Pumpkin pancakes with salted pecan butterscotch

• pumpkin↗250g g

  or squash, peeled, deseeded and chopped into large chunks

• eggs↗2
• light brown soft sugar↗3 tbsp tbsp
• butter↗25g g

  melted, plus a little for cooking

• buttermilk↗125ml ml

  (or use the same quantity of milk, with a squeeze of lemon juice)

• plain flour↗200g g
• baking powder↗2½ tsp tsp
• ground cinnamon↗1 tsp tsp
• flavourless oildrizzle of

  such as sunflower or groundnut, for frying

• ice cream

  to serve, or yogurt or crème fraîche

• pecans↗50g g

  roughly chopped

• butter↗50g g
• light brown soft sugar↗50g g
• sea salt↗1 tsp tsp

  flakes

• double cream↗100ml ml

Step-by-step instructions

1. 1

   Put the pumpkin or squash in a large heatproof bowl, add 1 tbsp water, cover with cling film and microwave on High for 5-8 mins or until really soft – different types will take a varying amount of time. Drain the pumpkin well and cool completely. If you want to eat the pancakes for breakfast, this step is best done the night before.

2. 2

   Once cool, put the pumpkin in a food processer with the remaining pancake ingredients and add a good pinch of salt. Blend until everything is well combined to a smooth, thick batter (alternatively, mash the pumpkin well, then whisk in the remaining ingredients). Transfer to a jug or piping bag and set aside while you make the butterscotch sauce.

3. 3

   Toast the pecans in a saucepan for 1-2 mins until a shade darker. Tip out and set aside. Add the butter, sugar, salt and cream to the pan. Bring to a simmer, then bubble gently for a few mins until you have a shiny sauce. Stir in the pecans and set aside to cool a little.

4. 4

   Heat a knob of butter and a drizzle of oil in a large frying pan. Heat oven to 140C/120C fan/gas 1, to keep the pancakes warm while you cook them in batches – have a baking tray to hand. When the butter is foaming, swirl it around the pan, then pour tennis-ball-sized amounts of batter into the pan – they will spread a little as they cook, so leave some space between each pancake and don’t overcrowd the pan. Cook over a low-medium heat. Don’t touch the pancakes until you see a few bubbles appear on the surface – have a look underneath and, if the pancakes are golden, flip them over and cook for another 2 mins on the other side. Transfer the cooked pancakes to the baking tray and keep warm in the oven while you continue cooking.

5. 5

   Once cooked, pile the pancakes onto plates, top with ice cream, yogurt or crème fraîche, and pour over the salted pecan butterscotch sauce.