Sunday Mornings and Gingerbread Pancakes

I covet Sunday mornings at home!! For as much as we travel, it is so nice to wake up in my own bed, without an alarm and leisurely go about my morning. Sunday mornings are often times for me to catch up on enjoyable things (basically, anything related to food and cooking). Ryan usually sleeps in, so I put on a large pot of coffee and gather all of my recipes, food magazines, emails and notes from the previous week. And by emails, I mean the many food bloggers that I subscribe to. I read through the emails and flag the recipes I want to try or note ideas for my own blog.

The Golden Recipe

I have become VERY selective on which recipes I save or plan to try since there are so many out there. There are several things that attract me to what I like to call a "golden recipe."

1. Whole ingredients
2. Ryan might like it
3. Something I have not tried before
4. Unique food or ingredient combinations

One such "golden recipe" was Whole Wheat Gingerbread Pancakes on Cookie and Kate! I often file away breakfast recipes, but rarely get around to them. Not this time! 

Ryan's absolute least favorite way to wake up is from an alarm or from my screaming at the bottom of the stairs. I have learned over the years to either very gently wake him up with whispers or just start cooking and let the aroma's fill the house (and his nose). So when Ryan was still asleep this morning and I started getting hungry, I decided to "wake him up!"

The pancakes were amazing! Ryan adores his plain pancakes, so I was taking a big risk with this one, but he loved it too! It was like eating gingerbread for breakfast. The batter is a bit different, it thickens up quickly, so be prepared to cook the batter right away.

Gingerbread Pancakes

Adapted from Cookie and Kate
Serves: 2
Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 T baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp powdered ginger

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg (or freshly grated if you have whole nutmeg)

2 T brown sugar

1 egg

1 cup 1% milk

3 T molasses

1/2 tsp vanilla

2 T butter, melted and cooled

Pomegranate seeds (optional)

Maple syrup

Honey cinnamon butter (optional)

1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temp

1 1/2 tsp honey

1/8 tsp cinnamon

Make the honey cinnamon butter first by combining all ingredients in a bowl. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, salt, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg and brown sugar until combine. Heat a large griddle or skillet to medium low heat. One this is ready, prepare the rest of the batter. In a separate small bowl, whisk the egg, milk, vanilla, molasses and melted butter together. Add the milk mixture into the flour mixture slowly, stirring constantly. 

Melt a pat of butter onto the griddle and pour about 1/3 cup of the batter onto the griddle. The batter will be thick. Once the outside of the pancakes are not shiny*, they should be ready to flip. The bottom should be a darker brown. Serve pancakes right away or store in a warmed oven until ready to serve. 

Garnish with pomegranate seeds or the honey cinnamon butter.

*These are not like normal pancakes where the bubbles come through signifying the cakes are ready to be flipped. Bubbles will not form on these!

Homemade Pumpkin Spice Latte

In this final day of October, I had to squeeze in one final pumpkin recipe. I know, I know, pumpkin is EVERYWHERE this Fall. It is in our sweet treats, candy, bread, beer, candles and of course, drinks. I personally love it, mostly because I love pumpkin, but I can understand how it can be a bit overkill this year.

One thing is for sure, the weather is finally feeling like Fall in NC, which gives me a hankering for warm drinks. As much as I would love to just hop into a Starbucks and order the ever-so-popular Pumpkin Spice Latte, I know better. First of all, they use a syrup in the drink that doesn't even contain any pumpkin! Wait, a Pumpkin Spice Latte doesn't have any pumpkin in it...absurd! 

Secondly, a small "Pumpkin" Spice Latte has 40g of sugar with non-fat milk. This doesn't even include the whipped cream. Not to mention, the sugar grams aren't even from a natural sugar! These drinks may be good, but I don't enjoy putting unknown ingredients in my tummy.

Lastly, these drinks cost you a pretty penny...every time! There is a reason why Starbucks is called "Four Bucks!" 

I do love my hot drinks though, so I was determined to create my own to prevent deprivation from my favorite Fall drink. It was easier than I thought. I seem to have an abundance of pumpkin puree in my kitchen this year, so I started with that and hot milk (non dairy milk works well here too) and added pumpkin pie spices, maple syrup and a bit of vanilla extract. Heat this, add your coffee and BAM....an actual pumpkin spice latte at home.

And for a little healthy treat with your latte, try these Healthy Pumpkin Spiced Cookies from Kris Carr's blog. Delish! 

Homemade Pumpkin Spice Latte

Yields: 1 drink
Prep Time: 2 minutes + brew time

1/2 cup milk (or non-dairy milk like almond milk)

1 T pumpkin puree (can is OK)

1/2 teaspoon maple syrup (or more for a sweeter drink)

1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup strong coffee or espresso
whipped cream (optional)
ground cinnamon (optional)

In a microwave safe bowl, whisk the milk, pumpkin, syrup, vanilla and spices briskly to combine well. If you are using homemade pumpkin puree, it might be a good idea to put this in a blender or food processor to blend the small pumpkin bits. 

Make the coffee on a strong setting or use espresso if you have a machine.

Heat this in the microwave in 30 second increments, whisking in between cooking sessions. After about 1 min and 30 seconds, remove the milk mixture and pour into a large mug. Add in the coffee and top with whipped cream and cinnamon on top. Enjoy!

Kettler Cuisine Notes:

• For a stronger drink, increase the amount of coffee.
• For a creamier drink, increase the amount of milk.
• I prefer less sweet coffee drinks, so increase the maple syrup for a sweeter drink.
• Canned pumpkin puree can be used here as well. 

Recap on Pumpkin Recipe Roundup:

• Pumpkin Puree
• Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread
• Pumpkin Almond Granola
• Pumpkin Bars
• Pumpkin and Pancetta Pasta

Pumpkin Recipe Roundup: Kettler Pumpkin Bars

Look at that...it's Friday again! Time for more pumpkin goodness. This week....

Pumpkin Bars, something you will quickly learn, are a staple in Ryan's family. I leave all healthy eating habits behind when I encounter these things. Not really the best encouragement, but hey, it's Friday! Let your hair down!

In all seriousness, if there is one thing that keeps me from being gluten-free, sugar-free or vegan it is pumpkin bars. Desiree's infamous pumpkin bars. These things are notorious around the Kettler family and now amongst our friends. My mother-in-law brought them to a tailgate a few weeks back and I had 6 requests the next day for the recipe. It seemed only fitting to include them in my Pumpkin Recipe Roundup!

They have the consistency of a moist cake and get their "bar" monicker from the shape they're cut into. These are amazing and worth every fat gram, calorie and sugar granule. Pumpkin Bars are definitely a seasonal treat, one that I only allow myself to indulge in once a year. These are great for large gatherings, to eliminate the temptation of leftovers. But, man will your guests love you!!

People go crazy over these things. I do have to say that this is one thing that I like for Ryan's mother to make for me, so I am not reminded of what goes in them! However, I am a VERY health-conscious eater and allow myself to indulge once and a while. You should too!

Kettler Pumpkin Bars

Yields: One sheet cake
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 20-35 minutes (depending on pan size)

1 cup oil

1 (16 ounce) canned pumpkin

4 eggs

2 cups flour

2 cups sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon nutmeg

1 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 cups powdered sugar (1 lb. box)

1/2 cup butter, softened

4 ounces cream cheese, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon or nutmeg

Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease and flour an 11x17" jelly roll pan.

Using a standing or electric mixer, combine the oil, pumpkin and eggs. Mix until well combined and add in the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, spices and salt) and mix on medium speed for 2 minutes. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake at 350F for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean from the center. Cool the pumpkin bars completely before frosting.

To make the frosting, combine all the ingredients into the standing mixer and mix on medium until there is a smooth and creamy consistency. Spread the frosting on the bars after they've completely cooled and serve with a nice cup of coffee!

A few notes from Kettler Cuisine:

• I am not a huge frosting fan and like these without the frosting just as much, although my husband can't imagine such a thing. 
• If you are making these bars for an outdoor function with warm weather, it is best to leave the frosting off as it will melt.
• The frosting can be made ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator. Just bring it to room temperature before spreading on the bars.
• These can be made in a different size pan, just adjust the cooking time.

• 9x13" (30-35 minutes)
• 10x15" (25-30 minutes)