Boyfriend loves all things pumpkin. Pumpkin pie is just the beginning. He’s crazy about those pumpkin spice lattes at Starbucks, and when he discovered that the grocery store now stocks pumpkin creamer for coffee, he was as happy as a puppy in a shoe store. Thus, one lazy fall Saturday morning I mused, “I wonder if you could make a pumpkin pancake?” Dear readers, I have ventured forth to find out, and I am here to report that you can make a pumpkin pancake, and here is how. The key, I thought, would be in not making them too heavy and wet, like a pumpkin pie that got run over. For this reason I used canned pumpkin (which is lighter than fresh) and used it fairly sparingly. Enjoy!
2 cups buttermilk
2 cups flour
1 T sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp allspice
dash of ground cloves
2 eggs
3 T butter, melted
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup canned pumpkin (not seasoned)
In a medium bowl, whisk the dry ingredients together. In a small bowl, mix the wet ingredients together, adding the pumpkin in last and blending it smooth with a fork or a wire whisk. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the wet ingredients. Mix them gently until they’re just combined (it’s okay to leave it a little lumpy – overmixing will result in tough pancakes). Heat your skillet over medium heat and coat it with a thin layer of butter or vegetable oil. When the pan is hot, ladle the batter on in satisfying pancake sizes (about 1/4 C per pancake is standard in our house). When they bubble all over, they’re ready to flip.
Serve hot with maple syrup.