Pumpkin Pancakes with Apple Cider Syrup

Thanks to the snow day we had this week, I got a chance to make a fun breakfast! I got this pancake recipe from a church cookbook my Mom gave me from her ward. It says that it's IHOP's recipe. I don't know if that's true or not but they were super yummy! A lot better than anything I've had at the IHOP in Santa Fe :)

I also got the apple cider syrup recipe from the same cookbook. It was very easy to make and my kids loved it. They pretty much wanted to drink it! I didn't have any apple cider so I ended up making some with a spiced cider packet I had in my pantry. That seemed to work fine but I'm sure it would taste way better with fresh apple cider!

The syrup tasted really good with the pumpkin pancakes. I have another recipe for an apple cinnamon topping that I think would taste better with the pumpkin pancakes that I will probably try next time.

Pumpkin Pancakes
2 eggs
1 1/4 cup buttermilk
4 tbl. melted butter (half a stick)
3 T. canned pumpkin
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1 1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. allspice (I didn't have this so I used a little nutmeg and ginger instead)
1/4 tsp. cinnamon (I used more)

Preheat skillet to medium heat. Blend first 6 ingredients together in a medium bowl with an electric mixer. Mix remaining ingredients in a small bowl and add them to the other ingredients. Blend until smooth.

Drop onto griddle in 1/4 cup portions. Cook until edges are a little hardened (1-2 minutes) Flip and cook on the other side. Serve with apple cider syrup or your favorite syrup!

Apple Cider Syrup
2 T. cornstarch
1/4 tsp. cinnamon (again I used more than that)
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
2 cups apple cider
2 T. lemon juice
1/4 cup butter (melted)
(note from the cookbook: If you like sweeter syrup you can add sugar to the cornstarch mixture. The apple cider sweetens it already though.)

In a small saucepan, mix sugar, conrstarch, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Stir in apple cider and lemon juice and turn heat to medium high. Stir constantly until mixture thickens and boils. Boil and stir for 1 more minute. Remove from heat and stir in butter. (Makes about 2 1/2 cups syrup)