Archives for October 2013

Pumpkin pancakes are the perfect start to a fall day, a delicious treat for Sunday brunch or a weekday lunch. And to tell you the truth, I’ve been known to indulge in these delicious pancakes for dinner too.

Today I thought I would veer a little away from my usual offerings of traditional Irish recipes to concentrate on a true American favorite. However, I did promise Irish American fusion food, and these pancakes definitely fall within that category.

I make whole wheat pumpkin pancakes with added flax meal and wheat germ, creating a distinctive nutty flavor reminiscent of Irish brown bread.  There is no shortage of fiber in these pumpkin pancakes.

Add the flours, wheat germ and flax meal to a large mixing or batter bowl, and blend together using a whisk.

Toss in the spices and mix together with the flours.

Then add the baking powder, baking soda and salt.

Now it’s time to add a little sugar.  I use up to a 1/4 cup to suit my kid’s palates, but a tablespoon or two is just fine if you prefer your pancakes a little less sweet.  Brown sugar works great too.

Set the dry ingredients aside, to prepare the wet ingredients in a separate bowl.

First add the buttermilk, then two eggs. Most American pancake recipes call for only one egg, but I can’t resist throwing another one in. Since my little ones love these pancakes I like to sneak in a little extra protein.

If you don’t have any buttermilk on hand, just use whole milk and add a tablespoon of vinegar.

Now toss in the pumpkin puree.

Melt the butter for 20 seconds in a microwave safe bowl or pitcher, then add to the wet ingredients.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry.

Stir everything together. This mixture is thicker than most pancake batters.

Melt some butter or heat some vegetable oil in a skillet over medium heat.

Pan temperature is key to successful pumpkin pancakes.  If cooked over a high heat the outside burns before the inside cooks. Cutting into a lovely crispy pancake to release a gooey mess is always a big disappointment.

If the pan is too cold, you don’t get nice crispy pancakes on the outside. A good medium heat works best, but remember every pan and stove top is different, so your first pancake may be an experiment.

Use a 1/4 cup measuring spoon to scoop up some batter and pour it into the center of the hot pan.  Since the batter is pretty thick it helps to take the back of a spoon to spread the batter out into a nice circular shape about 5 to 6 inches in diameter.

Cook the pancake over medium heat for about 3 minutes per side.

When larger bubbles start forming in the center of the cooking pancake, it’s ready for flipping.  Brown the pancake on both sides.

I love cooking pancakes in my cast iron skillet, but my kitchen reality means every pan I own and every burner on my stove top is called into action, to meet my kiddos’ urgent pleas for pancakes NOW.  Every one of my pans and burners requires a different pancake cooking time.

Have fun stacking your pancakes as they cook. This recipe yields around twelve.

Serve hot with melting butter and maple syrup.  If you can, use real maple syrup. It’s a little taste of America I adore, and perfectly compliments the nutty flavor of these wholewheat pumpkin pancakes.

Wishing you all happy pancake flipping this fall.

Here is my printable recipe.

Whole Wheat Pumpkin Pancakes

Print recipe

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Serves	12
Prep time	15 minutes
Cook time	15 minutes
Total time	30 minutes
Meal type	Breakfast
Misc	Serve Hot

Pumpkin pancakes are the perfect start to a fall day, a delicious treat for Sunday brunch or a weekday lunch.

Ingredients

• 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour (all-purpose flour can also be used)
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/4 cup flax meal
• 1/4 cup wheat germ
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups buttermilk
• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 2 eggs
• 2 tablespoons melted butter
• butter or oil (to cook)

Directions

Step 1	In a large batter bowl combine the whole wheat flours, flax meal and wheat germ. Add the spices, baking soda, baking powder, salt and sugar and mix well together.
Step 2	In a separate bowl mix together the buttermilk, pumpkin, eggs, and melted butter.
Step 3	Stir the wet ingredients into the dry to make a thick batter.
Step 4	Heat a lightly oiled or buttered frying pan over medium heat.
Step 5	Pour a 1/4 cup of batter onto the pan and brown on the first side. Flip the pancake when large bubbles start forming in the center of the pancake. Brown the second side.
Step 6	Use about 1/4 cup of batter to form individual pancakes, browning them on both sides over medium heat. If cooked on high heat, the outside will burn, before the pancake is fully cooked.
Step 7	Serve pancakes hot with butter and maple syrup.

Slán agus beannacht,

(Goodbye and blessings)

Irish American Mom