Pumpkin Pancakes

Do you ever crave something that you don't have a recipe for? I do all the time. I create something in my head and then I can't stop until I have found what I am looking for. Unfortunately, most of the time, this means that I spend lots of time wading through tons of recipes looking for what I think most closely resembles my idea. Usually what happens next is that I find two or three recipes that seem like what I want, and I combine them all and tweak where I see fit. This is why I go on quests for cornbread, but that is another story. Coming soon.

That brings me to pumpkin pancakes. Toward the end of the summer, I decided that one of the pumpkin things I was going to make this fall was pancakes. However, no matter what cookbook I looked in or what website or blog I visited, I was just not thrilled with what I was finding. The pancakes that I wanted needed to be fluffy, soft, and thick. I also wanted them to be moist and super pumpkin-y with lots of spice. I finally decided on using one recipe as a base for the ingredients and another for the technique. Then along the way, I added my own twists and extras and I am so happy I did. These pancakes were exactly what I was wanting and even a little bit more. I dusted them with cinnamon sugar in addition to the traditional maple syrup, and if you are feeling adventurous, I am sure that some cinnamon infused maple syrup would be amazing too.

Pumpkin Pancakes
Makes about 8

1 cup flour
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup canned solid packed pumpkin
1 tablespoon melted butter, plus more for greasing

Maple syrup
Cinnamon sugar, for dusting

1. In a large bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, spices, and salt. Whisk to combine and set aside.

2. Separate the eggs and set aside the egg whites. In a medium bowl, combine the egg yolks, the buttermilk, the pumpkin, and the melted butter. Whisk together then pour the wet ingredients into the large bowl with the dry ingredients. Stir to combine.

3. Beat the egg whites just until stiff peaks form, then fold half of the egg whites into the pancake batter. Then  fold in the remaining egg whites just until there are no more white streaks.

4. Heat a griddle or a skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Cook the pancakes until light brown, and place in a warm oven until ready to serve. Dust with cinnamon sugar and serve with maple syrup. Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from epicurious

Spicy Pumpkin Bundt Cake

This past weekend, I finally broke out the pumpkin. I bought a cute, little sugar pumpkin a few weeks ago, and I had a can of pumpkin puree in the pantry, but I have been forcing myself to leave them on the shelf until Fall was in full swing. Well, this weekend just felt like fall if you ask me! We went to a high school football game on Friday, hung out with good friends for the Husker game and food on Saturday, and went to one of the last farmer's markets in the crisp Sunday morning before church. Yes, fall is officially here.

As I mentioned here, I love everything pumpkin and apple this time of year, and my pumpkin goal for this season is to make a few things that I don't usually. Otherwise, I would just be content to make these pumpkin muffins about every three days (which is about what I did last year). They are amazing, and I highly recommend them.

I love bundt cakes because it's normal if they're lacking a thick covering of frosting. My favorite way to eat cake is just cake. I do like frosting, but few things are better than warm cake fresh from the oven without anything on it.

It's about as good as freshly baked bread. Mmm. Almost.

However, a pumpkin cake just needs a cream cheese frosting. I solved this problem by making frosting, but serving it to the side of the cake. As people dished up a slice, they could put a dollop of the honey cream cheese frosting right on top of their own piece, if they wished. It made me think of scooping whipped cream on slices of pumpkin pie.

Spicy Pumpkin Bundt Cake

For the cake:
4 cups cake flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon ground ginger
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
2 sticks butter, at room temperature
2 1/2 cups brown sugar
4 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 cups canned pumpkin puree
Powdered sugar, for dusting

For the Honey Cream Cheese Frosting:
1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
1/4 cup honey
1/2 cup powdered sugar.

1. For the cake, preheat your oven to 350°. Grease and flour a 14-cup bundt cake pan. Shake out the excess flour and set aside.

2. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices. Whisk them together, then set aside.

3. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and the brown sugar on medium speed with an electric mixer for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the mixture is pale and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

4. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour in three additions, alternating with the buttermilk until just combined. Make sure that each addition is incorporated before adding the next. Do not overmix the batter.
Add the pumpkin puree and fold it into the batter with a large spoon until it is fully incorporated and there are not streaks remaining in the batter. Pour the batter into the prepared.

5. Bake the cake for 50 to 55 minutes, until the cake in golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 20 to 30 minutes, then carefully turn the cake out onto a cooling rack to cool completely. Dust with powdered sugar before serving.

6. To make the frosting, combine all the frosting ingredients in a medium bowl. Beat on medium to medium-high speed for 3 to 5 minutes until very creamy and fluffy. Scoop a small dollop of frosting on each slice of the cake. Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Martha Stewart.

Main Course Monday: Egg Noodles with Brussels Sprouts

One vegetable that I am truly fascinated by is Brussels sprouts. Have you ever seen what they look like attached to the stalk? Trust me. Go google Brussels sprouts and click on images. They really are amazing.

I was wanting something green to eat the other night, and since my husband won't really eat peas or beans (sad, I know), and I am a little tired of broccoli, I ended up coming home from the store with a bag of Brussels sprouts. The first time I ever ate these funny little green orbs wasn't until I was in college. They just weren't something we had growing up, not that I would have minded. This pasta dish is what I like to call a "light" pasta, because it's not completely covered in sauce, and because of that, it made a wonderful light lunch.

Egg Noodles with Brussels Sprouts and Pine Nuts
Serves 4

1/2 lb. dried egg noodles
3/4 lb. Brussels sprouts, trimmed
4 oz. white mushrooms
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 to 3 tablespoons pine nuts
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
salt and pepper
Parmesan cheese

*Try adding thinly sliced ham or green onions for something a little different.

1. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the noodles until al dente, and reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water.

2. While the noodles are cooking, thinly slice the Brussels sprouts and cut the mushrooms into thin sticks. Set aside.

3. In a large skillet, heat the butter and the olive oil over medium heat until the foam subsides. Add in the pine nuts and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring constantly, until the nuts are toasted and golden. Add the Brussels sprout pieces and the mushrooms. Increase the heat to medium-high. Season with the garlic powder, and plenty of salt and pepper. Cook until the vegetables are tender and browned, about another 4 minutes.

4. When the vegetables are tender, add the noodles to the skillet along with the 1/2 cup of leftover water. Stir to combine. Remove from heat when the water has evaporated. Serve sprinkled with Parmesan cheese. Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from epicurious, originally from Gourmet, 2007 by Maggie Ruggiero