One of the earliest memories that I have of my Mom volunteering in my school classroom, was the day that she came in to make us all Pumpkin Pancakes. In my slightly blurry memories of that day, I feel like I can almost still see her walking in – a cotton turtleneck tucked into jeans, possibly a vest over top, and a puffy headband holding back her brown, curly hair.
I remember my classroom all sitting on the floor around her as she worked in the corner, heating up the griddle to make us the pancakes. I’m pretty sure that she talked to us about something related to the pancakes and why they were so special. My Mom was (and is) always so clever like that. You could pretty much ask her to talk about anything, and she would have something witty to say about it.
Pumpkin Pancakes (for a crowd) 2 Cups All Purpose Flour 1 Tsp. Baking Soda 2 Tsp. Baking Powder 1/2 Tsp. Salt 1 Tsp. Cinnamon 1/4 Tsp. Ginger 1/4 Tsp. Nutmeg 2 Eggs, beaten 1/4 Cup Vegetable Oil 1/4 Cup Water 1/2 Cup Buttermilk 1 Cup Canned Pumpkin Syrup for enjoyment In a large mixing bowl, sift together all of the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, mix together the beaten eggs with the oil, water, buttermilk and pumpkin. Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture and stir well. (If you feel like your mixture is too thick, you can thin it out with a little bit of milk.) Lightly butter a pan or griddle set over medium heat. Once the butter is sizzling, drop spoonfuls of batter onto the pan. When small bubbles appear around the edge of the pancake, flip to brown the other side. Once cooked, top with a little bit of syrup (and/or butter) and enjoy.
And so when my Mom passed along this recipe to me as part of a special recipe book that she made me for my birthday a few years ago, it brought back all of these wonderful memories. Memories of her visiting my school, memories of her making these for our family in the Fall, and memories of her clever and kind words. Thank you for these beautiful memories Mom.