Pumpkin Pancakes November 1, 2009

These pancakes have the perfect hint of pumpkin and spices without overpowering, perfect for a rainy fall weekend morning.

INGREDIENTS
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup white flour
1 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup canned pumpkin, or 1 cup roasted pumpkin
2 eggs
2 Tbsp. canola oil
1 tsp. vanilla
2 Tbsp. brown sugar

1. In a large bowl, mix together flours, baking soda, baking powder, salt and spices.

2. In a separate bowl, whisk together buttermilk, pumpkin, eggs, oil, vanilla and brown sugar.

3. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and stir just until moistened. Do not overmix.

4. Cook on a griddle or fry pan on medium heat.

5. Serve with warm maple syrup and whipped cream.

Notes:

• These pancakes were absolutely perfect as is, however one thing I might try next time is using all whole wheat flour (so 1 1/2 cups), separating the eggs, beating the egg whites and folding them in to the batter at the very end. The whole wheat flour will make the pancakes more dense, but experiment will be to see if folding in the egg whites will allow the pankcakes to still be light and airy.

Whole Grain Pancakes February 22, 2009

From Mark Bittman’s Food Matters. These pancakes are light, even though they’re made entirely from whole wheat flour. I served them with fresh strawberries and maple syrup.

Ingredients
3 Tbsp. butter
1 2/3 cup whole wheat flour
2 Tbsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. ground coriander or cardamom (optional)
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon (optional)
1/2 tsp. salt
2 large eggs, separated
2 cups milk

1. Melt 3 Tbsp. butter.

2. In a large bowl, combine flour sugar, baking powder, spices and salt.

3. Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form, but do not overbeat. In a separate bowl, beat the yolks, milk, and melted butter unfil foamy, a couple of minutes. Add the milk mixture to the flour mixture and stir, but do not overmix. Fold in the egg whites and stir until the batter is evenly colored and smooth; some lumps are okay.

4. Heat a large skillet or griddle over medium heat. Add butter or vegetable oil. When the skillet is hot, spoon the batter into the pan. Cook until bubbles form and pop, then flip pancakes. Serve or keep in a warm oven for a few minutes. Makes about 6 servings.

MY NOTES:

• Make sure your baking powder is aluminum free. I use Rumford, which is available at Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s.
• Whole wheat flour should be stored in the refrigerator or freezer in an air-tight container. Otherwise it will go rancid in your cupboard (I learned this the hard way).