Pumpkin Pancakes with Sauteed Apples and Kiwi Salsa

Unique seasonal pancakes that celebrate fall and its bounty of fruit and vegetables.

Pumpkin Pancakes with Sauteed Apples and Kiwi Salsa

Makes 11 - 12; 2-oz pancakes
Serves 2 - 3

I’ll use any excuse to use hard squash when they are in season. My go-to squash is kabocha. the sweetness lends itself well to both savory and sweet applications like this batch of pancakes. Gently spiced fluffy pancakes topped with buttery, warm spiced apples and a kiwi salsa to add a fruity acidic pop. Finished with whipped cream for a fluffy creamy element to bring everything together. These pancakes have a unique combination of flavors and celebrate fall seasonal fruit.

“Recipe Tips:

1. I prefer to make my pancakes less sweet and use the lesser amount of sugar listed, you can add more sugar to your preference.

2. Glutinous or sweet rice flour is not the same thing as rice flour. I add it for a chewier texture however, it can easily be replaced with extra flour.

3. You can use any type of hard squash for these pancakes such as butternut squash, acorn squash, kabocha squash, delicata squash or calabaza.

4. The whipped cream is unsweetened and unflavored but, you can sweeten or flavor it as desired.”

Ingredients

Pancake Dry

138g (1 c + 1 T) AP flour

44g (4 T) glutinous rice flour or AP flour

43g (1/3 c) whole wheat or AP flour

8g (2 t) baking powder

4g (1 t) kosher salt

2g (1 t) pumpkin spice (recipe here)

2g (0.50 t) baking soda 

Pancake Wet

300ml (1.5 c) buttermilk

200g (0.75 c) pumpkin puree, canned or fresh

30 – 45g (2 – 3 T) light or dark brown sugar

14g (1 T) butter or coconut oil, melted and cooled

5g (1.25 t) vanilla

1 large egg 

Kiwi Salsa

4 kiwi, peeled and roughly diced

3 T craisins

3g (0.50 t) ginger, grated

2 t maesil

1.5 t white wine or maesil

Pinch of kosher salt 

Sauteed Apples

28g (2 T) unsalted butter

105g (7 T) granulated sugar

2 T maple syrup

800g (4 medium) apples, peeled and cut 0.25 in thick slices

0.50 t ground cinnamon

0.25 t kosher salt

0.25 t ground nutmeg, slightly heaped

0.25 t ground cardamom

0.25 t ground allspice

1/8 t ground clove 

Cooking

Butter

Vegetable oil 

Finishing

6 T heavy cream, whipped to soft peaks

Recipe Know-how

Pancake Batter

1.      In a large mixing bowl combine the pancake dry ingredients well. Set aside.

2.      In a medium mixing bowl, combine the pancake wet ingredients mixing well.

• Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Using a spatula gently mix together until just combined.

Some streaks of flour remaining are okay.

• Rest batter for at least 30 minutes before cooking.

Make the salsa and apples while the batter rests.

Salsa

3.      In a small bowl, combine all of the salsa ingredients well. Set aside.

Apples

4.      In a large saute pan add the butter and sugar.

• Place the pan over medium-high and heat stirring frequently with a heatproof rubber spatula until the butter and sugar have melted completely and the sugar has begun to caramelize.

• Carefully add the maple syrup and cook for 30 seconds.

The mixture will bubble vigorously when the syrup is added.

• Add the apples and spices.

• Cook 5 – 7 minutes stirring occasionally until the apples begin to wilt and the syrup thickens slightly.

The syrup should be about as thick as pure maple syrup and not pancake syrup.

• Keep warm while cooking the pancakes.

Cooking

5.      Preheat oven to 120 C or 250 F.

• Line a cookie sheet with foil or parchment paper. Set aside

6.      Heat a large saute pan over medium-low heat for 3 – 5 minutes. You can also heat an electric griddle to 180 C or 350 F.

Water dropped on the saute pan should skitter gently. If the water droplets scatter violently, the pan is too hot. The heat should be reduced, and the pan allowed to cool slightly.

• Add 1.5 t of vegetable oil or 1.5 t of butter to the pan swirling to coat well and allow to heat for 30 seconds.

7.      Scoop batter with a 0.25 c measure or 2-oz scoop. Leaving about 1 – 1.5 inches of space between pancakes.

• Cook 2.5 – 3 minutes and then flip.

Indicators for flipping – bubbles should begin to appear on the surface of the pancake. If bubbles have not appeared, check the bottom of the pancake. It should be golden brown and can be flipped,

If the bottom is not golden, allow the pancake to cook longer.

• Cook another 1.5 – 2 minutes.

After flipping: to test for doneness, pancake should spring back when pressed.

If the pancake does not spring back, continue cooking until it does.

• Place cooked pancakes on the prepared cookie sheet and into the oven.

• Repeat the cooking process until all batter has been used.

8.      Serve topping the pancakes with the apples, salsa and whipped cream.