Pumpkin Spice Pancakes

It officially fall time! Well, maybe not officially, but the start of September is good enough for me. With it comes pumpkin spice everything, from coffees to pastries.

We had to jump into the fall trend and present a quintessential fall recipe. With honey in peak season, September, and pumpkin patches starting to pop up, it's a fall mix made in foodie heaven.

Pancakes are generally easy to make, nothing too complicated. And mixes are even easier, though they are essentially flour and a few other ingredients mixed together. This recipe is no different!

We do add some science to it, though. As with any baking, there is science involved. To get a rise out of this pancake, two processes are involved. Baking powder is a chemical leavener, of course, but there are also mechanical leaveners that we must employ.

Pumpkin is naturally relatively dense and heavy; pick a can of pumpkin puree, and you'll see what I mean. As such, we want as much rise as we can get. Eggs are naturally perfect for this. The mechanical leavener in this situation comes from whipping the egg whites until they are very light and fluffy. It is essentially adding air to the pancakes.

Whipping egg whites can be used in any baking to help promote an extra rise. You'll see more bubbles than usual when you cook these pancakes because of all the hard work from whipping air into the yokes. Why wouldn't we whip the batter so air gets into it? If we mix the flour too much, we risk it becoming too incorporated or even the risk of gluten development!

Back to the fun stuff, though. The spices! When you make the batter, it'll smell like a pumpkin pie... and I love pumpkin pie, so this was a real treat. Pumpkin has a flavor, but the spices add a warm fall touch it. You can even experiment with the spices; but make sure they are warm baking spices, not cayenne.

There are also a few toppings I recommend. Maple syrup is, of course, essential, but I also recommend honeycomb. If you've never had the pleasure of trying it, I highly recommend it. It tastes like honey, but it has a unique texture. Plus, honey is peak season during September, so now is the time to try it! Most grocery stores should have it.

I also recommend whip cream. You can read more about the ins and outs of whip cream here. But I took roughly a cup and a half of heavy whipping cream, approximately three tablespoons of sugar, and a dash of cinnamon and made an excellent fall cinnamon whip cream. I tend not to measure ingredients when I make whip cream. Instead, I add all my ingredients together, whip it up, and during the soft peak stage, I taste it and adjust it as necessary for it to be perfect when it reaches stiff peaks.

This recipe is delicious and quintessential for anyone who loves fall. Easy, tasty, and sure to become a family favorite. With pumpkin, fall spices, and honey, one taste, and you'll be in foodie heaven. Enjoy this recipe from my kitchen to yours.

Cheers

Chef Olson

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Pumpkin Spice Pancakes

Yield: ~5 Servings

Prep Time: ~10 Minutes Inactive Time: ~10 Minutes Total Time: ~20 Minutes

Ingredients

1. 2 Cups Pastry Flour

2. 1 tbsp Baking Powder

3. 1/4 Cup Granulated Sugar

4. 1 1/2 tsp Cinnamon

5. 1/4th tsp Nutmeg

6. 1/4th Ground Cloves

7. 1/4th tsp All Spice

8. 1/4th tsp Ginger

9. 1/2 tsp Salt

10. 1 1/4th Cups Whole Milk

11. 1 Cup Pumpkin Puree

12. 2 Large Eggs (Separated)

13. 2 tbsp Butter for Cooking

Optional Toppings

1. Maple Syrup

2. Whip Cream

3. Apples

4. Honey Comb

Guide

1. Combine the flour, baking powder, sugar, spices, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Whisk to combine.

2. In a separate bowl, add the milk, puree, egg yolks, and whisk to combine. Whisk together the egg whites in a separate small bowl until very light and fluffy.

3. Fold the pumpkin mixture into the dry ingredients, careful not to over-mix. Add in the egg whites and fold them in till combined.

4. Heat a small griddle pan over medium heat and melt some butter. Add the pancake batter into the pan (of the desired size) and cook until bubbles form at the top; flip the pancakes and cook for another 20-30 seconds.

5. Serve with maple syrup, whipped cream, apples, and honeycomb.

Recipe By: Chef Olson Thewoodenspoonchefs.com

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