Pumpkin Pancakes

In autumn I want to cook as much as possible with pumpkin. The funny thing is, however, that I don’t necessarily relate pumpkin to cold autumn days. I go to the Caribbean island Curacao almost annually, and over there we eat pumpkin year round. Moreover pumpkins have much more flavour there, but that is besides the point. I usually hang out at my friend’s place and we have this funny deal that I make her my couscous salad which she loves dearly, and she bakes me pumpkin pancakes that I can’t get enough of. On Curacao they call them Arepas di Pampuna. So I was taught to make pumpkin pancakes on Curacao, the Antillean way… I don’t think it differs that much from the American way, except that there is no butter involved, but I just like to relate them to a tropical island where the sun always shines and the beaches are white with turquoise blue water. Can you blame me?

It’s so simple, and so sweet! You can have them for breakfast, as a treat, or as dessert. And they pair well with just about anything. I usually make a whole stack and freeze them so I can have pumpkin pancakes until late winter. (scroll down for the recipe)

You’ll need

• 500 gram cooked and mashed pumpkin
• 1 dl milk
• 2 eggs
• 75 gram raisins
• 100 gram self raising flour
• 2 tsp vanilla essence
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 4 tbsp cane sugar
• sunflower oil

Directions

1. Cut the pumpkin in pieces, cook them till soft and mash them with a fork
2. Beat the eggs and mix them with the pumpkin
3. Add the milk and vanilla
4. Add the flour while continuously mixing, then the cinnamon, salt, sugar and raisins.
5. Your batter shouldn’t be too thin, so add more flour if needed
6. Heat the oil in a pan, and bake your pancakes until golden brown
7. Eat them plain, with maple syrup, or sprinkle them with some more sugar and cinnamon

The recipe is a slightly altered adaption from AntilliaanseKeuken.nl