I am really really really REALLY ready for Fall. So ready for gorgeous, mild Fall weather and plenty of Fall baking. I’m also ready for lots and lots of pumpkin goodness. This past weekend, we broke out the canned pumpkin to get right in the thick of this mood. I went searching for interesting ways to use said canned pumpkin and lo and behold - the pumpkin pancake was born unto our plates. Long live Canned Pumpkin!

Looking at this ingredient shot alone should tell you why boxed pancake mixes are so darn popular. It seems like way too many ingredients to bother with, but actually, if you cook enough, you probably already have most of what you need. Shaaa-wing.

Oh wait, we left out the all-purpose flour. Ahaha…ha. You need that, too, kiddos.

Like most of these types of things, assemble the dry ingredients first and whisk them together. This includes those delicious spices that usually accompany pumpkin recipes. It’s already starting to smell like Fall!

Next introduce the wet ingredients, including a cup of that canned pumpkin.

Do they sell canned pumpkin where you live? I’d like to try making my own pumpkin puree this year, but it’s still too early for pumpkins, of course. If you can get your hands on the canned kind it’s worth keeping on hand as they last for a few years and are a quick fix for pumpkin recipe cravings. It can be expensive out of season, but try not to pay any more than a little over a dollar per 14-15 ounce can. Any more is pure price gouging. I’m looking at you, Amazon sellers.

You end up with a very, very thick batter, thicker than just about any I’ve made before either from scratch or from a box. This ended up being OK though and we didn’t need to thin it any further.

OK, so it’s pancakes - no need to complicate it. These cook up like any other pancake. The recipe rec’d a 1/4 cup measure to get pancakes about 3 inches wide. You’ll need to have a spoon handy to spread the batter out a little. It’s so thick it’s not going to just pour into a perfect circle for you. The canola oil did seem to help them cook up nicely but I think next time we might just try using nonstick cooking spray.

These really hit the spot - a bit of pumpkin rolled up in a favorite breakfast staple. They’re very fluffy and moist. It’s the perfect way to tell Fall that you’re ready for it. The only thing I’d do a little differently next time is to play with the spices a bit more, something that is pretty taste subjective, but other than that these are pretty much perfect.

We’re ready for you, Fall! Welcome back just a little bit early.

Pumpkin Pancakes

from Shopsin’s Pumpkin Pancakes via Saveur

Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: about 30 minutes Level: Easy Serves: 8

• 1 3⁄4 cups flour
• 3 tbsp. sugar
• 1 tbsp. ground cinnamon
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. ground cloves
• 1 tsp. ground ginger
• 1⁄2 tsp. kosher salt
• 1⁄4 tsp. ground allspice
• 1 cup canned pumpkin purée
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1⁄2 cup milk
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 6 tbsp. canola oil
• Butter and maple syrup, for serving

In a bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, cloves, ginger, salt, and allspice. Add pumpkin, cream, milk, and eggs; whisk until smooth.

Heat 1 tbsp. oil in a 12″ nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Using a 1⁄4-cup measuring cup, pour batter into skillet to make three 3″ pancakes. Cook until bubbles begin to form on the edges, 1–2 minutes. Flip and cook until done, 1–2 minutes more. Repeat with remaining oil and pancake batter. Serve pancakes hot with butter and syrup.

Notes:

You can find pumpkin puree online on some sites, just make sure not to get price gouged - the 14-15 ounce size cans shouldn’t cost more than $1.40-ish each. That’s about what I’ve paid at the height of baking seasons past.

If you have pumpkin pie spice (and you probably need to use it up by now anyway as it’s been some time since last Holiday season), you can try using about 1-2 teaspoons of that instead of the allspice, ginger and cinnamon. Pumpkin pie spice has all of those plus nutmeg, but not the cloves. Add the cloves measurement suggested above unless cloves are not your thing. Taste a dab or two of your batter to see if the spice level is right for you.

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