Anyone else ready for Fall? Here in the desert of Arizona – we are READY!  The mornings are starting to feel crisp and cool again and we have enjoyed several late morning walks! Aaaahhh – we made it through the relentlessly hot Summer days and nights! Well, we were feeling the Autumn spirit, so we thought we’d celebrate with one of our favorite Fall foods: Pumpkin Waffles, aka “Pumpkin Clouds.” I tasted some delicious pumpkin waffles at a brunch a few years ago and immediately came home and googled a recipe so I could share this absolutely delectable breakfast with my family. This is the recipe we tried and loved, and guess what? I just realized this blog is entirely dedicated to these “perfect pumpkin waffles.” Now that is some serious pumpkin waffle lover… for which I am very grateful! Ok, Enough talk, let’s get on to the recipe:

INGREDIENTS
makes 4 round “Belgian” style pumpkin waffles

 

• 1/4 cup light brown sugar
• 3 Tbsp. cornstarch
• 1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour (or white wheat flour)
• 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 3/4 tsp. cinnamon
• 2 tsp. ginger
• 1/4 tsp. cloves
• 1/2 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg*
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 cup canned solid-pack pumpkin
• 4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted and warm

 

*Grated and lightly packed into the spoon, use 1/2 tsp. Grated and loosely scooped, this is about 1 tsp. of nutmeg. If you have to use pre-grated, dried nutmeg, use 1/4 tsp.

DIRECTIONS

 

  1. Lightly oil the waffle iron with vegetable oil, and set it to the desired temperature.
  2. Combine brown sugar and cornstarch in a large bowl. Whisk together to break apart the cornstarch. Add the remaining dry ingredients, and whisk to blend.
  3. Separate eggs: yolks go in a medium sized bowl and whites get set aside in a smaller bowl.
  4. Add pumpkin and milk to the egg yolks. Whisk to blend and set aside.
  5. Whip egg whites with a hand mixer on high until stiff peaks form – about 1 1/2 – 2 minutes. Set aside. (before you crack your eggs set them in warm water for a few minutes to bring them to room temperature – they will whip up much more quickly than cold eggs)
  6. Pour melted butter into the yolk/milk/pumpkin mixture. As you pour, whisk to combine.
  7. Add the pumpkin mixture to the dry ingredients, and mix them together until just combined. A little lumpiness is fine. That will smooth out when the egg whites are added.
  8. Slide the whipped egg whites out of the bowl and onto the mixture you just prepared. Gently fold them in until no white bits are obvious.
  9. Once the waffle iron is heated, you’re ready to pour the batter! Cook approximately two and a half minutes, or until your waffle maker indicates its done.
  10. Serve with whipped cream, maple syrup, and/or your favorite topping. Of course, I like them plain, but give me a dollop of whipped cream and they are completely divine!

As these were cooking, little spiffy girly came over and exclaimed, “YUM – those smell so good! What is that? I can’t wait to eat those!” The smell was tantalizing – she had to have a taste of the batter and almost couldn’t wait long enough to even let them cook!