Falling in love
I love fall. It’s my favorite season, despite the fact that I have seasonal allergies and it is the prelude to my LEAST favorite season. I love the food, the holidays, the turning leaves, and the energy that is in the air (something about all those animals rushing around burying their food for the winter and the smell of burning leaves…) I get to break out my favorite jeans again like a long-lost best friend, cozy up in quilts and maybe even light a fire in the fireplace. It’s a snuggly season. I feel lucky that both my girls’ birthdays are in autumn because the season itself makes me want to celebrate life, and what better reason that your children’s birthdays?
Today was our last official day together this summer, as a family. It was also the first day that we could actually feel that autumn is just around the corner. We haven’t been running our air conditioner very much this summer, and have been rather comfortable, except for a few 90 degree+ (F) days. We woke up this morning a little chilly with the fans going and windows up, and the combination of all of the above made me want food that was more “fall” than “summer,” even though I am still hanging on to the season with a very tight grip! (I adopted a couple of dozen summer annual flowers from the local nursery that still have life left in them, as evidence!)
It doesn’t feel right for Twig and Goose to be leaving us until 4:30pm each day. Lil Pea and I have big plans for how to spend our time (she’s dead-set on “ballerina school” and I have loads of messy crafts lined up), but it’s just not the same as having us all together to share all of our meals and all of our jokes. Of course, as they say, absence makes the heart grow fonder, and we will appreciate catching up with them at the supper table each night all the more.
For breakfast this morning, with the cool air coming in the windows around us, we had pumpkin pancakes. They turned out more of a custard texture than pancake texture (even though they LOOK like pancakes), so be advised. If you love pumpkin pie, you will love them. If you or your child dislike a mushy texture, then these are not for you.
Pumpkin Custard Pancakes w/apple-pecan topping
Pumpkin Custard Pancakes:
5 eggs
1 can of pumpkin (NOT pie mix! I use Farmer’s Market Organic brand- the only ingredient is pumpkin)
1/2 c teff flour
1/4 c sweet sorghum flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tbs maple syrup or buckwheat honey (optional- still sweet without- OR press in raisins or chopped dates while cooking first side– chocolate chips if you are really being decadent!)
1 tsp fine sea salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbs cinnamon
1/2 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp ginger
pinch of ground cloves
coconut oil and/or butter for frying
*Makes about 10 medium-sized pancakes
Whisk together until mixed well. Let batter rest for about 15 minutes (make a pot of gingerbread coffee while you wait!) This will look quite a bit thinner than regular pancake batter.
Heat coconut oil (or butter- but it burns easily, so be careful!) in a heavy skillet (I use cast iron.) When a drop of water sizzles in the oil, it is hot enough. Using a ladle or measuring cup, SLOWLY (VERY SLOWLY!!) pour batter into the pan. If you pour too fast, you will end up with a thick middle to the pancake and thin sides because of the weight of the batter. If you pour slowly enough, it should be quite even. Cook until the edges look dry about 3/4″ into the pancake middle and the middle starts to have bubbles coming through. Slowly slide a spatula underneath to flip. If it feels too mushy, then WAIT another minute or two and try again. If you pour one that has thin edges: use your spatula to gently nudge the edges back toward the middle going around and around until you have “cleaned up” the thin parts.
Just like with any pancakes, you want to cook one side thoroughly, flip, and then cook the second side for just a minute more. Once you are at the point where you can successfully flip the pancake without it falling apart, it is mostly cooked through and you are just browning up the second side. These will look almost burned, but don’t toss before you taste- the pumpkin is dark already so what I though was burned was actually perfectly done!!
I served these with apples and crispy pecans that I sauteed very quickly in butter, cinnamon, and some additional maple syrup.
Goose and Lil Pea gobbled them up. They were best hot, so I served them as I made them and then ate the last few myself (though I admit, I nibbled one as I cooked!) Goose asked me to make them again soon, but I think they will have to be weekend fare, because it was quite time consuming (as all pancakes tend to be.) I don’t think they would freeze well since they are already a bit mushy. They just might be our new tradition for last-day-of-summer breakfast!
*This post is part of Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays at SimplySugarAndGlutenFree.com
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