Perfect Pumpkin Pancakes with Pecan Praline

Perfect Pumpkin Pancakes with Pecan Praline (gluten-free!)

I was invited to do a cooking segment on NBC-30's Morning Show this Saturday and, while the thought fills me with serious dread and apprehension, I agreed to do it (because I can't turn down an opportunity for shameless self-promotion!). But really, it should be fun. :)

At first I was thinking of doing my Winter Vegetable Bisque, which is a favorite. But then it occurred to me, duh, this will be airing live at 6:50 A.M. (WAAAY too early to function on a Saturday morning), and therefore I should consider doing a breakfast recipe. But what could I do that's colorful, seasonal, and cooks in 2-3 minutes (which is all the camera time I'll be getting)?

With Halloween just around the corner, I decided: Pumpkin Pancakes. How perfect is that? Then I just needed to do a little research, test & tweak the recipe, and make them foolproof for flipping in front of a live audience. Last night's cold, rainy, snowy evening was the ideal setting to get out the frying pan and metal spatula to practice. I am so excited about this recipe.

You begin by melting 1 Tbl coconut oil in a pan, which immediately makes your kitchen smell like a bakery. But this breakfast isn't just a bunch of empty calories because you get the health benefits of fiber and betacarotene from the pumpkin (though you'd never suspect these decadent little cakes were "healthy"). The texture is amazingly light and fluffy.

I topped them with a Pecan Praline sauce made from toasting pecans in a pan, then I added about a tsp of Earth Balance margarine and 1/4 cup maple syrup and heated until bubbly. This was immediately poured over a stack of three pancakes. Heavenly!

You can make the batter the day before, then just thin it out with a little more rice milk and stir it up before pouring into a hot skillet. I think they came out better the second day after the ingredients had a chance to blend. I can already see this becoming a part of my routine this fall after a cold and dreary morning of raking leaves. Something to look forward to.

Perfect Pumpkin Pancake Recipe
3/4 cup rice flour
1/4 cup gluten-free flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg
pinch ofcloves
1/2 tsp xantham gum
1 cup rice or soy milk (room temperature)
2 Tbl agave syrup
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 Tbl coconut oil, melted
1/2 cup pumpkin puree

Mix together all the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Whisk together pumpkin puree with the soy or rice milk, agave syrup, vanilla and oil, then add to flour mix. Stir well to combine, and let sit about 5 minutes while you heat your non-stick skillet on medium high heat. Melt about 1 Tbl coconut oil in hot skillet and drop about 1/4 cup of batter in the pan for each pancake. Cook 2-3 minutes on each side until golden grown. Top with pecan praline (1/4 cup pecans, 1 tsp Earth Balance, 1/2 cup maple syrup heated in sauce pot until bubbly).