The Glory of Kabocha Squash Pancakes

Cinderella can keep her pumpkin coach, give me kabocha! I recently discovered the Japanese pumpkin and my taste buds have fallen in love with its creamy, rich texture. It is a type of scrumptious squash that can be made into all sorts of dishes, from cheesecake and pudding to pancakes and stir fries. It is also possible to buy kabocha in America, although I am not sure how easy it is to find.

I used this wonderful kabocha squash pancake recipe as my guide while adding generous dashes of vanilla, nutmeg and cinnamon as I am a tad spice-crazed and didn't have a pumpkin spice packet. I also didn't have rolled oats so I used pancake flour.

Step 1: Peel and cut kabocha. You can actually eat the green skin because it is so tender and thin, I just didn't want it in my pancakes. Clean out any seeds at center.

Step 2: Steam kabocha until you can easily push your fork through the slices.

Step 3: Blend and/or mash the kabocha, and then mix in all the other ingredients.

Step 4: Pour the batter. Add more oats or flour if the batter is too runny.

Step 5: Add maple syrup and enjoy!

*Note: I've heard that the smaller kabocha are tastier. I shall have to do more testing to find out for myself!