Pumpkin Pancakes

I saw these pancakes in a 2008 issue of my favorite magazine, Life Beautiful.

And I have made them twice in the last three days.

They are delicious!

 

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These pancakes are easy and quick, but so rich and decadent.  Especially with an extra sprinkling of cinnamon over the top… I felt like I was eating at a fancy restaurant!

Well, except for the baby screaming and the basket of folded clothes at the end of the dining room table.

Just sayin.

Can I set a mood or what?  Lets try again.

I can just see these sweet and satisfying pancakes on a cold, snowy Christmas morning with a cup of this fabulous Pumpkin Spice White Chocolate Cocoa.

Sound better?

Print
Pumpkin Pancakes

Ingredients

  • Pumpkin Spice Pancakes
  • 1 cup flour
  • 1/2 cup cornmeal
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 2 tbsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp all spice (or pumpkin spice)
  • 1 beaten egg
  • 1 cup milk (or buttermilk)
  • 1/2 cup canned pumpkin
  • 1 tsp vanilla

Instructions

  1. In large bowl combine flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and all spice. In a separate bowl, mix together egg, milk, and pumpkin. Add the dry ingredients into the pumpkin mixture and blend until just incorporated. (lumps are ok)
  2. Cook pancakes as you normally would.
  3. Note: This is a dense batter, and you might not see bubbles form as quickly as they normally would. Look for the top to no longer be shiny and for bubbles around the edges as a sign to turn over.
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Extra options: Top with toasted pecans, maple sugar glaze, or a powder sugar/cinnamon blend.

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Seriously.  Try them.

Its like having dessert for breakfast!

 

· 31 Comments

Ghost Cake {Surprise Inside Cake!}

Revisited.

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I have made a ghost cake before… but I wanted to try some different recipes and techniques this time around.

More rounded ghost heads.

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A smaller cake with less ghosts.

And maybe even a ghost Surprise Inside!

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Next time I’ll try not to forget his mouth.

And turns out I like the original better anyway.

I wanted to get this on my blog before I forgot.  I seem to be doing that lately… forgetting things.

If you are reading this post by the light of the rising sun, then most likely I am on a plane for Kansas City.

I arrive at 8:30am and fly out at 7:30pm. (I am still a full time nursing mom and just couldn’t bear the thought of being away from my baby overnight.)

Its for a class taugh by the amazingly talented Helene of Tartelette.

See, this whole book thing is freaking me out.  Its one thing to take a picture and throw it on your blog and hope for the best.  Its quite another to have it be in print.  Forever.

I just dont know enough, and I think Helene is one of the best teachers out there.  I need her help badly!

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So please forgive me for not posting recipes or a tutorial or even as many pictures as I normally do.

I am working really hard to reach this goal so that we can get back to normal around here.

I miss you guys!

 

· 68 Comments

Halloween Cake

Er, something.

This is my, “Fake it till you can really make it cake.”

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I was testing out an idea for my book, and whipped up this cake.

Its my favorite chocolate cake, covered in milk chocolate (not ganache, just melted chocolate) with chocolate covered donut balls on top.

Sprinkled with sugar and stuff.

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I ‘faked’ the cake pops on top of the cake because I was too lazy to make another cake just to see how this would look.  The donut balls are a convenient substitution, but as you can see are very lumpy and not as visually appealing as the real thing.

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What I would do differently:

Taste wise, I really enjoyed the flavors.  I mean, its chocolate cake with chocolate frosting and chocolate covered devils food donuts.  Who wouldn’t like all the chocolate deliciousness?

Stying wise, I would not pour my remaining chocolate over the cake.  And I would try to make the cake bigger, maybe an 8inch, so the cake and cake pops looks proportionate.

I would take the time to make real cake pops and make sure they were smooth and gorgeous.

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Speaking of perfect cake pops, I will be heading out to Williams & Sonoma in the Galleria this Saturday to go support that fabulous Miss Bakerella!  She will be there from 12-2 signing her best selling book Cake Pops.

Be sure to stop out and say hi if you want to join me and show her some Minnesota love!

And be sure to check out this adorable new site she launched!

 

 

· 111 Comments

Pumpkin Caramels and Chocolate Pumpkin Cupcakes

pumpkin caramels

I made those.

Having never have made caramels before, the process seemed daunting.

But I got this new book, Sweet Confections by Nina Wanat and knew I wanted to try.  Her directions are easy to follow and the photography was done by the amazing Todd and Diane of White on Rice.

The pictures are enough to make you drop everything and run to the store for supplies.

Pumpkin chocolate cupcake with pumpkin caramel

But since I didn’t want to put Nina’s beautifully perfect recipe here (that’s what the book is for), but still wanted you to be able to sample some if this wonderful pumpkin and chocolate deliciousness, I made cupcakes.

Pumpkin Chocolate cupcakes.

With cinnamon buttercream.

And a caramel on top.

These tasted amazing.  Ah-mazing.

I remembered I had some of these fun *free-standing muffin molds and I literally danced over to my supply closet to retrieve them.  (I also used *these fun little cupcake liners.)

Um, I like baking.  And cupcake liners.  And dancing in my kitchen.  And eating pumpkin caramels.

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Print
Pumpkin Caramels and Chocolate Pumpkin Cupcakes

Ingredients

  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1 cup white sugar
  • 1/2 cup buttermilk
  • 1 cup canned pumpkin
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla
  • 3/4 cups softened butter
  • 4 Eggs
  • 1 1/2 cups flour
  • 2/3 cups cocoa
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoons salt

Instructions

  1. Heat oven to 350
  2. In a small bowl combine buttermilk and pumpkin. Just mix together until incorporated.
  3. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
  4. In a mixer, beat the butter, sugars, and vanilla together until light and fluffy. Add in eggs, one at a time, until fully incorporated.
  5. Alternating, add the flour mixture and buttermilk mixture to the sugar mixture. Beginning and ending with the flour mixture.
  6. Mix for 1 minute on low until fully combined. Using an ice cream scoop or 1/4 cup measuring cup, place batter in prepared cupcake pan.
  7. Bake for 16-20 minutes. Cupcakes are done when an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
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This recipe for Cinnamon Buttercream is divine, I simply excluded the brown sugar. (Because I wanted it to be whiter, not for taste purposes.  I am a vain baker like that.)

I used a *2D tip to pipe out big clouds of cinnamon frosting.  Then I simply went back and added a caramel square to each cupcake.

Pumpkincupcakes

Now for the fun part… I would like to give YOU a copy of Sweet Confections!

Simply leave a comment.

Good luck!

CONTEST CLOSED!  The winning comment was #115, Roberta.  I will be sending you an email Roberta!

Thanks all who participated!

Open to USA and Canada residents only.  Sorry all you fabulous international bakers!  No comments accepted from Facebook.  

*Amazon Affiliate link.

 

· 767 Comments

Medusa Cake

alternatively titled when I was gonna try to have you figure out what the heck this cake was: Freaky Halloween Cake alternatively titled when I felt bad for always trying to make you guess stuff: Snake Cake This is the last of the Halloween treats for me. I dont know [...] Read more »

· 41 Comments