A vat of pumpkin puree becomes airy, spicy waffles when you fold soft-peaked egg whites into a buttermilk batter and hold finished waffles on a rack in a 250°F oven.
I warned you, didn’t I? I have a lot of fresh pumpkin puree to use up. Call it my late German grandmother communicating her values to me from the great beyond, but I hate throwing away food. It literally makes me sick to my stomach, that in this land of excess and in a city that appears at times to have run out of ways to spend money so it churns out new ones daily that I am part of this ridiculousness, so frequently throwing away old eggs, milk days before its inevitable demise, fruit and vegetables we always forget about, elaborate dishes that bored me too much to eat twice.
This pumpkin, it’s gonna get used.
And if each use were as delicious as that soup and now these waffles, I might even be tempted to roast that third pumpkin, still lingering all lonesome in the corner of the living room. Tell me, would there be mutiny if I used the remainder of NaBloPoMo (or as Alex affectionately called it just a little while ago, NaBloDishesMo) for pumpkin recipes? Pumpkin, 19 more ways?
Okay, okay, calm down. I was just joking. I wouldn’t do that. Eventually I’m going to have to give up on this bottomless vat of orange puree, but I hope we get at least one more batch of these for breakfast before I do. Not only were they incredibly delicious, when we returned to the apartment this evening, our late breakfast still perfumed the air. I wish finding uses for my excess was always this heavenly.
Yield | Notes |
|---|---|
Not specified (recipe enough for multiple waffles — see batter volume) | Preheat oven to 250°F to hold waffles warm; use a hot waffle iron |
Ingredient | Amount |
|---|---|
All-purpose flour | 2 1/2 cups |
Light brown sugar (packed) | 1/3 cup |
Baking powder | 2 1/4 teaspoons |
Baking soda | 1 teaspoon |
Salt | 1/2 teaspoon |
Ground cinnamon | 2 teaspoons |
Ground ginger | 1 teaspoon |
Ground cloves | 1/4 teaspoon |
Egg yolks | 4 large (separated from whites) |
Buttermilk (well-shaken) | 2 cups |
Canned solid-pack pumpkin | 1 cup |
Unsalted butter, melted | 3/4 stick (6 tablespoons) |
Egg whites | 4 large (whisked to soft peaks) |
Vegetable oil for waffle iron (or cooking spray) | as needed |
Preheat your oven to 250°F and heat the waffle iron. Sift together the flour, brown sugar, baking powder and soda, salt, and spices into a bowl.
In a large bowl whisk the egg yolks with the buttermilk, pumpkin and melted butter until smooth. Add the dry ingredients and whisk just until combined — don’t overmix.
Separately, whip the egg whites in a clean bowl with a whisk (or mixer) until they hold soft peaks; they should be softer than fully stiff whites. Gently fold the whipped whites into the waffle batter, combining them just until incorporated.
Brush the waffle iron lightly with oil and spoon in batter — about 2 cups of batter makes four 4-inch Belgian waffles in the recipe’s estimate, so adjust per your iron’s size. Spread the batter quickly and cook according to the waffle iron manufacturer’s instructions.
Transfer cooked waffles to a wire rack set inside the 250°F oven to keep them warm and crisp. Repeat with the remaining batter.
Tip | |
|---|---|
Hold finished waffles on a rack in a 250°F oven to keep them warm and crisp. | “Preheat oven to 250°F and preheat waffle iron… Transfer waffles to rack in oven to keep warm and crisp.” |
Fold in whipped egg whites gently so waffles stay airy. | “Fold them gently into the waffle batter, until just combined.” |
Use well-shaken buttermilk for consistent texture. | “2 cups well-shaken buttermilk” |
Brush the waffle iron with oil or use cooking spray to prevent sticking. | “Brush waffle iron lightly with oil or cooking spray.” |
Spoon batter quantity to match your iron — recipe suggests ~2 cups for four 4-inch Belgian waffles. | “spoon batter (about 2 cups for four 4-inch Belgian waffles) into waffle iron” |
