and browns on the bottom, then carefully flip. Cook another minute or two, until golden brown and the batter is cooked. Repeat until all of the batter is used. Top with whipped cream, pecans, and maple syrup. Enjoy!
