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
- Lightly oil the waffle iron with vegetable oil, and set it to the desired temperature.
- 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.
- Separate eggs: yolks go in a medium sized bowl and whites get set aside in a smaller bowl.
- Add pumpkin and milk to the egg yolks. Whisk to blend and set aside.
- 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)
- Pour melted butter into the yolk/milk/pumpkin mixture. As you pour, whisk to combine.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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!
