Pumpkin Cinnamon Chip Pancakes

With snow finally forecasted to fall and the weather turning chilly, it just feels right to be let go of all inhibition and fully embrace pumpkin everything.   What could be more obvious than pumpkin pancakes right?

When I hear the word snow in the forecast, I get that irrational fear of being snowed in without baking supplies kind of like Laura Ingalls was during The Long Winter.  You never know when the next blizzard is going to roll in and who wants to be stuck with anything short of 12 cans of pumpkin for baking and for puppies right? Yes, my snow baking stash grew by epic proportions and we received less than an inch last night.   It's what Laura would do though, I'm quite sure. 

I also stocked up on cinnamon chips--love these things and they pair perfectly with pumpkin.  I have a hard time finding them outside of the holidays so stock up during the holidays when they are readily available.  They are phenomenal in pumpkin scones... I have those planned next weekend when some friends come over for brekkie.

Yes, you could just make pumpkin pancakes and they would be good but they are so much better with cinnamon chips...they add a cinnamon roll type flavor to the pancakes.  Can you tell I heart them so?

When I was in Alaska, we stayed with my friend of a friend in Homer.  She made these awesome sourdough pancakes for brekkie one morning and I watched closely while she made the starter the night before.  Then I mostly forgot and had to Google it.  It's pretty much 1-1 parts flour and water with some yeast tossed in.  For this recipe I combined flour and oats for a little whole grain goodness. 

The yeast adds a little, well, yeasty flavor and I love the slight tang of letting the batter sit overnight.  I especially love just tossing a few more ingredients into the bowl in the morning and getting right to the pancake making.

The oats made for a slightly flatter pancake, so if you prefer your pancakes fluffier, replace the oats with flour.  Flat, fluffy, pumpkin pancakes aren't too bad either way. 

Pumpkin Cinnamon Chip Pancakes

INGREDIENTS 1 2/3 cups flour 1/2 cup rolled oats 2 cups warm water 1 teaspoon yeast 1/2 of a 15oz can of pumpkin 1 teaspoon salt 2 tablespoons sugar 1 tablespoon oil 1 egg 1 teaspoon baking soda Do not use a metal bowl or spoon The night before making the pancakes mix yeast, flour, oatmeal and water together. Cover and let sit in a warm place overnight. The next morning, heat griddle to 350.   Add pumpkin, salt, sugar, oil, egg, and baking soda to the pancake starter and stir to combine. Ladle batter onto griddle and sprinkle cinnamon chips over pancakes.  Cook until golden, edges are firm and bubbles rise to the top and pop.  Flip and cook 2-3 minutes more or until golden. Serve with your favorite combination of maple syrup,  powdered sugar and whipped cream