Recipe: Spiced Pumpkin Pancakes

Makes about 12

Perfect for Thanksgiving or Halloween morning. Pumpkin pie spice is a mix of cinnamon, ginger, allspice, and nutmeg. You can make your own mixture, keeping in mind that some of the spices, like nutmeg and allspice, are stronger than others; adjust the ratio to your taste.

1¼ cups unbleached all purpose flour

3 tablespoons sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1¼ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

¾ teaspoon salt

1¹⁄³ cups whole milk

¾ cup canned pure pumpkin

4 large eggs, separated

¼ cup (½ stick) unsalted butter, melted

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Vegetable oil (for brushing skillet)

Pure maple syrup

WHISK fi rst 5 ingredients in large bowl to blend. Whisk milk, pumpkin, egg yolks, melted butter, and vanilla in medium bowl to blend well. Add pumpkin mixture to dry ingredients; whisk just until smooth (batter will be thick). Using electric mixer, beat eggwhites in another medium bowl until stiff but not dry. Fold whites into batter in 2 additions.

BRUSH large nonstick skillet with oil; heat over medium heat. Working in batches, pour batter by ¹⁄³ cupfuls into skillet. Cook until bubbles form on surface of pancakes and bottoms are brown, about 1½ minutes per side. Repeat with remaining batter,brushing skillet with oil between batches. Serve with maple syrup.

CREDIT: Bon Appetit Fast Easy Fresh Cookbook / Barbara Fairchild (Wiley 2008)