pumpkin-cream cheese waffles

Waffles, I love them, and like many of you I love them if they are crispy outside and tender inside.

Confession:  about five years ago I learned (finally) how they get their crispy texture: egg whites.

Yep.  Never would have thought of that one on my own.  Whipped egg whites are FOLDED into the batter (as the last step) to help give it air which in turn gives it that nice light, crispy exterior.

Did you know this?

You must try it next time you make homemade waffles.  It's truly worth the extra step.

With this recipe, I've always wanted to make pumpkin waffles or pancakes with a swirl of cream cheese.

And the bonus of adding the cream cheese: it adds flavor to the waffles and it also crisps up too. (look closely at the photos for the browned cream cheese bits--heavenly).

This waffle iron I got for like $5.00 at Building 19 (a speciality discount warehouse here in new england), and right after I made these waffles it started to smoke.
Time for a real waffle machine soon.  This one lasted for 8 years, not bad, but to be honest I was always so very weary of it since it was so cheap.

Note: I realize these look not so crispy in the photos.
I had done the stupid mistake of not turning on the oven to 250 degrees to keep the waffles warm.
So they sat in there cold and got a little wilted.

pumpkin-cream cheese waffles

basic waffle recipe adapted from smitten kitchen

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2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/3 cup light brown sugar, packed

2 1/4 ts baking powder

1 ts baking soda

1/2 ts salt

1/2 - 3/4 pumpkin spice (add as much or as little as you like)

4 large eggs, separated

2 cups buttermilk

1 cup pumpkin puree

6 TB unsalted butter, melted & cooled

5-8 ounces of cream cheese, room temp

chopped pecans, for garnish (optional)

non-stick cooking spray for waffle iron

Preheat oven to 250°F and preheat waffle iron.

Take a pastry bag or frosting piping utensil and put in about 6 ounces of cream cheese.  You can also use a small ziplock bag or whatever method works best for you.  We will be piping the cream cheese onto the pumpkin batter once we put it on the waffle iron. Set aside. 

Sift together flour, brown sugar, baking powder and soda, salt, and pumpkin spice. 

Whisk egg yolks in a large bowl with buttermilk, pumpkin, and butter until smooth. Whisk in dry ingredients just until combined.

In a mixing bowl using a whisk attachment, whisk the egg whites until you get soft peaks.  Next gently fold them into the waffle batter--no overmixing.  Lumps and still visible egg whites are good.

Brush or spray waffle iron lightly with cooking spray, then using a ladle pour on the batter, spreading it out a bit,.  Working quickly,  next take your assembled cream cheese, pipe on some cream cheese in circles, dots or whatever you wish on top of the batter (see photo above). Do this quickly, then close cover and cook according to manufacturer’s instructions.  

Transfer waffles to rack in oven to keep warm and crisp. Finish making the rest of the waffles, while storing them in preheated oven.

When ready to serve, sprinkle the chopped pecans over the top of waffles--adds a nice flavor and crunch. 

Should make about 12-16 waffles.

buckwheat-oat waffles

Do you like buckwheat pancakes? Waffles? Me, not so much. But then I had them this way and I liked them.
I don't know, maybe it's the over-grainy taste that's in there? I feel as though buckwheat belongs in a bread: a honey-molasses bread. That sounds good doesn't it? I'll have to work on that one.
I found a good mix for buckwheat waffles. I added in some light brown sugar, butter, oil, cinnamon and buttermilk. Tasted good. But it really was the blueberries that tasted well with the buckwheat.
So the next time I make these, I am using a blueberry sauce, not maple syrup. If you make these, try it with a warm blueberry compote or sauce. I bet it's just fabulous.





buckwheat-oat waffles (from pre-made mix)
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There is no recipe. I did not write it down--made it on the fly. Sorry. But you're all smart bakers, so you should be able to figure this out if you taste as you go along and see how the batter comes together as you add in what I did (in the above photo). If you buy this buckwheat mix, remember to:

- this is based on use for 1/2 the bag, about 8-10 giant waffles.
- sub out the liquids it has on the directions with buttermilk and some oil.
- I added in the quick cook oats (about 1/2 cup) to give it a nice crunch, you don't have too.
- it did not say to add in the oil, but I did (about 2-3 TB) as the batter was very dry
- it does say to add in melted butter, I did plus a little extra
- I added in about 2-3 TB of light brown sugar to the batter
- I added in about 1 TB of cinnamon to the batter
- always always always taste- test before cooking to see what it needs.
- this batter is very lumpy and thick, that is good. Watery thin is bad.
- as I said before the maple syrup was OK, a nice warm blueberry compote would be awesome with hot waffles or even warmed up blueberry jam.

crispy buttermilk-cheddar waffles w/ kielbasa maple syrup

When I go to diners I love to see what people are eating. Curious to see if they are like me: do they love their bacon or sausage dripping in maple syrup? Do they love cheesy grits with maple syrup? Do they have to take a bite of pancake with a bite of maple dripping bacon? And you know its great when I see there are others out there like me who think of breakfast as the absolute best time for the ultimate creations in sweet with savory. Sure desserts are another way of indulging in the whole sweet and savory family, but I truly think breakfast takes the crown. So many variations, creations can come of sweet and savory for breakfast and brunch.

To share a secret passion of mine: I have wanted for some time now to do a little bit of research on when and where or even who started the whole sweet & savory thing. I mean possibly it might not be just one person, could be a country or culture that had it in it's existence and it gradually made it over here to the US. It would be fascinating to see and learn--don't you think? As a kid I don't remember the whole sweet and savory thing being too popular, but I really wasn't reading cookbooks as a child, just watching Julia Child and Sesame Street. Julia did have one episode of cheese stuffed crepes with some sort of jam or cherry reduction. I remember this because she flambéed it. Best part.

What's your favorite "diner special"? And what's the best diner you've ever been to?

Mine would be corned beef hash, poached eggs, bacon all smothered in a perfect hollandaise sauce. Best diner? Man, that's hard a lot of good ones in NYC and New Jersey.

Crispy buttermilk-cheddar waffles w/ kielbasa-maple syrup
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Use your favorite waffle or buttermilk waffle recipe (that would serve 2-4 people)
Add to the batter ½ - ¾ cup of mild cheddar cheese, shredded
Cook as normal.

For the kielbasa-maple syrup:
Chopped kielbasa, small chunks (about ¾ - 1 cup)
1 cup or more of maple syrup

Fry up the kielbasa until nice and crispy. Degrease a little of the oil out of pan, then pour in the maple syrup, turn heat to low, and let heat up until waffles are done. Don't let it boil! Just warmed through. When waffles are done pour the hot kielbasa syrup over them.

If you don’t have a waffle recipe here is one from Cook's Illustrated:

Buttermilk Waffles
Makes about eight 7-inch round waffles.

While the waffles can be eaten as soon as they are removed from the waffle iron, they will have a crispier exterior if rested in a warm oven for 10 minutes. (This method also makes it possible to serve everyone at the same time.) Buttermilk powder is available in most supermarkets and is generally located near the dried-milk products or in the baking aisle. Leftover buttermilk powder, which can be used in a number of baking applications, can be kept in the refrigerator for up to a year. Seltzer or club soda gives these waffles a light texture that would otherwise be provided by whipped egg whites. (Avoid sparkling water such as Perrier—it’s not bubbly enough.) Use a freshly opened container for maximum lift. Serve waffles with butter and warmed maple syrup.

2 cups (10 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
3/4 teaspoon table salt
1/2 cup dried buttermilk powder (see note)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup sour cream
2 large eggs
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 1/4 cups unflavored seltzer water

Instructions
1.1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 250 degrees. Set wire rack in rimmed baking sheet and place baking sheet in oven. Whisk flour, sugar, salt, buttermilk powder, and baking soda in large bowl to combine. Whisk sour cream, eggs, vanilla, and oil in medium bowl to combine. Gently stir seltzer into wet ingredients. Make well in center of dry ingredients and pour in wet ingredients. Using a rubber spatula, gently stir until just combined. Batter should remain slightly lumpy with streaks of flour.

2.2. Heat waffle iron and bake waffles according to manufacturer’s instructions (use about 1/3 cup for 7-inch round iron). Transfer waffles to rack in warm oven and hold for up to 10 minutes before serving with butter and maple syrup.

Technique
For Crispier Texture, Ban the Butter
For crispier results, we swapped the melted butter in our batter for oil. Unlike butter, oil contributes no moisture to the waffle. The exterior of the waffle can thus reach a higher temperature faster, giving the crust more time to form. Plus, oil helps keep the waffle cripe after it comes off the heat: As pure as fat, it is better able to repel water, keeping interior moisture from migrating to the waffle's dry, browned surface and turning it limp.