Pumpkin Pancakes!

Last week was a breakfast week. Thursday morning was an attempt to satisfy my curiosity of what would happen if I stuffed eggs into wonton wrappers, and Friday was less "adventurous." That is unless you consider pumpkin pancakes chock-full of dark chocolate and toasty pecans adventurous.

Coming home from the Art Institute on Thursday night, still too full from a delicious late lunch of jibaritos to even think of dinner, I turned our thoughts to breakfast instead, asking my friend what he wanted to for breakfast. As soon as he started to open his mouth, I was quick to add "that isn't waffles." Well, that was solved quickly: pancakes. With chocolate chips. I added that I thought I had a can of pumpkin puree at home, and if that was the case, would pumpkin pancakes be alright with him. He wholeheartedly approved the motion. So the next morning, as I waited for him to wake up and greet the day (and help me with breakfast, but sometimes I get a little impatient), I puttered around the kitchen, looked up some recipes, and threw these together.

He approved. My mom approved of them cold out of a bag in the fridge the next day. And my Dad ate the few that remained this morning, and he thought they were tasty as well.

Pumpkin Pancakes
adapted from Sweet Potato - Pecan Pancakes
Serves 4 (maybe)

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon*
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg*
1/8 teaspoon ginger*
1/8 teaspoon allspice*
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons chopped pecans, toasted
1/4 cup (1.5 ounces/45 grams) chopped dark chocolate
1 cup milk
1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon canola or vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
190 grams (about 3/4 cup) pumpkin puree

Heat a large nonstick pan or griddle over medium heat (the way I learned to gauge the temperature was by flicking a drop of water, if the water rolls and then sizzles, it's the correct temperature.)

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, allspice, and salt. Stir in pecans and chocolate.

In a medium bowl, whisk together milk, brown sugar, oil, vanilla, eggs, and pumpkin puree.

Make a well in the middle of the flour, and pour in the liquid mixture. Stir until no dry clumps remain.

Ladle 1/4 cup circles of batter onto the pan as fit. Cook until sides look cooked and there are bubbles all over. Flip over and cook until pressing down lightly on the center of the pumpkin leaves no indentations.

Serve with butter and maple syrup, or bourbon pecan sauce.

*Instead of the spices, you can substitute 1 1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice.)