Pumped Up Pumpkin Pancakes

I’d love to tell you that I made this up for the health factors: lots of vitamin E, folic acid, antioxidants, fiber and additional protein. Fact is, I just wanted all these flavors put together and to feel somewhat virtuous about eating pancakes for dinner.

  

Ingredients:

2 1/3 cups baking mix (light is fine)

1 scoop vanilla whey protein powder

¼ cup wheat germ

1/8 cup flax meal

½ cup roasted, lightly crushed pepitas (shelled pumpkin seeds)- Optional

1/2 cup canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)

1 ¼`x   cups milk (lowfat is fine)

1/4 cup vegetable oil, plus a little additional to grease the griddle

2 tablespoons sugar

Pinch salt

½ teaspoon cinnamon

¼ teaspoon nutmeg

¼ teaspoon ground ginger powder

¼ teaspoon allspice

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

 Directions:

In medium bowl, stir all ingredients until well blended. Let rest for 10 minutes. Heat griddle or skillet over medium heat.  Grease griddle with additional vegetable oil , using a balled up paper towel. You want just enough to coat, not too much.   For each pancake, pour slightly less than 1/4 cup batter onto hot griddle.

Cook until edges are dry. Turn; cook other sides until golden brown. Serve with Butter Pecan & Maple Spread with additional syrup as desired, or with butter and maple syrup. This made me 24 pancakes.
Note: these keep very well in a container with a tight fitting lid (in the fridge), with each layer separated by wax paper.

Get Creative on me: Spread a leftover pancake with Butter Pecan and Maple Spread and a little apple jelly—roll up for a quick snack! Note: My brothers and I often had pancakes rolled with peanut butter and jelly as dinner-life was darn good! Hey, peanut butter would be great on these pancakes, too.

Butter Pecan & Maple Spread

Ingredients:

1 stick of unsalted butter, softened, divided

1 cup chopped pecans

Pinch of salt-to taste

½ teaspoon vanilla

2 TB maple syrup

Directions:

Melt 1 TB butter over low heat in a large, heavy skillet. When melted, add pecans and salt and toss well. Continue cooking over low heat, stirring often, for 10-15 minutes or until turning golden and fragrant. Remove from heat and add vanilla. Mix well and allow to cool to room temperature.

While the pecans are toasting, place the remaining softened butter in a dish and stir in the maple syrup. When the pecans are at room temperature, stir those into the dish and mix well. Refrigerate for at least one hour to firm up.

Get Creative on me: This is wonderful with Pumped Up Pumpkin Pancakes, stuffed into celery (maybe with a little softened cream cheese and a few raisins?), tossed with warm, roasted butternut or acorn squash, or thinned with a little water and served as a dip with sweet potato chips or fries. Try this spread on fresh apple slices!