Pumpkin Pie Pancakes

Umm, yum . . . these no-sugar pancakes taste deliciously like pumpkin pie, and they are healthy and nutritious!

Pumpkin Pie Pancakes

3 cups freshly ground whole wheat flour (I prefer "white wheat")
3/4 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4. tsp. ginger
2 cups pumpkin puree* or canned pumpkin
2 1/2 cup sour milk* (more or less depending on moistness of pumpkin)
3 eggs

Mix dry ingredients in large bowl, making a hole in the center. Add pumpkin puree, buttermilk, eggs to center of bowl, and mix gently. Do not overmix. If batter is a bit stiff, add a little water until it can easily be spooned onto a hot lightly greased griddle. I use coconut oil to grease the griddle—it's healthy and it makes the pancakes smell and taste sweeter. Let pancakes bake until bubbles pop in the top, then flip—just one time. Do not press down—we want these to be light and airy! Serve with warm applesauce* for a healthy breakfast that tastes like dessert! Serves 6 hearty eaters.

Sour Milk
This can be in any form:
-buttermilk
-raw milk that has soured (not pasteurized milk)
-1 tablespoon plain yogurt + water to make 1 cup
-1 3/4 teaspoon cream of tartar + milk to make 1 cup
-1 tablespoon vinegar or lemon juice + milk to 1 cup. Let stand to clabber for 5 minutes before using.


Pumpkin Puree
Rinse and cut your jack-o-lantern in half. Or use a fresh pumpkin. You can cook it whole and remove seeds afterwards, or cut it in half. Either way is fine. It doesn't change the cooking time. Put in on a big baking tray in the oven at 350 degrees , cut side down, for an hour. Poke with a knife after an hour. When flesh is tender, scrape away from rind and blend until smooth in blender.

Fresh Orchard Applesauce
Wash and cut apples in quarters, removing core. Do not peel. Put in a big cooking pot with 1" water in the bottom. Simmer for 30-45 minutes or until applies are tender. Blend in blender until smooth. Can add 1/2 tsp. cinnamon per blender. Serve warm.

First Snow!

The first snow makes my kids estatic, but I will miss the flowers, and the gorgeous gold and red leaves. I left some strangers out in the cold accidentally, and that first snow took us all by surprise! I always want to make our jack o' lanterns into pumpkin bread, and these were patiently waiting, but the snow came first—their faces even look startled, don't they?!


Poor apples got it too!

Just in case your pumpkins were more fortunate than mine, and you are still hanging onto them, try my favorite pumpkin recipe: Pumpkin Pike. We named it "Pike" because we were experimenting to create a recipe that my pumpkin-growing (but pumpkin-pie-not-liking) son could enjoy using his home-grown pumpkins. This combination of "pie" and "cake" did the trick. It is really a cake with lots of pumpkin in the recipe—very yummy!

Pumpkin Pike

1 cup honey
1/2 cup butter
4 eggs
1 plus 3/4 cups cooked pumpkin, well drained (or 1/2 of a large 29 oz. can of pumpkin)
2 cups whole wheat flour, freshly ground
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup walnut pieces
1 cup carob chips or chocolate chips

Cream butter and honey. Add eggs and pumpkin and mix well. Gently stir in flour, baking powder, soda, nuts and carob chips until just blended. Pour into a 9 x 13” glass baking dish. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Serve warm.