Pumpkin Pancakes

I've been making these pumpkin pancakes almost every morning this month. I found the recipe online one day while searching all things pumpkin. They are very easy to make and so delicious! Jack and I have been enjoying them on a regular basis. I've made them for different guests we've had in town, and they have all loved them and asked for the recipe. 

You must give these a try- you will not regret it! 

Eggless Pancakes

On Sunday morning I told Jack I would make some pancakes for breakfast. And he got very excited. So I went in my kitchen, and to my dismay, realized we had no eggs. So I did what any 21st century mom would do and Googled "no egg pancakes" (what did people do before the internet?). I found a recipe for Fluffy Eggless Pancakes and decided to give it a whirl. 

I did not have vegetable oil so I substituted canola oil for that, and I decided to throw in some blueberries since I had a lot. These turned out very good. This is definitely a recipe I will use again. I think I still like pancakes with eggs a little better, but this is a great options for those mornings you are out of eggs or for people with allergies, etc.

Somebody else liked them too...

Easy Pancakes

On Sunday morning we woke up to a beautiful blanket of snow at our house. I love it when it snows here. The mountains look gorgeous and nothing is cooler than snow in the desert! I took this picture with our iPad through the window and managed to catch a little reflection. This was not my attempt at artistic photography in case you were wondering. 

 

Inspired by the beautiful morning, I decided to make pancakes. I use to think you only made pancakes with box mix because homemade would be too much work. Now I know that making pancakes from scratch can be very simple. Plus, the ingredients are things you most likely have around your kitchen anyway. I just searched pancake recipes on the Food Network website and found this recipe.  The only ingredient I was missing was nutmeg, so I sprinkled in a little cinnamon instead. It would be just as good without either as well. 

These pancakes were very good, especially for something that can easily be thrown together at the last minute. You could also add to it like throwing in blueberries or mashed bananas. This is definitely something I will make again. 

My favorite pancake recipe is another Food Network one from Tyler Florence, his Ricotta Pancakes. But they are a little more time consuming and require ingredients you may not have on hand. So, they are my "special occasion" pancakes.

I have a feeling this pancake recipe will be one I will return to often, especially on those mornings (or evenings) when I can't figure out what to make! And by the way, Jack loved them. It's a perfect toddler breakfast. I didn't give him any syrup or butter. I figure I will keep those away from him until he's old enough to ask for it. If he's happy without the extra sugar and fat that's just fine with me (If only I was content to eat them that way)! 

Fall Flavor

I have been so awful keeping up the blog lately, so rather than trying to catch up with everything I have been cooking lately, I thought I would choose one of my recent favorites. My mom shared a recipe she had seen on Tyler's Ultimate on the Food Network for Ricotta Pancakes. You can find the recipe here. I tried them, and they were delicious! On Halloween night I was feeling in the mood for a flavor of fall, so I decided to take the recipe for the Ricotta Pancakes and create my own pumpkin adaptation. It was so amazing, that I have made it multiple times since.

The ricotta recipe is really two recipes in one. It has the pancakes with baked apples and crispy prosciutto. But when I made the pumpkin version, I left the apple and prosciutto portion out and for the pancake batter I omitted the lemon and substituted canned pumpkin for the ricotta (use the same amount of pumpkin as you would ricotta). The pumpkin has a similar consistency to the ricotta, so I think it makes a good replacement. I also sprinkled cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice into the batter. If you half the recipe, it makes 6 medium sized pancakes, which is what I do for Josh and me. The pancakes are pretty rich and filling, so we think this portion size is great. Serve with real maple syrup, and if you are trying to be a little healthier, put the syrup in a small dish and dip your pancakes in so you don't drown them in sugar.

So put on your scarf, watch the leaves fall, and enjoy some pumpkin pancakes!