Pumpkin Spice and All Things Nice
Last Sunday, I woke early to a rumbling tummy. What is new? Quiet as a mouse, I crept out of bed so as to let Ben sleep in a little – like normal people do on a Sunday.
Sitting by the window with my cup of hot water, I quietly pondered my options…
“Eggs? No, they won’t do - I feel like something with a little more of a kick.
Thick natural yoghurt with some sort of sweet, nutty, fruity topping? Possibly, although that won’t really satisfy Ben, I am sure of it.
Thick Dench toast with nut butter and tea? Lovely, but I think I can do better today.
Pancakes? Yes…precisely.”
As soon as I decided on pancakes, I new it would be a Joy-ous occasion. And so I grabbed my mac and opened up my folder entitled, ‘Joy the Baker recipes’. Here I have bookmarked countless, lustful recipes, many of which are for pancakes. From chai spiced buttermilk, to berry meyer lemon, to oatmeal cookie pancakes. Oh Joy…you’re such a gem.
Perhaps it was the chilly morning air, an all too early reminder that Summer was soon to leave us (did it ever really arrive?), that lead me to feel an instant connection with one particular recipe. And rather serendipitously, I happened to have all the ingredients on hand (besides one, but hey, I am sure Joy would encourage improvisation). “Yes. Perfect!”, I thought to myself.
And so into the kitchen I bounced, where I started to prepare the ingredients for Pumpkin Spice Pancakes. What better way to welcome the arrival of Autumn?
I had no ground ginger on hand (really? How could this be?) so I added in more of the other spices (and promptly amended the 'no ground ginger' situation on my next shopping trip). As I adore cinnamon, I enthusiastically added 1.5 teaspoons to the mixture. I doubled the amount of cloves, which I ground myself using my mortar and pestle, as I didn't have pre-ground cloves. I was also generous with my nutmeg, and ended up adding more like 1/3 of a teaspoon. I like my spices.
I bought my canned pumpkin from USA Foods in Moorabbin. I may or may not have also emerged with Cookie Dough Pop Tarts for my brother, Jackson, and also some Reese's Pieces. They don't often have canned pumpkin in stock (it's quite popular), so call ahead to avoid being disappointed! I have 4 cans left for more pumpkin goodness this Autumn. I can hardly wait. You could certainly steam and puree your own pumpkin, in place of the canned version.
The pancake mixture had such a lovely orange tinge to it, courtesy of the pumpkin.
Be careful not to over mix the batter!
I served the pancakes with cinnamon sugar (white sugar mixed with a pinch of cinnamon) and pure maple syrup. We also had T2 Blue Mountain Tea. I am loving this brew, with it's refreshing hints of vanilla.
These beautiful golden pancakes smell delightfully like gingerbread. They are light and cheerful, while at the same time substantial, filling you with a lovely, lingering sense of warmth. The spice is pronounced yet delicate. I can’t recall a time when I have felt so content as I did after eating my little stack of pumpkin spice pancakes.
When Ben came to the table and saw his stack alongside the Sunday papers, he looked up, smiled at me and said, “this is great”…and it was. Life is good. And pumpkin spice pancakes make it even better.