Fabulous Fall Breakfast Courtesy of the Noble Pig

It's cold in Minnesota this morning.  It was 34 degrees outside when the dogs decided we had had enough sleep.  We didn't think so, but they were insistent.

Curled up on the couch with a good book (I'm reading Low Pressure by Sandra Brown, one of my favorite authors) and a hot cup of coffee, my stomach started rumbling and I started thinking about what to make for breakfast.  We have some leftover ham steak from yesterday's breakfast and I picked up some good aged cheddar at Farmer's Market yesterday, I could do omelets.  No.  That's not what I wanted.  I'd made a loaf of artisan whole wheat bread yesterday so Dave suggested whole wheat french toast.  No.  That's not what I wanted either!

I don't know what made pumpkin pancakes pop into my head but it did and that was what I wanted.  We declared today would be a "pajama" day.  Lounging, watching a movie, reading my book, as few "responsible adult" activities as possible.  So I didn't care how long it would take to make breakfast, we weren't in a hurry to do anything.

So off to the computer I went in search of a good recipe.  I started with the Noble Pig blog.  Cathy had just posted a recipe for pumpkin Whoopie Pies (maybe that's why pumpkin was in my head?) so I was hoping she had a recipe for pumpkin pancakes.  The Noble Pig did not disappoint!  I found a recipe for Pumpkin Pancakes with Cinnamon Syrup that sounded good and based on the 70 comments made on the blog I was pretty confident in the recipe.

I started with the syrup which is incredibly easy.  You simply mix white sugar, brown sugar, a little flour, cinnamon, vanilla and water in a saucepan and heat to boiling.  The smell is amazing, caramel, cinnamon, sweet all at once.  The sauce thickens up quickly so that was done and just set aside and kept warm.

The pancakes are pretty easy too.  Mix up the dry ingredients, mix up the wet ingredients (which includes the pumpkin puree and the yolk of one egg) and combine the two.  The egg white is then whipped to stiff peaks and folded in.

 

 

On to the griddle they go!

Dave requested I put chocolate chips in some so with a little batter left I added chocolate chips!  Pumpkin chocolate chip bread is one of my favorites so this should be good too!

 

The recipe made this beautiful plateful of pancakes!

These were delicious.  I didn't even put butter on them and I am a butter only on my pancakes girl!  No syrup for me (I don't care for maple flavor) just butter, but the syrup was so good and these pancakes were so good it was like having dessert for breakfast!  The pancakes had good pumpkin flavor and the cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg are the perfect fall morning spices.  Top that with the cinnamon syrup and I was in heaven!  I tried one of Dave's chocolate chip pancakes but honestly, I liked the plain ones better!  Of course we had a side of Otis bacon and these beautiful and very sweet raspberries from yesterday's farmer's market.

 

I saved the left over syrup.  I'm thinking this over bananas over ice cream will be delicious!

I was really hoping for a pajama day but for the entire time I've been writing two little pleading eyes have been staring at me from across the desk.  He doesn't understand it's not even 40 degrees outside and that's cold.  He doesn't understand what a pajama day is.  And how can I say no to those eyes?  Guess I'll be bundling up and heading out for a walk.  I wonder if I can find my mittens and hat?