Pumpkin Waffles

Okay, since we've made these a few times by now, I thought we'd stop hoarding the recipe to ourselves and share it with all of you today. I know you're super-psyched. 

No matter how much I try, I feel like we always end up with a half of a can of pumpkin leftover in the fridge. Most recipes I make only use about a cup, but that leaves some left in the can. In the fridge it waits until I make a recipe that calls for pumpkin. Well, instead of letting it wait around for more than a few days, we've been using that leftover canned pumpkin in the quickest and tastiest way we know - waffles for dinner! 

The softest, fluffiest waffles are something we aim for when mixing that delicate batter of ingredients together. The more careful we are to not over-mix, the better the waffles end up. This recipe, though, helps the texture along even more by using egg whites whipped beautifully to soft peaks, then softly folded right into the batter. It makes all the difference! The gorgeous flavors of Fall come through these waffles with the classic flavors of 100% pumpkin, pumpkin pie spice, cloves, and just a touch of cinnamon. I chose to go with regular maple syrup on these guys because I wanted the pumpkin to be the star (not the syrup). However, this doesn't mean you can't change things up with a few different flavored syrups to amp things up to an almost offensive Falltastic flavor. 

Please don't fire me for using "Falltastic". 

It's late, okay? 

Just make the dang waffles and thank me later. 

;) 

 

Pumpkin Waffles
makes 4 servings

ingredients:

2 1/2 C all-purpose flour

1/2 C light brown sugar

2 1/4 t baking powder

1 t baking soda

2 t ground cinnamon

1 t pumpkin pie spice

1/4 t ground cloves

4 large eggs, separated

2 C buttermilk

1 C canned 100% pumpkin

6 T unsalted butter, melted 

method:

1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees with an empty glass dish inside. Preheat waffle iron. 

2. Sift together dry ingredients: flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices. In a separate large bowl, whisk together egg yolks, buttermilk, pumpkin, and melted butter until smooth. Whisk the dry ingredients into the wet until combined. Set aside. 

3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk, whisk egg whites, starting on low speed and gradually increasing speed to high, until very stiff peaks form. Fold stiff egg whites gently into waffle batter, until just combined. 

4. Spray waffle iron with cooking spray and scoop about 2/3 C waffle mix per waffle square into the waffle iron. Cook according to manufacture's directions. When waffles are finishes and crispy, transfer waffles to heated glass dish in the oven, and repeat cooking process with remaining waffle batter. 

recipe source: smitten kitchen