last week pumpkins made their triumphant appearance at the farmers market heralding in loud shades of orange what we already knew to be true from the message hanging in the wind: fall is coming.
in honor of this wonderful, versatile cousin of the squash, i am declaring this week on the blog pumpkin week.
pumpkins just have a way of making you feel warm and cozy inside. they’re also a good source of vitamin A and are quite healthy when found not in pie form.
we’re kicking off pumpkin week with a recipe that echos back to my childhood: the pumpkin pancake.
but not just any pumpkin pancakes, these pumpkin pancakes are full of whole grains and apples too. the goodness of fall in a hot griddle cake. does it get any better?
Whole Wheat Pumpkin Spice and Apple Pancakes
Adapted from: Pinch My Salt
you will need…
1 cup of pumpkin
1 cup of buttermilk (*see my buttermilk trick here)
1 3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
a pinch of sea salt
1 TBSP cinnamon
2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp nutmeg
1 TBSP brown sugar
2 organic, free-range eggs
3 TBSP unsweetened apple sauce
2 medium apples, sliced very, VERY thin
organic butter, for the pan
first of all, you should know that canned pumpkin is a rip off. $2.00 for roughly a cup and a half of pumpkin? give me a break. roast your own.
to roast a pumpkin, cut the orange beast in half and place the halves face down on a cookie sheet. for a small (approximately 6-8 in. diameter) pumpkin, roast in the oven at 200 degrees for about 4 hours, flipping the halves face up about halfway through. the bigger the pumpkin the longer you’ll need to roast it.
when the pumpkin is soft to the touch, scoop out the “guts” (the seedy, stringy stuff) and compost it. you can reserve the seeds and roast them later if you like. once the guts are out, scoop out the “meat” of the pumpkin. this will keep in your fridge for a good 4-5 days. pumpkin also freezes well.
one small pie pumpkin yields a little over 2 cups of pumpkin meat, and mine only cost $1.50 at the farmers market. just say no to the canned stuff. rip. off.
you also need to know that blenders are exceptionally handy when making pancake batter. no whisks, no ladles, pulse and pour. perfect. thank you mom for teaching me this.
that said, in a blender mix pumpkin and buttermilk. add flour and mix well. add spices, soda, baking powder, vanilla, applesauce and eggs and blend well.
meanwhile, heat a skillet over medium heat – a good hot skillet is essential when it comes to pancakes.
grease the skillet with a little bit of butter and pour approximately 1/4 cup of pancake batter into the skillet. top with 3-4 thin apple slices and cook for roughly2-3 minutes on each side – until golden brown.
makes 12-14 pancakes.
serve with warm, 100% real-deal maple syrup.
