Fall Breakfast

Sorry for the lack of recent blog postings. I'm going to make more of an effort to post on at least a bi-weekly schedule starting after Thanksgiving. I'll also post my sweet potato pie recipe that I'll be making for Thanksgiving right after the holiday as well.

In the meantime, here's something I made for breakfast last week. It turned out really well, actually.

Spiced Pumpkin Pancakes, (Original recipe Bon Appetit, 2000, modified my me)

1 1/4 cups unbleached all purpose flour
3 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp ground nutmeg
2 tsp ground allspice
1 tbsp vanilla paste (better flavor than the liquid stuff)
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/3 cups whole milk
3/4 cup canned pure pumpkin (I used an organic brand from Wild Oats market; ended up being good stuff)
4 large eggs, separated
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Vegetable oil
Maple syrup (Log Cabin is okay, but I'd recommend using the real stuff)

Whisk first 5 ingredients in large bowl to blend. Whisk milk, pumpkin, egg yolks, melted butter and vanilla in medium bowl to blend well. Add pumpkin mixture to dry ingredients; whisk just until smooth (batter will be thick). Using electric mixer, beat egg whites in another medium bowl until stiff but not dry. Fold whites into batter in 2 additions. Brush large nonstick skillet with oil; heat over medium heat. Working in batches, pour batter by 1/3 cupfuls into skillet. Cook until bubbles form on surface of pancakes and bottoms are brown, about 1 1/2 minutes per side. Repeat with remaining batter, brushing skillet with oil between batches. Serve with syrup.

Makes about 12.