Breakfast for dinner

Who doesn't love breakfast for dinner?!
We welcomed the Harvest Moon last week, by having a dinner of pumpkin pancakes made with the only remaining jar of pumpkin puree from last years harvest. What a harvest that one was. I remember at the time that I was really tired of roasting pumpkins and running the food processor....I couldn't wait for it to end. But wow, we made it until this harvest time....not too shabby.

While we were mixing up the ingredients, Hazel came up with her own version to put outside for the flower fairies to help them get ready for the cold times ahead. Here it is:

Hazel's Pumpkin Pancakes

A bit of pumpkin
Toadstool spots
5 princess crowns
5 scoops of fairy dust
3 scoops butterfly dust
3 scoops leaves
5 scoops twigs

Mix together and cook. Leave out for your fairy friends.

Here is my version taken from "The Great LIttle Pumpkin Cookbook" by Michael Krondi.

3 cups all purpose flour
2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ginger
1/4 tsp. each of nutmeg and allspice
1/2 tsp. salt
6 tbsp. light brown sugar
4 eggs
2 1/3 cups buttermilk
1 1/4 cups pumpkin puree
6 tbsp. melted butter

In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder and soda, spices and salt. Whisk until mixed.
In a large bowl, whisk together sugar and eggs until blended. Stir in buttermilk, pumpkin and butter. Add the dry ingredients into the wet and whisk until smooth.
Heat a cast iron pan over medium heat. Brush lightly with oil. Drop batter into pan by 1/4 cup amounts. Cook pancakes until bubbles form on top and bottoms are golden brown (about 3 minutes). Turn over and cook the other side for about 2 minutes.
Repeat over and over until batter is gone.
Serve with maple syrup (of course!).

This becomes one of my "go-to" dinners over the dark winter months. Maybe it is the bright orange of the pumpkin that makes things happy....maybe it is the smell of the spices....maybe it is the comfort of it all.
Enjoy your Sunday.
Karen