Perfect breakfast for an autumn morning

The air is crisp, and now people are turning in earnest to hobbies such as Saturday morning snuggling. Well slip on your cozy socks, grab a mug of tea, and check out this great recipe. What better way to wake up than with the smell of cinnamon and nutmeg and a hot stack of pancakes?

I am always amazed how simple ingredients like buttermilk and home-roasted pumpkin come together to form these delicious pancakes. Really, there is no pancake out there that I've tasted that rivals these pumpkin pancakes of mine. The recipe is fool-proof, turning out golden, fluffy pancakes with steaming hot, moist interiors. Still have some leftover roasted pumpkin from making your ravioli? Or do you have a pumpkin sitting around, as yet unroasted? (Or maybe you have a can of pure pumpkin on your pantry shelf but can't bring yourself to make a pie with it?) Well, here is another fantastic pumpkin-based recipe with fragrant spices and tummy-warming goodness that you will want to make again and again. Let these pancakes become your Saturday morning tradition this fall!

Pumpkin Pancakes

1 1/4 cups buttermilk
3/4 cup mashed, roasted pumpkin
4 large eggs, separated, room temperature
2 Tbs. sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 Tbs. melted butter
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon each ginger, allspice, and nutmeg
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

Using an immersion stick blender (or electric hand mixer), blend buttermilk, pumpkin, egg yolks, sugar, and vanilla in medium bowl until pumpkin is pureed and all ingredients are thoroughly combined. With blender running, mix in melted butter. Whisk flour, spices, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in large bowl to blend. Add buttermilk mixture to dry ingredients and mix until just combined.

Using an electric mixer, beat egg whites in a clean, medium bowl until soft peaks form. Immediately fold whites into batter in two separate additions.

Lightly oil or butter heavy large skillet pre-heated and on medium heat. Working in batches, pour batter by 1/3 cupfuls onto skillet; cook until bubbles break on top and edges are cooked. Turn pancakes over and cook until second sides brown, about 1 minute.

Sprinkle with toasted pecans (tossed in a little melted, salty butter) and drizzle with pure maple syrup.