Pumpkin Cinnamon Streusel Pancakes

One of the website I go to when looking for good recipes is Two Peas and Their Pod.  Every recipe I have tried is wonderful!  So, when I was looking for a good pumpkin pancake recipe, I made this one.  And it is delicious!  Light, fluffy and pumpkiny pancakes are perfect this time of year.  Go there and look at the wonderful photos they post with their food.  And then try this recipe.

Pumpkin Cinnamon Streusel Pancakes

Yield: Serves 4

ingredients:

For the cinnamon streusel:
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into chunks

To make the pancakes: 
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1 cup milk
1/2 cup canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
1 large egg
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

directions:

1. First, make the cinnamon streusel. In a medium bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and butter. Mix together with your hands or a fork, until you have a crumbly mixture. Set aside.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together flours, brown sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves. Set aside.

3. In a medium bowl, whisk together milk, egg, pumpkin, canola oil, and vanilla extract. Add wet ingredients to the flour mixture and whisk until combined.

4. Heat a griddle or pan to medium low. Coat with cooking spray. Drop 1/3 cup of batter onto heated skillet. Add 2 tablespoons of the cinnamon streusel. Cook on the first side until bubbles begin to form, about 2-3 minutes. Carefully flip pancake over and cover very generously with cinnamon streusel. Cook for another 2-3 minutes or until golden brown. Continue this process to make the rest of the pancakes.

5. Serve pancakes warm with maple syrup and butter.

Easy Lemon Curd

This recipe for lemon curd does not require a double boiler and always turns out perfectly.  Love this stuff!  It makes a great cake filling, mix it with yogurt or whipped cream for a little tart, spread it on an English Muffin or toast (the British way of eating it), or just put it on graham crackers for a quick treat!  I found this recipe here.

Classic Lemon Curd

3 oz. (6 Tbs.) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature 
1 cup sugar 
2 large eggs 
2 large egg yolks 
2/3 cup fresh lemon juice 
1 tsp. grated lemon zest  

In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar with an electric mixer, about 2 min. Slowly add the eggs and yolks. Beat for 1 min. Mix in the lemon juice. The mixture will look curdled, but it will smooth out as it cooks.

In a medium, heavy-based saucepan, cook the mixture over low heat until it looks smooth. (The curdled appearance disappears as the butter in the mixture melts.) Increase the heat to medium and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens, about 15 minutes. It should leave a path on the back of a spoon and will read 170°F on a thermometer. Don't let the mixture boil.

Remove the curd from the heat; stir in the lemon zest. Transfer the curd to a bowl. Press plastic wrap on the surface of the lemon curd to keep a skin from forming and chill the curd in the refrigerator. The curd will thicken further as it cools. Covered tightly, it will keep in the refrigerator for a week and in the freezer for 2 months.

variations

For lime curd, substitute fresh lime juice and zest for lemon.