Pumpkin pancakes with cinnamon brown butter

For some reason I feel obliged to do some things at least things pumpkin or Halloween.  Maybe it is because so many of the other blogs I read are doing it.  However, I'm just not into making a lot of sugary sweets around Halloween because the kids are going to get a lot of candy anyway.  But I have been enjoying trying cute dinners, and pumpkin dishes.  This morning we had pumpkin pancakes from my taste of home magazine.  They were good.  A bit thick, but tasty.  The syrup that went with them was Awesome!  Unhealthy, but delectable.  I was only going to try 1 bite with syrup, then either switch to regular syrup or yogurt, or eat them plain like I do a lot of the time.  Should have tried the syrup at the end, not the beginning.  I did just pour small amounts on my plate and dip into it, but oh my, it was tasty.  I loved the toasty flavor you got from baking the butter, and the cinnamon, and the pecans.  YUM!  

The pancakes?  Hmm, under the buttery syrup I'm not sure what their actual flavor was.  I would think they were OK.  I remember trying a bite and wanting to use the syrup again, but that is just because the syrup was sooo good.  

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter, cubed
• 1/4 cup syrup
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans, toasted
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 2 Tablespoons packed brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/3 cup milk
• 3/4 cup canned pumpkin
• 1/2 cup ricotta cheese

Directions

1. In a small heavy saucepan, cook butter over medium heat for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown, stirring occasionally.  Add the maple syrup, cinnamon and nutmeg.  Remove from the heat; stir in pecans.
2. In a small bowl combine flour, brown sugar, baking powder and salt.  In another bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, pumpkin and cheese.  Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened.  (This looked a bit hard to do - the just until moistened part - because the batter was rather thick - but I was just catching glimpses in between my exercising.)
3. Drop batter by 1/4 cupfuls onto a greased hot griddle;  turn when bubbles form on top.  Cook until the second side is golden brown.  Serve with brown butter.