Pumpkin Pancakes

On Easter, I left my comfortable sanctum of the west side and made the drive over to Silverlake to try  out the Meet Market's much-buzzed about vegan brunch buffet. I was particularly impressed by the  pancakes, which were spicy and sweet and had the distinct hint of cinnamon. I spent most of the ride back pondering what might have made those particular pancakes so special. It wasn't until I got back home that it hit me. A little light bulb went off over my head, and if I were a comic book character, my thought bubble would have been flashing "pumpkin" in some sort of comic sans font. On my next Whole Foods trip, I picked up a can of organic pumpkin puree. I like that Whole Foods stocks pumpkin puree all year long, whereas Trader Joes will usually on carry it seasonally. Libby's makes an organic 100% pure pumpkin puree, but to buy that I would have to go to a Ralphs or Albertsons. Similar to my failed experiment with adult education classes, I do not do well when I venture out into the general populace. More on that particular quirk of mine later.
I was very pleased with how these pancakes turned out. They are slightly denser and thicker than "the pancakes", which would make them perfect for a hearty fall breakfast. I know it's a bit early to plan for these things, but I will probably whip these babies up for Thanksgiving.



Vegan Pumpkin Pancakes

• 1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
  
• 1/2 cup regular whole wheat flour
  
• 1 cup canned pumpkin
  
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
  
• 2 tbsp. molasses
  
• 1 tbsp. cinnamon
  
• 1/2 tsp. ginger
  
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  
• 1 cup unsweetened soy milk 

1. Whisk together dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, blend pumpkin, soy milk, vanilla, and molasses. 2. Blend the two mixtures together until smooth, but be careful not to overmix.
3. Heat a non-stick pan and spray lightly with cooking spray. Pour 1/4 a cup of the batter into the pan and let it cook for 2-3 minutes, or until the top side of the pancake is almost dry. Flip and cook on the remaining side for 1-2 minutes or until brown.
4. Serve with maple syrup and earth balance. I got fancy and added some powdered sugar. You could get even fancier and add cinnamon-sugar.