Who Doesn't Love a Pancake?

Drama is very important in life:  You have to come on with a bang.  You never want to go out with a whimper.  Everything can have drama if done right.  Even a pancake.  Julia Child

 I have the fondest memories as a kid of my mom or dad getting up and making pancakes for us.  Sometimes it was for a holiday and sometimes it was for no reason at all.  Every once in a while my sister, brother and I would get up before my parents and make pancakes to serve them breakfast in bed.  We would love to use my mom's breakfast tray that hung on the wall in the kitchen and then crowd on the bed to talk as they would eat.  We were far from the Cleaver family, but this always brought us all together.  

Pancakes are a staple in most American households.  With simple ingredients these delectable saucers of sweet bready goodness can be made.  They are also a go to when you can't figure out what to make for dinner.  AND super cheap too!!  If you have a picky eater, no fear, pancakes are sure to get your child to smile. 

When I was younger, I wouldn't have thought twice about making pancakes out of white flour, eggs, and milk, just like the traditional recipe requires.  However, as I have had a child and am trying to introduce more whole grains into her diet (and mine!) I have found a clever pancake recipe that allows you to indulge in your childhood favorite while adding healthy at the same time.  I have made a few tweaks to the said recipe and have found it simply divine. 

**Update  December 13, 2013:  I have changed the recipe a bit to use honey instead of brown sugar and coconut oil instead of vegetable oil for a less processed healthier version.

The Ginger Cinnamon Pumpkin Pancake

Ingredients

2 cups of milk (substitute coconut milk for a vegan option)
2 cups of pumpkin puree (if you do not have pumpkin you can easily substitute a sweet potato or butternut squash)
1 egg (or one medium banana smashed for a vegan option or if you just ran out of eggs)
2 tablespoons of vegetable oil (or applesauce or coconut oil for a healthier option)
2 cups of whole wheat flour (trust me your family will not notice the difference!)
3 tablespoons of brown sugar (to make a more healthy version use honey)
2 teaspoons of baking powder
1 teaspoons of baking soda
2 teaspoons of cinnamon
1 teaspoon of ginger
1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg

Directions

1.  Start heating up your griddle while you are mixing your ingredients so it is ready by the time you have finished)

2.  Mix all dry ingredients

3.  Add milk, pumpkin puree, egg and vegetable oil and mix.  (If you like your pancakes thicker, add less milk, thinner, add more.  Because of the pumpkin these are hard to cook all of the way through so the thicker the pancake, the more difficult it will be to cook through)

4.  The griddle is ready when you throw a pinch of water on it and it dances.  Spray griddle with cooking spray once headed ready for pancakes.  I highly recommend this if you are making the vegan version as the pancakes like to stick.

5.  I find an ice cream scoop easiest to serve out a perfectly portioned pancake.  Due to the density of the pancake I try to spread out the batter as much as possible.

6.  The pancake is ready to be flipped when you see tiny bubbles start to form on the surface.  When you flip your pancake, I would smash the cooked part down a little with the flipper.  This ensures that your pancake will cook all of the way through without burning.

7.  Bon appetit!