Pumpkin Gingerbread Pancakes

Pumpkin is my favorite ingredient.  In the autumn, you’d be hard pressed to find me making a dish that doesn’t include pumpkin, and I’m legendary for finding ways to use it in almost every dish.

These pancakes have been served every morning after my annual fall dinner party for years.  They’re always a hit.

2 cups flour
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
1 Tablespoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon ground cloves
½ teaspoon ground cardamom  (Trust me on this one…)
½ teaspoon salt

Combine these in a large bowl and stir with your fingers until they’re well mixed.  In a separate bowl, add:

1 ¼ cups buttermilk  (Substitute regular milk whisked with 1 Tablespoon vinegar if you don’t have buttermilk.)
¼ cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 Tablespoons molasses
¾ cup canned pumpkin
3 large eggs
2 Tablespoons melted butter

Whisk the liquids together until well mixed.  Then add them to the dry ingredients and carefully fold together until all the flour is moistened but still a bit lumpy.

This is a very thick batter, and if you want, you can add a little extra milk to achieve a more pour-able consistency.

Test it on your griddle to see if it sticks.  Mine works fine without the need for extra fat, but you can spray some canola oil on the griddle if you need to.

Drop about 1/3 cup of pancake batter onto the griddle.

Watch the pancake carefully.  It is ready to flip when the edges look dry, and bubbles which rise to the surface near the edge burst and do not close back up.  If your batter is exceptionally thick, the bubbles may not appear, and you may need to gently slip a spatula under the pancake and lift it to check the color.  Because of the sugar content of these pancakes, they tend to burn more easily than traditional pancakes, so watch them carefully.

With a turner, gently but quickly slide it under the pancake, lift it gently up and flip it over.  You may ruin a few pancakes on your first try, but you’ll get the hang of it.

Serve these only with maple syrup.  Anything else will interfere with the amazing, spicy flavor.