Pumpkin Pancakes

After reading yesterday's post a friend of mine called me very "frontier woman" and asked if making pancakes from scratch was next on my to do list. For several days I've been thinking about making pumpkin pancakes and his post motivated me. I did not however make them from scratch. I decided to cut some corners without sacrificing taste. I simply used complete pancake mix, added canned pumpkin, sugar and spice, water, whipped it up, slapped it on the griddle and had tasty delights for the family. I did have some assistance,

my little helper enjoyed his first cooking adventure.

In fact, he enjoyed it so much that he cried when we actually started cooking the pancakes.

These pancakes are sweet and you can get away without using syrup. If you decide to add syrup use maple - for my son I use a few drops of agave nectar. The pancakes were so good that my son said they were "yummy." My husband looked at the stack of 12 silver dollar pancakes I prepared for him and said there were too many for him to consumption. However, when I looked over at him he was practically licking the plate and all of the pancakes were gone!

Here is the recipe from Nestle (part of my inspiration for the dish came from the can of pumpkin in my pantry from my September trip to their headquarters):

2 cups complete pancake mix (such as AUNT JEMIMA® Buttermilk Complete)
1 1/2 cups water
2/3 cup LIBBY'S® 100% Pure Pumpkin
Nonstick cooking spray
Lite pancake syrup, if desired

COMBINE pancake mix, water and pumpkin in medium bowl. Stir just until moistened. Batter may be lumpy.

SPRAY griddle or large skillet with nonstick spray. Heat over medium heat. Pour 1/4 cup batter onto hot griddle; cook until batter bubbles begin to burst. Turn and continue cooking for 1 to 2 minutes or until golden. Repeat with remaining batter. Serve with syrup.

Estimated Times: Preparation - 5 minutes; Cooking - 10 minutes.

Makes 6 servings, about 12 pancakes total.

(reprinted from Cooks.com)

In my usual style I spruced up the recipe by adding cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, a bit of vanilla, a tablespoon of brown sugar and a tablespoon of granulated sugar. So good. And perfect for the cool mornings of the season.