Problem cooking Pumpkin Pancakes

I thought it might be nice to add pumpkin pancakes to our fall menu. However when i cook them they are gooey and wet inside. Tried cooking them longer until the outside is almost what i call nearing burnt, with the same result. I have tried several recipes including the one on the Libbys can, all with the same basic result.
 
Is this just the way pumpkin pancakes are? Or am i really missing something here?
 
I am cooking on a Star 5' griddle. Making the pancakes about 6" diamter.
 
I think I am missing something becasue i hear others raving about IHOP's pumpkin pancakes.
 
Any clues to work on would be appreciated.
 
 
Joel   
Kay's Place Restaurant

This is a recipe that is supposed to be a copy-cat recipe of IHOP's pumpkin pancakes.  How do the quantities and ingredients compare with the recipe you are using?
http://www.food.com/recipe/pumpkin-pancakes-78198

Too much pumpkin? I have a recipe that I have made. It is a family sized recipe but I can post if for you if you want.It's from my King Arthur Flour Cookbook (the 200th Anniversary one). It's pretty good.
 
Here are clones of IHOP's Pumpkin pancakes from a Google search
http://www.food.com/recipe/pumpkin-pancakes-78198
http://www.recipesecrets....-pumpkin-pancakes.html
 
 

Yes I have that one....in fact its the next one i am going to try. The reviews on it sound very good.
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Joel

lornaschinske


Too much pumpkin? I have a recipe that I have made. It is a family sized recipe but I can post if for you if you want.It's from my King Arthur Flour Cookbook (the 200th Anniversary one). It's pretty good.

Here are clones of IHOP's Pumpkin pancakes from a Google search

 
lornaschinske,
 
Yes if you get time to post that I would like to try it as well.
 
Thanks for your help'
Joel

This is directly from my King Arthur Flour 200th Anniversary Cookbook, so excuse me if I am posting directions that you are already familiar with. The cookbook is more like a primer on how to cook various breads, cakes & pies and how to put together your own recipes.

King Arthur Flour Basic Pancakes or Waffles
"The basic recipe makes enough for a good-sized hungry family (two of three adolescents with leftovers to freeze if you are lucky)"

4 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour (17 oz)
2 to 4 tablespoons sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
4 large eggs
1 quart buttermilk, yogurt or sour milk (or 1 quart sweet milk with 1/4 cup vnegar or lemon juice plus 5 minutes to clabber)
1/2 cup (1 stick) melted butter or vegetable oil, optional (I use butter because we prefer it)


Pumpkin variation: Add 1 tesapoon EACH of cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger to the dry ingredients. Fold 1/2 cup to 1 cup mashed pumpkin (solid pack not the "prepared pie filling") into the batter and reduce the buttermilk (or whatever liquid you chose to use) by the same amount.

Mixing: In a large bowl, mix the dry ingredients thoroughly.

In a second bowl, beat the eggs and buttermilk together until they are light and fluffy. Add the butter or oil. Take about 20 seconds and blend this mixture into the dry ingredients. Don't overdo it. Pancake and waffle batter is like muffin batter; a light hand in mixing means a light pancake on the plate.

Cooking: For successful pancakes, use a griddle that heats evenly. Cast iron is particularly good. Preheat and grease your griddle or waffle iron.

Pancakes: To test for correct pancake cooking temperature, sprinkle a few drops of water onto your griddle. Thewater should "dance". Using a quarter-cup measure or an ice cream scoop, pour your batter onto the griddle leaving enough space for each pancake to expand. Turn them when the bubbles on the top surface pop and don't fill in. The second side takes only half the amount of time needed to cook the first.

If you are using a well-seasoned cast iron frying pan or "spider", or a non-stick griddle, and if the batter has butter or vegetable oil in it, it probably won't be necessary to grease the pan after the first batch. Pancakes can be stockpiled in the oven on "Low".

Don't forget to tell us what you finally end up with!

Are you making them with regular pumpkin or are you using pumpkin pie filling out of the can? Canned pie filling is too moist! There's the difference.

Foodbme


Are you making them with regular pumpkin or are you using pumpkin pie filling out of the can? Canned pie filling is too moist! There's the difference.

Foodbme,
                    I am using pumpkin puree, not the canned pumpkin mix.
 
Joel

This is the last recipe I have tried. It still leaves the pancake very wet inside. Cooked until the outsides are very very dark. I also thought it was lacking in a distinct "pumpkiny" flavor. Keep the ideas rolling in. I am now looking to see if my griddle is too hot or too cool.
 
Joel
Kay's Place Restaurant
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2 eggs
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
4 tablespoons , melted butter
3 tablespoons pumpkin
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon all spice

I make killer WAFFLES using canned pumpkin pie filling or fresh home made puree depending on the season. I'm no expert, and no professional, but for some reason the same mix that makes good waffles, makes terrible pan cakes...... I do dilute the batter for pan cakes, and use it thicker for waffles. I make it a point to undo the health benefits of the pumpkin by adding melted butter to the mix......

my 2 cents since I haven't cooked a pumpkin pancakes
 
1. reduce the sugar or none until you can get a pancake cooked thru.  I think the sugar is the reason the outside is dark brown and burnt looking.   ... The King Arthur recipe above is 2 to 4 tablespoons.  2 tablespoons is half what you are using.
 
2. If the batter doesn't pour out onto the grill or pan in one stream and make a near perfect circle, it's to thick.   ...learned this years ago.
 
oh well, tell us what happens and what your did.

Just use Torani syrups. Keep it K.I.S.S.
Wide variety of flavors and perfect every time for both pancakes and waffles. I already stock it for coffee and milkshake flavors, which means I don't have more to stock.

I wonder if powdered pumpkin added to our regular pancake mix would produce any better results?
 
I didn't even realize they made powdered pumpkin  until yesterday....lol. For that matter I didn't know Harbor Freight sold french fry cutters, even though it sounds like something a restaurant probably wouldn't want.
 
Joel

Try taking the pumpkin meat out of the pumpkin shell before heating it. 

While I haven't made pumpkin pancakes, I do make a mean pumpkin cheese cake.  The canned pumpkin is just too wet for it.  So, I put three paper towels on a pan, and then spread the pumpkin on top of the paper towels.  Top with more paper towels, and press to soak up moisture. 
 
Then I remove those towels, put dry ones on, and flip it over.  Remove those wet towels, replace with dry, and press again.  I repeat that process a couple of times, till the moisuture removal slows down.
 
This results in a puree that is much drier.  That might work for the pancakes.  Less moisture, and more pumpkin flavor!
 

beachsands


I wonder if powdered pumpkin added to our regular pancake mix would produce any better results?

I didn't even realize they made powdered pumpkin  until yesterday....lol. For that matter I didn't know Harbor Freight sold french fry cutters, even though it sounds like something a restaurant probably wouldn't want.

Joel

Since my last post I've used a mix with pumpkin powder already in it. It was a gift. It was not bad for pancakes or waffles. I think it came Stonewall Kitchen (or something like that) in Maine via L.L.Bean

I stumbled upon this coincidentally after making pumpkin pancakes for dinner this evening.
There are 2 things you need to watch when cooking them. One is that the batter tends to be thick, so I usually have to thin it down a bit with milk, and secondly, you can't cook these at the same temp as regular pancakes. My recipe includes brown sugar and blackstrap mollasses, so all that sugar will scorch before it's time to flip. Cook them on medium, and don't wait for the typical bubbles to form in the middle, even thinned out, the pancake will burn if you wait that long.