Pumpkin spice creamed honey pancakes

I eat the pancake that’s already done while the next one is still in the pan, standing there with a fork, waiting for the bubbles to pop so I can flip. That’s the morning. One at a time. The first pancake tells me if the heat is too high or not quite there, and I eat that one anyway, because it is a pancake. A cool morning is a decent excuse. After that I am just cooking, eating, pouring the next circle, chewing and watching the pan at the same time, which is not elegant.

The batter is flour, milk, an egg, melted butter, and three tablespoons of pumpkin spice creamed honey stirred through, which is the amount I actually measure — not a swirl, not a guess. Three tablespoons looks like a lot on a spoon and not like much in a bowl. I warm it just enough that it will mix without a fight, fold it in, and leave the bowl alone. More on the stack later is optional, a spoonful if I want it.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup milk
• 1 large egg
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus more for the skillet
• 3 tablespoons Creamed Honey — Pumpkin Spice, plus more for the stack

Putting it together

1. Stir the flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl.
2. In a second bowl, whisk the milk, egg, melted butter, and 3 tablespoons of pumpkin spice creamed honey until the honey breaks up. A few small flecks are fine.
3. Pour the wet mix into the flour and stir just until you do not see dry pockets. Lumps are better than a tough cake.
4. Heat a skillet over medium and butter it. Spoon about 1/4 cup of batter for each pancake. Cook until the tops bubble and the edges look set, then flip and brown the second side.
5. Stack them and, if you want, add another spoon of the creamed honey on the hot cakes.

Tips

The first pancake tells you if the pan is too hot. Turn it down if it scorches. I keep the rest on a plate in a warm oven so they don’t go cold while I finish the batch.