Take a Megabite

Cornmeal Pancakes

I bought the good corn meal this week, and right on the front of the bag was a recipe for my dream pancake. I might’ve been tempted to make these for dinner throughout the week, but I held out until this morning, and I’m going to be honest when I say that I ate these as I made them (I couldn’t resist!) … the ones on the party plate were reserved for Jake.

Last Sunday my friend and I hung out and spent a significant amount of time talking about how pretty much cornbread anything is amazing. So here you go, friend of mine: cornbread-esque pancakes. A breakfast miracle.

Make these the next time you’re feeling starry-eyed about cornbread. They sure won’t disappoint. Serving them on a party plate doesn’t hurt either.

Cornmeal Pancakes
Recipe adapted from Bob’s Red Mill

Ingredients:

• 1 cup boiling water
• 3/4 cup medium grind cornmeal
• 1 1/4 cups buttermilk
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/4+ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 T baking powder
• 1 t salt
• 1/4 t baking soda
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 vegetable oil (I only had olive oil! It worked too.)
• maple syrup to serve

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, pour water over cornmeal, stir until thick. Add milk; beat in eggs.
2. In a separate bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, baking soda and brown sugar. Stir into cornmeal mixture. Stir in oil. (If the batter seems thin, add 1/4 cup more flour.)
3. Cook on a hot non-stick skillet or griddle, leaving the temperature at a little below medium. (Feel free to melt a teensy bit of butter on the skillet or griddle before cooking. Chances are you won’t need to add anymore though, since these guys don’t bother sticking.)

What’s the batter with you?
See, it’s lookin’ a little thin so add some more flour, already!

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies with Maple Cream Cheese Filling

Did you know that maple syrup and cream cheese frosting are officially dating? There are actually rumors about an engagement ring being purchased by a tall dark and handsome bottle of Michigan maple syrup.

When I tasted the filling for these guys I wondered why I’ve never used maple syrup in cream cheese frosting before. Considering they go together in a magically delicious way that can only be described as true love.

This is my third pumpkin delight of the week, but it’s the only one that turned out delightful. I told you about the mooshy squishy sad pumpkin blondies. On top of those, I also made bland pumpkin biscotti that were less delish after coffee dunking, somehow. But the goodness of these whoopie pies makes me not even care about all that pumpkin effort earlier in the week.

The pumpkin cookie parts are the perfect amount of spice and pumpkin. They are light and cakey in a way that can only be achieved when making whoopie. So arm yourself with a cookie scoop and go at it. OR go right ahead and make them using a muffin scoop/ice cream scoop and have yourself a delicious dessert sandwich.

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies with Maple Cream Cheese Filling
Recipe from Annies Eats

Ingredients:

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies -

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 t salt
• 1 t baking soda
• 1 t baking powder
• 2 T cinnamon
• 1 t ginger
• 1/2 t nutmeg
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
• 1 cup canola oil
• 3 cups chilled pumpkin puree
• 2 large eggs
• 1 t vanilla

Maple Cream Cheese Filling* -

• 3-5 cups powdered sugar
• 1/2 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 8 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
• 3 T maple syrup
• 1 t vanilla extract
  * I had a lot of extra frosting, so if you cut this in half or by a quarter it’s all good!

Directions:

1. Make whoopie pies. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg. Set aside. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, mix together both sugars and canola oil together. Add pumpkin puree and mix until combined. Add eggs and vanilla and mix until no streaks remain. Sprinkle the flour mixture over the pumpkin mixture and stir using a wooden spoon until mixed thoroughly.
2. Using a cookie scoop for smaller whoopie pies or an ice cream scoop  with a release mechanism for bigger whoopie pies, drop the dough onto the prepared baking sheets (about 1-2 inches apart). Bake for 10-12 minutes, until the cookies look firmer and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let the cookies cool on the pan for 10 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with remaining dough.
3. Make maple cream cheese filling. In a large bowl using a hand mixer on low, beat butter until smooth with no visible lumps. Add cream cheese and beat until combined. Add 3 cups powdered sugar, maple syrup and vanilla and beat until smooth. Being careful not to over mix. If the frosting doesn’t seem thick enough to spread on the cookies, add up to 2 more cups of powdered sugar 1/2 cup at a time until frosting has firmed up. (I found that it was still a tad bit runny seeming, but it stayed well on the cookies.) Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes so that the frosting can firm up enough for a nice, non-messy bite to be taken out of the whoopie pie.

<3
P.S. See that cake stand in the first picture? Just some Donut Hole mini muffins for your brunching pleasure. If you haven’t make them, you probably should right after making these Pumpkin Whoopie Pies!

Pumpkin Spice Pancakes

Growing up my mom would make a coffee cake on the weekend regularly, so breakfast is pretty important to me. And since it’s fall, these guys are the perfect Saturday starter.

Why not have something amazingly pumpkin as your main course? You’ll be full after these for sure, and I know that you have a can of pumpkin in your fridge left over from making a couple batches of Pumpkin Spice Granola that you need to use up.

Maybe these could be made for breakfast pre-turkey. What do you think?

Pumpkin Spice Pancakes
Recipe from Joy the Baker + Martha Stewart

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• 2 T brown sugar
• 2 t baking powder
• 1/4 t salt
• 3/4 t cinnamon
• 1/8 t ground nutmeg
• pinch of ground ginger
• pinch of ground cloves
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup canned pumpkin
• 1 egg
• 2 T vegetable oil or melted butter + 1T for cooking

Directions:

1. Whisk together flours, sugar, baking powder, salt and spices in a medium sized bowl.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk together milk, pumpkin egg and vegetable oil or melted butter.
3. Pour wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and whisk until just combined. Don’t worry if you have a few lumps. Don’t bother over mixing the batter. If you do the pancakes will be tough instead of fluffy and light.
4. Let the batter sit 10 minutes while you heat the skillet. Over a low-medium heat melt a tablespoon of butter or vegetable oil. Once skillet is hot, spoon a heaping 2 tablespoons of better per pancake onto the skillet. When the pancakes start to bubble, carefully flip.
5. Once browned and cooked through, place pancakes on a cookie sheet in a 200 degree oven to keep warm while the remaining pancakes are cooked.
6. Serve with powdered sugar and real maple syrup!

Maple Pancakes for Two

Last weekend was filled with maple pancakes, farmers’ market goodness, and ice cream out of necessity.

Maple Pancakes for 2
Adapted from allrecipes & my lovely sister Laura who made these and loved them first

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 cup flour
• 1 1/2 t baking powder
• 1/2 t salt
• 1 egg
• 1 cup milk
• 2 T vegetable oil
• 1 T maple syrup
• 1/2 t vanilla
• 1 sprinkling of brown sugar  (from 1 t to 1 T)

Directions:

1. In a bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt, and brown sugar. In another bowl, combine egg, milk, oil, syrup and vanilla; stir into dry ingredients just until blended. Pour batter by 1/4 cupfuls onto a lightly greased hot griddle; turn when bubbles form on top of pancakes. Cook until second side is golden brown. (Pancakes will be on the thin side). Store in a warm oven until all done so that you two can eat them together.