Pumpkin Pancakes

Tyler's sister Maren made pumpkin pancakes the other day (note - "the other day" is a relative term in the Walker family. It just means "not yesterday, maybe last week, maybe 6 months ago- but I can't be bothered to remember exact time"). It sounded like such a good idea, I had to try it for myself. So, on Halloween we bust out round one, and then again the other day : )

I've already given my shout-out to Smitten Kitchen, but would be remiss if I didn't tell you about Epicurious.com. Their search parameters are very flexible, the user reviews are informative and reliable (what percentage of people would make it again, their "four-fork rating" etc.), and their recipes are ones you can count on to be delicious.

Spiced Pumpkin Pancakes

found on Epicurious.com

Bon Appetit/November 2000

Yield: Makes about 12

1 1/4 cup unbleached all purpose flour

3 tablespoons sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/4 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/3 cups whole milk

3/4 cup canned pumpkin

4 large eggs, separated

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

vegetable oil

maple syrup

Whisk first 5 ingredients in large bowl to blend. Whisk milk, pumpkin, egg yolks, melted butter and vanilla in medium bowl to blend well. Add pumpkin mixture to dry ingredients; whisk just until smooth (batter will be thick). Using electric mixer, beat egg whites in another medium bowl until stiff but not dry. Fold whites into batter in 2 additions. Brush large nonstick skillet with oil; heat over medium heat. Working in batches, pour batter by 1/3 cupfuls into skillet. Cook until bubbles form on surface of pancakes and bottoms are brown, about 1 1/2 minutes per side. Repeat with remaining batter, brushing skillet with oil between batches. Serve with syrup.

Sarah's notes:

I get about 20 pancakes from this recipe (and I still scoop with my 1/3 measuring cup per instructions). These are yummy! I realized something very important: they are ten times better as leftovers (which is saying a lot)! A 14.5 oz can of pumpkin makes 2 recipes - so go ahead and try doubling it, so you can eat the first half hot of the griddle, and save the other half for another day. I just put them in the microwave until warm and they were awesome. The pumpkin flavor was much more pronounced in the leftovers. Enjoy!

I Love Food (and Guacamole)

Those of you who know me even kind of well know how much I love food. One of the websites I haunt frequently is Smitten Kitchen (LOVELY). When Tyler saw me taking pictures of my food (both prep and finished), he asked if I was going to make my blog like Smitten Kitchen - which I'm not - I can't - I am no Smitten Kitchen guru. But, as long as I share what I think about, what I do, and what's going on - you're getting some food posts. So, first up. Guacamole. I realize that some of the details of guacamole are personal (tomatoes, no tomatoes, jalapenos, etc.). I love Tyler Florence's recipe for guacamole -take it for what it's worth. I'm usually too cheap to buy 4 avocados, so I most often half the recipe.

Guacamole
recipe courtesy Tyler Florence
4 ripe avocados
2 limes, juiced
1/2 medium red onion, finely chopped
1 big handful fresh cilantro leaves, finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Halve and pit the avocados; with a spoon scoop out the flesh into a bowl. Mash the avocados with a fork, leaving them a bit chunky. Add the remaining ingredients, and fold everything gently together to mix. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Lay a piece of plastic wrap right on the surface of the guacamole so it doesn't brown and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.