Pumpkin Pancakes and Halloween Flashbacks

My first adventure cooking with pumpkins.

I actually had a lot of fun making these pancakes.  I haven't carved or hollowed out a pumpkin in years, and having to do just that brought me back to when I was a little kid.  It also made me think about costumes and trick-or-treating.  Do you remember how much fun it use to be to try and decide what you were going to be for Halloween?  Am I going to be a princess?  A soccer ball? Minnie Mouse? A peacock???  (I was actually all of those, but not in the same year of course.) 

My mom was truly amazing when it came to Halloween (and everything else for that matter, especially in my eyes).   She actually hand-made almost every single costume I ever wore!  Haha.  If I can track down some pictures I will definitely post them on here.  I know I'll never be the one to make my children their costume's, but I'm sure their grandma would jump at the chance. ;)   Right mom?

{Recipe}  Pumpkin Pancakes (adapted from Martha Stewart's Best Buttermilk Pancakes)

Ingredients

   * 2 small cooking pumpkins

   * 1 1/2 cup sugar

   * 2 cups all-purpose flour

   * 2 tsp baking powder

   * 1 tsp baking soda

   * 1/2 t

   * 1/2 teaspoon salt

   * 3 tablespoons sugar

   * 2 large eggs, lightly beaten

   * 3 1/4 cups buttermilk

   * 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus 1/2 teaspoon for griddle

    

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cut pumpkins in half and remove insides.  Cut off skin and cube the pumpkin "meat".
3. Put pumpkin on baking sheets and bake for 30 minutes.  Remove baking sheets from over and allow pumpkin to cool.  
4. Add pumpkin and 1 1/2 cup sugar into a food processor and blend.  Add 1/4 cup buttermilk as needed to smooth out mixture.
5. Heat griddle to 375 degrees. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar in a medium bowl. Add eggs, buttermilk, 1 1/2 cups of pumpkin puree, and 4 tablespoons butter; whisk to combine. Batter should have small to medium lumps.
6.  Test griddle by sprinkling a few drops of water on it. If water bounces and spatters off griddle, it is hot enough. Using a pastry brush, brush remaining 1/2 teaspoon of butter or reserved bacon fat onto griddle. Wipe off excess.
7. Using a 4-ounce ladle, about 1/2 cup, pour pancake batter, in pools 2 inches away from one other. When pancakes have bubbles on top and are slightly dry around edges, about 2 1/2 minutes, flip over. Cook until golden on bottom, about 1 minute.
8. Repeat with remaining batter, keeping finished pancakes on a heatproof plate in oven. Serve warm.