Pumpkin Buttermilk Pancakes

I dragged myself out of bed early Saturday morning. As I trudged downstairs I could hear my sister and her friend M- talking over their breakfast. They both had exams scheduled for the morning, and had to drive out to the school bright and early. I had to be up for a basketball game; our team's first game of the weekend long tournament would be at nine. It had been a while since our last game, and as I searched through the kitchen cupboards for something to eat, my stomach was clouded with butterflies. I didn't feel hungry, but I choked down a handful of dry cereal anyway so I wouldn't be playing on an empty stomach.

After digging through a mountain of laundry to find my jersey and packing up my bag, I sat down with M- and my sister at the dining room table. We read through the paper and laughed at the "Dear Annie" column, and they told me about their plans after the tests.  As it was approaching time for them to leave, my mom came downstairs looking tired and still in her pajamas. She looked surprised to see me up, and told me she had left a note on my bedside table that I had missed; as it turned out our first game wouldn't be until later that afternoon. My mom wished them both luck before heading back up to bed. M- and my sister drove off for exams, my parents were still sleeping, and the house was quiet....Suddenly having plenty of time, my stress and nerves melted away. For the first time that morning I heard the birds singing, and the sun felt warm against my skin. I opened up Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban and began to read. But I was soon interrupted by an empty stomach. The butterflies gone, I was hungry for a real breakfast. I set down the book and went back into the kitchen. My first thought was pancakes. Banana pancakes. But, bananas never last long in our house, and our fruit bowl was empty.

Opening the fridge a leftover carton of buttermilk caught my eye. I've always loved buttermilk pancakes; their light fluffy texture and sweetness, and a name that just rolls off the tongue... and forget bananas, blueberry buttermilk pancakes would be delicious!

I slid open the freezer door for the blueberries, to find that our usual assortment of frozen fruits had dwindled down to a bag of frozen pineapple chunks and another of frostbitten mango that had been in the freezer for longer than I cared to remember. Back to square one.

I finally decided on pumpkin pancakes. When my sister and I were little my mom would whip up a small batch of pancake batter, add a big scoop of pumpkin and make us each one big pumpkin pancake cooked in a cast-iron pan. I loved them, and still do. Pumpkin pancakes are hearty and flavorful, and the pumpkin, cinnamon, and maple come together in one sweet harmony.  It was a quiet morning. The chirping of the birds mixed gently with the soft crack of eggshell and the butter sizzling on the hot pan. As the sun rose in the sky and filled the kitchen, the warm smell of pumpkin rose through the house.

When my parents woke, they were presented with a warm stack of pumpkin pancakes with a dab of cinnamon butter on top.

Pumpkin Buttermilk Pancakes with Cinnamon Butter

a Simply Baking original

makes 9, 5-inch pancakes

If you don't have any buttermilk on hand you can easily make it at home. Pour a tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar into a liquid measuring cup, add milk until the liquid totals 1 cup and let sit for 10-15 minutes. When it is done the milk should be curdled and thicker; stir gently and set aside.

Pumpkin Pancakes

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon allspice

1/8 teaspoon cloves

1 egg, room temperature

1 cup buttermilk

Heaping cup of canned pumpkin

Cinnamon Butter

2 tablespoons butter, softened

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, teaspoon of cinnamon, cloves, and allspice. In a separate bowl beat together egg and buttermilk. Pour the egg mixture into the dry mixture, and stir until just combined. Fold in the pumpkin.

In a small separate bowl, with a fork cream the butter. Add the sugar and cinnamon, mix well and set aside.

Heat a medium cast-iron pan or griddle to medium heat and brush with canola oil or about a teaspoon of butter. Let the pan heat up for several minutes (when it is ready, you should be able to feel the heat with your hand held several inches above the pan), then turn temperature down to medium/low.

Ladle about 1/3 cup of batter onto the pan for 5-inch pancakes, or more for larger pancakes. Flip the pancakes once bubbles have formed on top and edges are appear cooked. Let the pancakes cook for several minutes, until the bottom is browned.

Serve warm with a dab of cinnamon butter.