Pumpkin Waffles

 

Nothing says, “I have the day off,” like going out for breakfast. But coming in second place might just be making waffles for breakfast at home. Last Saturday gave me just such an opportunity, and, for once, I embraced an opportunity wholeheartedly. Of course there was pumpkin (from a can, which is okay by me), Pumpkin Pie Spice, and maple syrup in the house to sweeten the deal.

I had a pumpkin waffle recipe in the binder in which I kept recipes that I liked before I started The Messy Apron. I couldn’t remember when I made them or how good (or not) these waffles were, but I wanted pumpkin waffles in the worst way, so I tried the recipe again. For supper. Hey, it’s the only mealtime I had available.

 

After that test, I decided they were delicious, but a bit heavy. Separating the eggs, beating the whites and folding them into the batter might help that, so I decided to try it. While it’s possible to beat one egg white (the original recipe called for one egg) without much trouble, as I learned from this recipe, I thought I’d make it a little more worth the time and energy and double the batch, therefore using two eggs.  This would have the added benefit of creating leftover waffles that I could keep in the freezer for weekday breakfasts.

 

Folding in the beaten egg whites did indeed solve the problem of the heavy-ish waffle. The end result was lighter and fluffier, but just as flavorful. And leftover waffles available for reheating during the week are, if not quite as good as the freshly-made ones, still a thing of beauty. Alas, they are only a joy for a limited time. I don’t know when I’ll have the opportunity to make pumpkin waffles for breakfast again, but, as I admitted above, they’re not just for breakfast. I think I see some more supper waffles in my not-too-distant future.

  

Pumpkin Waffles

Based on a recipe in Cooking Light magazine, October 2001

I used a smallish (7-inch) waffle iron to make these waffles. If yours is larger or smaller, you may end up with a different number of waffles.

 

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder
2 teaspoons Pumpkin Pie Spice
¼ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons canola oil or vegetable oil
2 large eggs, separated
1 cup pumpkin puree
½ cup brown sugar
1 cup milk
 

1. Preheat a waffle iron. Preheat the oven to 200 F. Place a wire cooling rack on the oven rack in the middle position.

2. In a medium-size bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, Pumpkin Pie Spice, and salt. Whisk together or sift until thoroughly combined. Set aside.

3. In another medium-size bowl, whisk together the oil and the egg yolks. Whisk in the pumpkin and brown sugar. Whisk in the milk, continuing to whisk until smooth. Set aside.

4. In a medium-size bowl beat the egg whites on high speed with an electric mixer until they form stiff peaks. (That is, when you lift the beaters away from the egg whites, they stand up in peaks.) Set aside.

5. Pour the egg and pumpkin mixture into the flour mixture. Stir just until there are no longer any lumps of dry ingredients. Fold (that is, gently stir) in the beaten egg whites a little at a time, being careful not to deflate the mixture, until just a few small puffs of egg white can be seen in the mixture.

6. Spray the preheated waffle iron with cooking spray (or brush it with oil or melted butter.) Pour or spoon an appropriate portion of batter onto the waffle iron and bake each waffle according to manufacturer’s instructions.

7. When each waffle is done, place in the preheated oven on the wire rack to keep warm until ready to serve. Repeat with remaining batter. Serve with butter and maple syrup.

 

Makes about 8 7-inch waffles.

 

Other recipes like this one: Orange Millet Waffles, Pumpkin Oatmeal Quick Bread with Dates and Pecans