Pumpkin Pancakes and Easy Salted Caramel Sauce
By: Amy Jeanroy
Published: June 3, 2016

We have fallen in love with the new cookbook: Meat on The Side, by Nikki Dinki. It's full of recipes that are light on meat and heavy on flavor. This recipe starts our day out right. The littlest chefs can help mix the batter, and the older ones get a lesson in caramel sauce making. It all comes together with real whipped cream of course. What else would you use? I (Amy) don't often review books, but this one has me hooked. The recipes are truly ones that our family loves and I like to have a new way to present the ingredients I have available.
Pumpkin Pancakes and Easy Salted Caramel Sauce
From the book: Meat on The Side, by Nikki Dinki
1¼ cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground allspice
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Pinch of ground nutmeg
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1¼ cups whole milk
¾ cup 100 percent pure pumpkin puree
1 large egg
Directions
1. Whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, allspice, ginger, salt, and nutmeg in a large bowl. Put 2 tablespoons of the butter in a small microwave-safe bowl and microwave on high for 30 seconds until melted. In a second medium bowl, whisk together the milk, pumpkin, and egg; then whisk in the melted butter. Add the milk mixture to the flour mixture and stir just until combined; some lumps are OK.
2. Preheat the oven to 200°F. Heat a large skillet or griddle over medium heat. Melt the remaining 1 tablespoon butter in the skillet, spreading it evenly over the surface. Working in batches as necessary, ladle ¼-cup portions of the batter onto the skillet, spacing them a little apart. Cook the pancakes until they are golden brown on both sides and cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Keep the first batch warm in the oven while you cook the second batch.
3. To serve, divide the pancakes among individual plates. Pour the warm caramel sauce over each serving and top with a dollop of whipped cream. 
Easy Salted Caramel Sauce
1 cup packed brown sugar (light or dark)
½ cup heavy cream
4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Directions
Add the brown sugar, cream, and butter to a medium saucepan. Place over medium heat and cook, stirring often, until the sugar has dissolved and the butter has melted. Continue cooking until the sauce has thickened, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the vanilla and salt. Keep warm over low heat so you can serve the sauce hot when the pancakes are ready