Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Pumpkin-Oat Pancakes...

Jeff's niece graduated high school this year and has jumped right into college - we thought that one of the items we could give her to celebrate all the new happenings in her life is a new baked good every month while she is at school! I don't think I mentioned it last month, but we made those reliable Outrageous Oreo Crunch Brownies and this month we sent off a hefty package of Jeff's favorite Chocolate Malted M&M Cookies. Although, this time we used those spooky Halloween M&Ms! I haven't nailed down next month's treat, but I have a few ideas in mind!

I took some time yesterday for the annual roasting of a bunch of sugar pumpkins - I do this to harvest the fantastic orange flesh to freeze for pumpkin goodies throughout the year! Before stashing it away, I saved a bit of the fresh mash to make these Pumpkin-Oat Pancakes with Crystallized Ginger for a breakfast-for-dinner night this evening.

I used a combination of dry ingredients to create pancakes that were still fairly light, yet sneaked in a few good nutrients. I mixed things up with all-purpose flour, whole wheat pastry flour and a bit of finely ground old-fashioned rolled oats to add a hearty factor. If you prefer not to use those ingredients, just use completely all-purpose flour instead. To infuse the fragrant aroma of fall into these pancakes, I spiced up those dry ingredients with our favorite Vietnamese cinnamon, allspice, ginger and a pinch of cardamom for its racy attitude.

Since we love the sweet heat of crystallized ginger, and besides the fact that it goes tremendously well with pumpkin, I also tossed a small handful into the mix. This batter is more viscous than typical pancakes, a bit akin towards waffle batter, but don't try to thin it out - just spread the batter out with a spoon or spatula, if desired, once it hits the griddle. The pancakes cook up pretty thick with a healthy weight to them, but they are not dense and gummy either. With just a few tablespoons of brown sugar to enhance the pure pumpkin essence, these pancakes are not too sweet, making them a perfect candidate for a generous helping of warmed pure maple syrup at serving.

Recipes

12 comments:

  1. Joe, how do you roast your sugar pumpkins?

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  2. I'm interested of knowing myself.

    What a lucky niece, in which State does she study? Niece treats you sent her. I hope she likes both of you a lot.

    I never thought of adding crystallized ginger to pancake. I wonder how it tastes like.

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  3. I am with Patty and Helene...how do you preserve the pumpkin?

    I would love to have pumpkin stashed away for later in the year!

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  4. my my, i love breakfast for dinner and these hit the spot!!

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  5. Yes indeed! That's one lucky neice. And, as wired as young adults are today, they LOVE getting mail. You're good uncles.

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  6. You are so sweet to bake a treat a month for your niece! When you are in school getting mail is so much fun--and mail you can eat?! Well that is just awesome!

    Courtney

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  7. I hack the pumpkin in half, scoop out the seeds and any stringy insides. Roast them, cut side down, on baking sheets in a 350 degree oven until tender - time will depend on the size of your pumpkins.

    Scoop out the flesh and run through a food processor for a smoother puree. If it seems a bit watery, you can certainly drain some of the excess liquid away.

    TTFN - We do to, as you have probably noticed!

    Sue and Courtney - Thanks!

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  8. Are you guys interested in adopting a small, but hungry San Francisco family (2 boys and a golden retriever/aussi mix)?

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  9. I love your idea of a treat a month. I gave my niece postcards to mail to me that said "I need cookies". I haven't gotten one back from her yet - maybe I should be proactive? ;0
    thanks for the great recipes and idea!

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  10. Ari - Hmm... we've always talked about living in San Francisco - how about we move in and I'll be your dedicated cook/baker?

    Lisa - I love that idea!

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  11. WOW, how sweet! I wish I had an aunt/uncle that would send me a treat every month while I was in school!

    Your foodie photos are amazing!

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