pumpkin brown butter buttermilk pancakes, and the theory of fluffiness

Why thank you Erin, I do make some awesome breakfasts. :)

I want you all to know how committed I am to NaBloPoMo. Right now, I'm in my living room, surrounded by stacks of boxes. I'm on the ground because the desk has been disassembled. There is no food in my apartment except pumpkin pancakes and pumpkin cupcakes (to come later). I'm moving.

But, life is about priorities, and I believe in free choice. Despite many, many grumblings from the peanut gallery, I will not be battered by the winds of logic, practicality or reason. I will choose to make pumpkin pancakes with half my kitchen equipment while loading the other half in boxes. That is what this country is all about. I'm mixing my metaphors. I'm tired.


Anyways, you're not here for my rambling. You're here for food. Good food, not like the bad food I tried to foist on you all a few days ago. Well, call these pancakes pizza because they are delivering.

So... buttermilk pancakes from scratch. I know. I know you get lazy. We all do. I know there's a box of mix in your pantry that can look pretty easy and sexy first thing Saturday morning. But let me appeal to your inner love for fluffiness, which, along with laziness, lives inside all of us. It is what makes frosting so irresistible, down comforters seem like heaven, and it is what ensures the survival of mostly useless animals like baby kittens and bunnies. These pancakes are like that. Like frosting+down comforter+baby bunnies. Fluffy. Box mix can't play this game.

I tried these with pumpkin, brown butter and some spices. I have more recipes I want to share with brown butter. It's a recent love affair of mine. Here's a tip on how to use it. Melt your butter in a light colored saucepan (so you can gauge the color change easily). Wait for it to froth, then turn clear, then turn brown. Your kitchen should smell amazing by now. Pour the butter out into a bowl, and cool slightly. Add to something: risotto, batter, cookies, mouth...and eat. Yum. Hopefully I'll have a cupcake and risotto recipe up for you soon. In the meantime, try these pancakes. No, I mean, print this out, go to your kitchen, and try these pancakes.

pumpkin brown butter buttermilk pancakes
makes about 1 dozen 4 inch pancakes

1 cup flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup sugar
dash of nutmeg, cinnamon, allspice (come on people, don't be afraid of the uncertain)
1/4 cup butter (1/2 stick)
2 large eggs
1 cup buttermilk
6 tbsp pumpkin puree

1. Brown butter in light colored saucepan. Pour into small bowl to cool.
2. Whisk pumpkin puree and buttermilk in another bowl, set aside.
3. Sift flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, sugar and spices together.
4. Whisk eggs (I beat mine with a mixer). Add buttermilk and butter. Whisk in flour, being careful not to overmix. Stop when the batter is still lumpy but you don't see visible flour.
5. Set non-stick pan over medium heat. Add batter in 1/4 cup additions (makes a 4 inch pancake). Wait until bubbles have mostly popped and top has set before flipping (about 4-5 minutes). Cook 1-2 minutes more and remove to covered container to keep warm.


Back to the boxes. But I think I'll have a cold pancake first.



Yuuuuum,
Linda