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October 26 2010 by Kristin at The Kitchen Sink in Breakfast,Recipe » 21 comments

Okay, so I know that Tuesday night is approximately the least opportune time to tell you all about pumpkin pancakes. For the great majority of us, pancakes are a strictly weekend endeavor. And I get that. I think of pancakes as the breakfast-time counterpart to dinner-time’s risotto: they require you to stand at the stove for a stretch of time, repeating the same motions over and over and over (pancakes: ladle the batter onto a sizzling-hot griddle, cook, flip, repeat; risotto: ladle the broth into a hot pan of arborio, cook, stir, repeat). And you can taste all that attention, all that love, all that patience when you sit down at the breakfast table to eat the pancakes (or, dinner table, in the case of risotto). But, maple-syrup-ed taste-of-love notwithstanding, pancakes simply do not factor into my Monday through Friday. They have no place in the pre-work rush.

Instead, they are best saved for a lazy weekend morning, when the smell of strong, freshly-brewed coffee hangs in the air, when the air is still and quiet and the light is filtered, when the promise of the day—a weekend day—stretches out before you, long and luxurious. That’s the time to fire up the griddle. And, sitting here on Tuesday, I realize that we’re nowhere near Saturday morning. (Do I ever.)

But I also realize that October is waning (five days left, people!) and when it slips away this weekend, it will whisk along with it the frenzy of pumpkin. At least in my kitchen, this month has been one big pumpkin party. Pumpkin bread, pumpkin cake, pumpkin biscuits. And now these pumpkin pancakes.

It’s this last thing—these pumpkin pancakes—that I’ll remember from this fall’s pumpkin endeavors. They’re terrific. So good, in fact, that I think they might have ruined me forever for regular pancakes—those ho hum, run-of-the-mill buttermilk flap jacks. The pumpkin is such a natural fit that you’ll find it difficult to imagine how you ever made pancakes without the pumpkin. It manages to make the pancakes lighter and heartier in one fell swoop. It also plays nicely with a side of bacon (a pancake must, of course) and even more nicely with a drizzle of maple syrup. And, in a subtle nod to this month, it imparts each cake with a pale shade of orange.

So, if you’ve depleted your stock of canned pumpkin (or maybe you’re lucky enough to have some homemade puree stashed away), head to the market. Because Saturday will be here eventually (if not soon enough) and the time for these pancakes—these pumpkin pancakes—will be right.

The recipe for these Pumpkin Pancakes come from Ruth Reichl’s lovely site. (You can take the girl out of her Gourmet subscription, but you can’t take the Gourmet out of the girl ….) You can find the recipe here.

21 comments so far. »
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Barefoot Belle says on October 26 2010 at 5:03 pm:

Just beautiful. What a great way to end october.
Whitney says on October 26 2010 at 5:09 pm:

As I read this from my iPhone on the bus on the way home from a long Tuesday, you are right that the weekend feels oh so far away.

But thanks to you, I now know what I’ll be doing come Saturday morning!
Jessica @ How Sweet says on October 26 2010 at 5:16 pm:

I love pumpkin pancakes.
Elia@feedyoursister says on October 26 2010 at 5:20 pm:

I guess food bloggers think alike!! I actually made pumpkin pancakes today, and posted to my blog!!

http://www.feedyoursister.blogspot.com

My version is definitely simpler but the one you posted is more legit and homemade!! I added chocolate chips to mine!! YUMMY!
kickpleat says on October 26 2010 at 5:38 pm:

oh yes please!! it’s been years since i’ve had pumpkin pancakes and these look amazing. yum.
Tracey says on October 26 2010 at 5:39 pm:

It’s been a pumpkin baking frenzy in my house this month too, but the one thing I haven’t made yet? Pancakes! Thanks for the inspiration – they look awesome
Heather I. says on October 26 2010 at 5:57 pm:

Long live pumpkin! November is totally ok to continue on in my book. Those pancakes are oh so gorgeous and will be perfect for a Halloween breakfast!
laura @ alittlebarefoot says on October 26 2010 at 6:54 pm:

those look like the best pancakes ever. i literally just got a batch of pumpkin muffins out of the oven, but now i’m kind of sad i didn’t make these instead.
Lisa says on October 26 2010 at 6:59 pm:

Your write-up of these pancakes alone makes me want a plate. I’ll have to try these one day.
Jacqui says on October 26 2010 at 9:09 pm:

Two confessions. 1: I will eat pancakes any day of the week, night or day, depending on when the craving sets in. 2: My favorite are pumpkin and use the canned puree all throughout the year, not just the fall. These look fantastic!
Gemma says on October 27 2010 at 7:12 am:

Oh my, I wonder if I can sneak in pancake making tomorrow morning before work. These look divine!
beth says on October 27 2010 at 7:24 am:

Love your take on those still Saturday mornings when the promise of the whole weekend lies ahead of you…it may be one of the best feelings all week! Perfect time for pumpkin pancakes – just had a similar pumpkiny Saturday morning myself!
The Rowdy Chowgirl says on October 27 2010 at 1:18 pm:

Well, they will definitely have to wait for the weekend, but they look delicious!
Jessie says on October 28 2010 at 1:26 am:

oooh, i think i’m seeing pumpkin pancakes everywhere lately! so tempted to try!
Sues says on October 28 2010 at 9:27 am:

I’ve only made pumpkin pancakes during the week For dinner These look absolutely perfect! And your photos are so beautiful.
Corrine says on October 28 2010 at 1:19 pm:

Why wait for the weekend? Have breakfast for dinner!
molly says on October 29 2010 at 8:51 am:

sigh. i think i can taste (and smell) these right through the pixels.
heather @ chiknpastry says on October 30 2010 at 12:55 pm:

i am such a fan of pumpkin! made a pumpkin pie last night just because . but i sorta wished I’d saved the puree for pancakes instead!!
Courtney says on November 03 2010 at 10:16 am:

These were to die for! I can’t wait to make them again this weekend…only a couple more days.
jodye @ 'scend food says on November 03 2010 at 11:44 am:

Literaly, I don’t think these pancakes could look any better. I just ate a huge bowl of oatmeal, but miraculously, my stomach is grumbling for some pumpkin pancakes. Nice work with these!
Crystal says on November 08 2010 at 10:32 am:

I was up at 5 am (toddlers don’t seem to grasp the whole daylight saving thing…) and we made these before heading out for our day. They were wonderful. People, don’t be deterred by the extra step of beating egg whites – wasn’t much more work and the results were awesome.