Hey, Pumpkin

Tell me, because I have to know, and it is a subject of legitimate concern:

is brunch a vanishing art?

Wait, wait…WAIIIITTT!!! I don’t want to hear it! Because I love brunch.

Brunch implies that life doesn’t have to be stuffed and jammed like a croque monsieur with answering phone calls and delivering papers at the last minute. Brunch implies that there’s a table of, perhaps two or three whose affection for one another is not a function of how many words fly across the plates per minute.

Brunch implies that we have slept, we have plenty, and who gives a care to the rest of the day?

We are together, soul and stomach, at brunch. At peace. At last.

You will experience all these blessings if you obey the Lord your God:

Your towns and your fields will be blessed.

Your children and your crops will be blessed.

The offspring of your herds and flocks will be blessed.

Your fruit baskets and breadboards will be blessed.

Wherever you go and whatever you do you will be blessed.

Deuteronomy 28: 1-6

Ingredients for the oat and pumpkin spice pancakes:

1 cup oat flour (grind rolled oats in your Vitamix, blender, or food processor)

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg, cloves, or cardamom (yeah you don’t need all three, just one of them would do nicely so take your pick!)

1 cup pumpkin puree

1/3 cup coconut milk

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 tbsp maple syrup

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp fresh grated ginger

2 tbsp flax seeds, finely ground, mixed with 6 tbsp water (or use two free-range chicken eggs)

 

To make the pancakes, in a large bowl, whisk together the oat flour, baking powder, baking soda, and dry spices, set aside. In another bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree, coconut milk, lemon juice, maple syrup, vanilla, ginger, and flax eggs until smooth (or whiz it in the blender for extra tender and fluffy pancakes!) Pour the wet mixture into the flour  and stir to combine. Let it sit at room temperature for 5~10 minutes (don’t skip this step! Since oats don’t have gluten, they need more time to absorb the moisture.)

Preheat a lightly oiled crepe pan or heavy nonstick pan to medium-high heat.

Drop ice-cream-scoopfuls of the rested batter onto the hot pan. Cook for 3~4 minutes per side or until golden, fluffy, and cooked through. Be patient with these little cakes, they take longer than their wheat counterparts!

Serve with lots of maple syrup, and whipped coconut cream to your liking.

Enjoy your brunch!