Pumpkin Pancakes!

pancakes with stewed apple

What to do with pumpkin. I admit it - I'm not a squash or pumpkin fan unless it is made into pie or sweet quick bread. Or cookies will do. So the famous Full Belly gave me (well I do pay for their produce) a pie pumpkin. It sat and sat on my counter for ages. Finally the other day I got serious about what to do with it. After a little research I decided to make pancakes.


First I had to cook the pumpkin. The most difficult part about dealing with a pumpkin for a person, such as myself who has a disability, is cutting the darn thing open. I suggest you get a non-disabled person to do that.  After it was open, I removed the seeds and stringy innards or at least most of it. I rinsed and baked the seeds - yum. Then I put the two pieces cut side down on a small cookie sheet and baked them at 350 for about an hour. Once they were soft, it was easy to scoop out the insides and leave the skin behind.

I find it difficult to use a blender - it sits too high on a counter.  I can't see in it, even though I have a modified kitchen with a lowered counter. Similar problem with a full size food processor.  So instead I use a mini-chop or hand held immersion blender. Both are easier for me to lift, reach into and use.  

I put the scooped out pumpkin in my immersion blender container, added a little water as the pumpkin seemed dry, probably because I kept it on the counter for months. And blended it right up. It turned out lovely.  I saved a little pumpkin before blending for Annie - she liked it.

With my puree I made pancakes. My husband helps with flipping them - for some reason both my husbands were better at pancakes than me. The recipe is adapted from one by Yossy Arefi (https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1018934-fluffy-pumpkin-pancakes). Makes about 12 to14 pancakes, and didn't we eat all but one? I don't like maple syrup on my pancakes. All my quirks seem to be coming out in this recipe.  Instead we used my homemade orange jam (not marmalade) and homemade plum jam. Photo above shows stewed apples, another lovely choice.

Fluffy Pumpkin Pancakes

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 T sugar 
1 1/2 t baking powder
3/4 t baking soda
3/4 t salt
1 1/2 t ground cinnamon
1 t ground ginger
1/8 t ground nutmeg
6 T powdered buttermilk (While I like buttermilk lots, I never have it on hand for pancakes unless I specifically get it for the recipe. I find it easier to keep this on hand Saco Cultured Buttermilk Cooking Powder.)
3/4 cup pumpkin puree (you can use canned)
1 1/2 cups water
2 eggs
3 T melted butter
1 t vanilla extract

In a large bowl mix together all the dry ingredients. In another bowl, whisk the eggs and then add all the wet ingredients and mix well. Next add the wet to the dry and mix it gently, lumps are OK. I've heard that if you over mix pancake batter the cakes are tough. Then let it rest for a few minutes while you get your frying pan, griddle, whatever ready.  I prefer a non stick small frying pan, cleanup is easier and it is light enough for me to handle.  Mine is an All-Clad. Heat the frying pan and lightly oiled the pan. Once the pan is warm, add a 1/4 cup of batter and cook for a couple minutes until all bubbly on top.  Flip and cook for another minute or so. Put them in a 200 degree oven or if you have an oven or toaster oven like mine, put it in on the warm setting, till you have enough to start eating. 

I read up on left over pancake batter because I thought we'd have some left over. Seems you can freeze it. Suggestion is you freeze the batter in pancake sized bags. When you want to cook them, let them defrost in the refrigerator, snip the corner off and pipe the batter into a pan and cook.  I've never tried this.  We ate them all but one.