Pumpkin Spice Pancakes

Mid-September. Cody is on day two hundred and forty-nine of his sentence. The leaves on the maple in the Hendersons’ yard are turning yellow at the edges, and the morning air this week has had the cool weight to it that fall has been waiting to bring. Pumpkin spice has hit the Walmart aisles and the Sonic is testing a pumpkin shake on the seasonal menu which is, in my professional opinion, the best thing the Sonic corporate office has produced in three years.

I made pumpkin spice pancakes Sunday for the Sunday morning batch-cook. The trigger was the can of pumpkin puree in the pantry, leftover from last year’s Thanksgiving pie, which had been sitting on the second shelf for ten months waiting for the right Sunday. Sunday was the right Sunday.

The recipe is from Cookie and Kate. The pancakes are a regular pancake batter with about a cup of pumpkin puree folded in, plus the warming spices — cinnamon, ginger, ground cloves, a touch of nutmeg — and a tablespoon of brown sugar instead of regular sugar. The pumpkin makes the pancakes tender and slightly orange. The spices make the kitchen smell like November in the middle of September.

The math: a 15-oz can of pumpkin puree (free, from last year), two cups of all-purpose flour $0.30, two tablespoons of brown sugar, two teaspoons of baking powder, the warm spices from the rack, two large eggs, a cup and a half of milk, a quarter cup of melted butter, a teaspoon of vanilla. Total: about $2.40 for a batter that made sixteen pancakes.

The technique is the wet-and-dry combination, the same as for any pancake. Whisk the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Whisk the wet ingredients in a separate bowl. Pour the wet into the dry and stir gently until just combined — the batter should still have a few small lumps in it. Do not overmix; an overmixed pancake batter produces tough pancakes. Let the batter rest for ten minutes while the griddle heats.

You cook the pancakes on a hot griddle (medium heat) lightly buttered between batches. A third of a cup of batter per pancake. You watch for the bubbles to form on the surface and the edges to set, about two minutes. Flip. Cook two more minutes on the second side. Stack on a plate covered with foil to keep warm.

Mama and I had pancakes Sunday at nine in the morning at the kitchen table. I had stacked them with a smear of butter and a slow pour of Aunt Jemima syrup. The kitchen smelled, as I had wanted it to smell, like November. Mama said, after the first bite, baby, the world is moving into fall and I am ready for it. So am I.

I packed eight of the leftover pancakes in the freezer in a bag, separated by sheets of waxed paper, for the workweek school-morning toaster pancakes. The frozen pancake reheated in a toaster for ninety seconds is the kind of breakfast that has saved me on many tight mornings, and the homemade version with real pumpkin and warm spices is going to be the upgrade for the next two weeks of school mornings.

The recipe is below. The trick is not overmixing the batter and letting it rest ten minutes before cooking. Freeze the leftovers separated by waxed paper for school-morning toaster pancakes.

Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 20 minutes | Total Time: 30 minutes | Servings: 4 (about 12 pancakes)

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 cup canned pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
1 cup whole milk
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Butter or neutral oil, for the pan

Instructions

Mix the dry ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves until evenly combined.
Mix the wet ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree, milk, eggs, melted butter, and vanilla until smooth.
Combine. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir gently until just combined — a few small lumps are fine. Do not overmix or the pancakes will turn out tough.
Rest the batter. Let the batter sit for 5 minutes while you heat the pan. This gives the baking powder time to activate.
Heat the pan. Warm a large skillet or griddle over medium heat. Add a small pat of butter or a drizzle of oil and let it coat the surface.
Cook the pancakes. Pour about 1/4 cup of batter per pancake onto the skillet. Cook until bubbles form across the surface and the edges look set, about 2 to 3 minutes. Flip and cook another 1 to 2 minutes until cooked through and lightly golden.
Keep warm and serve. Transfer finished pancakes to a plate in a low oven (200°F) while you cook the rest. Serve with maple syrup, a pat of butter, or a dusting of powdered sugar.

Nutrition (per serving)

Pumpkin Spice Pancakes — The Sunday Morning the Kitchen Smelled Like November in September