butternut-spiced pancakes--and a pie, too!

Whenever I make pancakes, I follow my [well-worn and terribly stained] Betty Crocker basic recipe. A few years ago, I experimented with different additions and alternatives. Our favorites were: lemon-ricotta, pumpkin-spice, and banana oatmeal.

The basic recipe is just that, basic- and begs for creativity! The pumpkin-spice pancakes are made simply by substituting pumpkin puree for the 1/2 cup of vegetable oil. A few shakes of pumpkin pie spice round out the flavor, and pure maple syrup is the perfect topping.

It is super simple to make your own pumpkin (or butternut squash, interchangeably) puree. Basically, all I do is stick the whole thing in the oven [on a cookie sheet] at 370 degrees for about an hour or until tender. I then scoop out the flesh, puree it in a blender, and then voila- it's finished.

I have also included Rob's grandmother's pumpkin pie recipe. I love to top the pie with fresh whipped cream; all you need to do is whip heavy cream into peaks, add the desired amount of sugar and freshly grated nutmeg and you have the ideal compliment to a perfectly chilled and creamy piece of pie. I hope you enjoy these tastes of fall!


Butternut-spice pancakes
2 large eggs
2 cups all-purpose or whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cups milk
3/4 cup pumpkin puree
1 T brown sugar
4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 T pumpkin-pie spice

1. Beat eggs in large bowl with whisk until fluffy.
2. Beat in remaining ingredients until just smooth.
3. After cooking in non-stick skillet, top with plenty of butter and maple syrup. For a little extra decadence, top with fresh whipped cream!


Grandma Teague's pumpkin pie
2 cups pumpkin puree
1 1/2 tsp salt
3 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp [additional] cinnamon
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
2 cups whole milk or evaporated milk

1. Place pumpkin in skillet. Mix and add the dry ingredients to hot pumpkin. Stir well.
2. Beat eggs in large bowl and add milk. Slowly add pumpkin mixture to egg mixture. Add to your favorite prepared crust.
3. Bake at 450 degrees for 15 minutes; reduce heat to 300 degrees and bake for 45 minutes, or until knife comes out clean.

***I use the very basic pie crust recipe: 1/3 cup (plus 1T) shortening/butter, 1 cup flour, 1 tsp salt, 5T ice water (this is a rough estimate...I just look for the right consistency...it's just a practice thing***