Recipe: Pumpkin Spice Pancakes

 Ingredients

Batter

• 1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 tsp baking powder
• 2 tbsp brown sugar (optional)*
• 1 tsp salt (optional)*
• 1 1/2 tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice Blend or you can put together
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup pumpkin puree or butternut squash puree.
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract (optional)
• butter for cooking

Toppings

• a slice of apple
• 1/4 cup of plain Greek yogurt  (whole fat) mix with 1 tsp of pumpkin pie spice blend
• honey
• almonds

* personally, I didn't add sugar nor salt and they still turned out great. The pumpkin puree and honey topping provides the sweetness that you need.

Directions

1. Dry ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, brown sugar, salt, pumpkin spice blend
2. Wet ingredients: Using a blender, blend together milk, pumpkin puree and eggs. 
3. Pour the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and whisk using the manual hand-held mixer. 
4. Melt butter on lowest heat setting in a large skillet (if you use a non-stick pan, you don't even need butter nor oil), then pour about 1/4 c of the batter onto the pan. 
5. Cook until the topside of the pancake is not too wet anymore, then flip the pancake and cook for about 1 to 2 more minutes.
6. Repeat with remaining batter. This yields about 8 pancakes. 

Recipe: Japanese Souffle Pancakes

 Ingredients (Makes 4 pancakes)

• 4 egg whites and 2 egg yolks
• 6 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 6 tablespoons cake flour
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon salt (optional). I don't normally add salt for health/medical reasons. Honestly, I don't taste any difference with/without salt.
• Unsalted butter, for greasing and serving
• Optional (for serving)
• maple syrup
• confectioner's sugar
• whipped cream
• fruits

Materials

• Non-stick skillet with lid
• Mixer
• Large and medium mixing bowls
• English Muffin Rings

Directions

Step 1 : Egg yolk mixture

Place egg yolks in a large bowl. Make sure it's large because we are going to add the meringue in this bowl later on.

Add 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, the vanilla and baking powder to the egg yolks and whisk until blended. 

Add flour and milk. Whisk until fully combined.

Set aside.

Step 2: Make the meringue

Place egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer or any medium bowl. 

Add lemon juice and (optionally) salt to egg whites. 

Using a stand mixer (fitted with the whisk attachment) or a hand mixer, whip mixture on a medium speed until foamy, about 1 minute. 

Continue to whip while gradually pouring (1 tablespoon at a time) the remaining 5 tablespoons of granulated sugar. 

Turn speed to high and whip until stiff, glossy peaks form and mixture doubles in size, about 1 minute. 

Step 3: Preheat

Heat the non-stick skillet over the lowest heat setting

Step 4: Mix the egg yolk mixture and meringue 

Using a rubber spatula, scoop about 1/3 of meringue into egg yolk mixture and gently fold, almost combined. 

Repeat with half the remaining meringue until almost combined, then fold in the remaining meringue just until no streaks remain.

Step 5: Cook the pancakes

Brush/grease the warm skillet and the inside of the English muffin rings using butter. 

Place the greased English muffin rings in the warm pan and pour 3/4 cup of batter into each ring. 

Place lid on top of skillet and cook pancakes between low and medium heat until they start to rise and a few small bubbles start to form on top, 2  to 3 minutes. 

Step 6: Flip the pancakes

Remove lid.

Carefully slide a flat spatula underneath each pancake and position another spatula on top, then gently flip pancakes in their rings. 

Place the lid back, bring the fire down to low heat and cook until pancakes are cooked through and spring back to the touch, 1 to 2 minutes. 

Transfer cooked pancakes to a platter, grease the skillet and pastry rings and repeat to make the rest of the pancakes.

Step 7: Serve