More pancakes

You already know about our weird obsession with pancakes, and we happily continue to carry out our Saturday morning tradition through the fall and winter months. It's hard to beat a big mug of coffee and a stack of pancakes on a chilly weekend morning. However, we do like to mix it up from time to time, using different types of flour (or pre-made mixes...) and additions. Recently, the superfluous baking item this time of year, pumpkin, has played a role in our weekend ritual. After the AM workout and before embarking on an afternoon of Christmas shopping, I whipped up a batch of pumpkin pancakes that literally taste like pumpkin bread- just in small, flattened, circular shapes.

Ingredients (serves two):
1.5 cups of pancake mix (we currently love Hodgson Mill's Whole Wheat Buttermilk)
1 flax egg (or 1 real egg): 1 heaping T flax meal + 3 T water
1 T brown sugar
1 t cinnamon
1 t nutmeg
1/2 t ginger
3/4 cup canned pumpkin puree
~1/3 cup of milk or milk "drink"
Optional: 2 scoops protein powder- we use a whey/soy combo from Trader Joe's that adds a hint of vanilla flavor

Mix everything together well- I use a fork to help incorporate things in and get rid of any "bubbles" of flour. In order to get the dense pumpkin bread texture, the dough should be REALLY thick. If this isn't your pancake style, thin it out a bit with a couple extra splashes of milk.





Heat a large pan on medium and add a bit of butter or cooking spray. Use a big spoon to dole out pancake sized portions- you will need to use the spoon to flatten the dough out since it is so thick. These pancakes take considerably longer to cook so set the table, sip some coffee, cut up some fruit, etc. for about 5 minutes before attempting to flip the cakes. If they still seem fragile, let them go for a few more minutes. Once you get them flipped, its your call as to how long they go on the other side. We prefer our pumpkin bread to have a super moist "doughy" consistency, and since we don't have a raw egg concern, our pancakes match this to some degree.



These pancakes turned out perfect- the pancake mix has a bit of cornmeal giving them a slight grittiness to offset the smooth pumpkin texture, the nutmeg and ginger provide a subtle spicy flavor, and the cinnamon and sugar a touch of sweetness. Served with some fruit, a drizzle of maple syrup, and super-strong coffee... never fails to make me happy. A thought they needed "a few toasted pecans" which earned her a dirty look.