Freekeh Pumpkin Pancakes: An Ancient Grain Gets a Freekeh Makeover

By: Despina Panagakos Yeargin

Dry Ingredients:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

Wet Ingredients:

• 1 egg
• 1 cup buttermilk
• ½ cup pumpkin puree
• ½ cup cooked Freekeh

Toasted Pumpkin Seeds

• ¼ cup raw pumpkin seeds
• ¼ pat of butter (about ½ a teaspoon)
• 1 big pinch of salt

How to Cook Freekeh

1. 2 cups water (bring to a boil)
2. 1 teaspoon salt (in the water)
3. 1 cup freekeh (rinse in a sieve first and add to boiling salted water)
4. Cover the pot of boiling water, salt and freekeh. Lower the heat so that the pot contents simmer. Cook for twenty minutes. Uncover. Cook for another 3 to 5 minutes. Turn off the heat, stir the freekeh and leave on the burner for 20 to 30 minutes so that the residual heat dries out any remaining water. Yield: 3 cups cooked freekeh. Use in muffins, soups, salads, pancakes and as a breakfast cereal.

Toasting the Pumpkin Seeds

Heat a non-stick pan over high heat. Add the seeds and butter. Stir and toss until browned. They will make a popping sound. When you are satisfied with the toasty color, stir in a generous pinch of salt. Stir or toss. Pour out onto a small plate to cool.

The Pancakes

1. Combine dry ingredients with a whisk.
2. In another bowl, whisk the egg, then the buttermilk. Switch to a spatula and stir in the pumpkin. Finally, add the freekeh and dry mix. Stir until all ingredients are barely combined. Overmixing will toughen the pancakes and not allow them to rise properly.
3. Heat a non-stick pan or griddle over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to a smidge below medium and add 1 teaspoon of coconut oil. Using a ¼ cup measure and a small spatula, pour in the pancake batter. Use the spatula to push the batter onto the pan rapidly and to spread out in the pan so that each pancake is even.
4. Once the pancakes have risen a bit and developed bubbles on the side, flip the pancakes and continue to cook until the center is cooked through. I save the first pancake for the cook so I can see if the center is properly done…then I eat it!
5. Yield: 10 medium pancakes, enough for three to four people, depending on how hungry they are.

NOTES: Eggs are large. Salt used is Celtic sea salt. Freekeh is always sourced from Marsh Hen Mills in Edisto, South Carolina, and the maple syrup is always from Sapwood Farms in the Ithaca, New York, area.