Pumpkin Waffles

It’s once again time to kick off the fall season. To celebrate the first day of fall of course I had to break out the pumpkins. Nothing says fall more than pumpkin. You can smell them baking in my house on a regular basis over the next couple months. What a better way to start off than with using my first pumpkin of the year in a pumpkin waffle recipe made from scratch. You can go to the store now and find pumpkin waffle mixes but that can’t match up to the flavor of these waffles. Below you will find my notes from this recipe and the full recipe to print out after that.

1. DO NOT overmix your mixture. When water and wheat flour come together, gluten is formed. Good for yeast breads, bad for waffles. So just mix enough to combine. I don’t care if it’s not perfect looking and there is some lumps, or a little bit of flour on the outside of the bowl. Resist the urge to over mix!!!!!

2. The recipe calls for you to separate the eggs and beat the egg whites until they are stiff. This is VERY important, so do not skip. The pumpkin puree makes the batter dense. You need something to lighten it up. Folding in (not mixing) the stiff egg whites will overcome the denseness of the pumpkin. Trust me it works every time.

3. Try and use the freshest spices you can. Whole spices, ground just before use offer the best flavor. Use a spice (coffee) grinder to grind whole cloves and cinnamon sticks. I also like to buy whole nutmeg and grate it with my Microplane Grater/Zester. The ginger you will have to buy pre-ground.

4. You can use regular AP flour or wheat flour in this recipe. I like to use a white whole wheat flour. I think the wheat flavor is more mild and I think it plays well with the flavor of the pumpkin.

5. I make my own pumpkin puree. I buy up a bunch of pie pumpkin. They are on display in my living room until I am ready to use them. Check out my post on how to make pumpkin puree. Homemade is worth the effort. You can’t roast the seeds if you buy it canned.

Final Verdict: These were some yummy waffles. They had a subtle pumpkin flavor. They were spicy in a good way. The egg whites really helped make them nice and fluffy (so I remind you again do not skip that step!). These are a great fall treat that works well for having breakfast for dinner, which is what we did. A little real maple syrup on top, along with a pat of butter are the only addition you need.

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Pumpkin Waffles

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose or white whole wheat flour
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 2 tablespoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 4 tablespoons butter melted
• 4 eggs separated

Instructions

1. Combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, sugar, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Measure out 1 1/2 cups of milk. Add to that the pumpkin puree, melted butter, and egg yolks and mix to combine.
2. In a separate bowl, place the egg whites. Beat with a mixer until the whites form stiff peaks.
3. Add the liquid mixture to the dry mixture. Mix together until the ingredients are just combined. Do not over mix.
4. Gently fold in the whipped egg whites.
5. Set your waffle iron to it's highest setting. Ladle in the batter and cook for about 4 to 5 minutes or until golden brown. Should make 6 to 8 waffles depending on the size of your waffle iron,