Pumpkin-Gingerbread Pancakes

Technically, Canadian Thanksgiving isn’t over yet so I figured we could squeak one more decadent meal into our menu: pumpkin gingerbread pancakes. We originally posted this recipe on January 26, 2011, hence all the talk about snow, but I just couldn’t resist these. We promise tomorrow to be really healthy. We always have tomorrow, right?!

The other day, as we walked out of the house into the frigid cold of minus a thousand, Scarlett commented that the drop cloth of snow covering our neighborhood makes it look like “the North Pole.” She wasn’t far off. As much as we try, we haven’t been spending a whole lot of time outdoors. Sure we go sledding, ice skating, make snow angels, run aimlessly around in barren white parks, but it takes about three seconds before Scarlett realizes the tiny stream of snot from her nose has frozen to her upper lip and, therefore, she wants the hell inside. Thank God.

It then becomes what do we do inside. After I’ve cycled through our puzzles, books, games, crafts and coloring, I have the other 11 hours and 45 minutes of her waking hours to kill. So we cook. On one day, I decided that the pumpkin-gingerbread muffins of our Chicken Pox outbreak activities (if you haven’t made the insanely yummy babies yet, hop to it) had to live somewhere in a pancake.

Folks, meet heaven in a pancake courtesy of the lovely folks at Whole Foods. (Unless you hate pumpkin, then please see peanut butter and jelly pancakes). Since you make these from scratch, it was a great project that captured Scarlett’s attention for a good hour, including cooking and eating. Oh, and eating again.

Scarlett handled the wet ingredients as I managed the dry. Although she kept getting distracted by what I was working on (“That sugar is too lumpy!) or what the cat was doing (“I just saw Abbie go into my room and she looked hungry. I’ll go check to make sure she didn’t eat Nemo.”). She also suggested she take a break to shine our silver. I swear I don’t know what this kid’s thought process is.

I don’t always use syrup on pancakes and for these I decided to spread a little whipped cream cheese on them. However, Scarlett ate her stack with agave nectar. Both ways were tasty, it’s just a personal preference thing.

On this day, it was only the two of us eating the pancakes so I had half a dozen left over. I hate to admit, but I warmed them in the convection oven a few occassions and ate them as dessert. Those times, I put syrup on. I think I’ll need to venture out into the cold…..to go to the gym.