Perfect Pumpkin Waffles with Cinnamon Syrup

 

Let me introduce pumpkin pie... breakfast style!  These beauties really do taste just like pumpkin pie in a waffle.  Not too sweet, and the pumpkin pie spices come through perfectly without being overpowering.  Topped with cinnamon syrup, they are superb.  I love them. I adore them.  They are now a staple at my house.  Oh how I love pumpkin season!  Of course, I eat pumpkin bars, pumpkin chocolate chip cookies, and other pumpkin-y goodness all year.  What can I say?  The fall is my favorite season, so when I get a hankering for cool weather and beautiful fall leaves... I make something pumpkin.  But thankfully, it is the autumn season, so I can happily make pumpkin everything and no one objects!

Perfect Pumpkin Waffles with Cinnamon Syrup
Submitted by Mindy ~ The Sisters Cafe

Pumpkin Waffles:

1/4 cup light brown sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
2 teaspoons ginger
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
2 large eggs
1 cup whole milk
1 cup canned pumpkin
4 tablespoons butter, melted and warm

Combine brown sugar and cornstarch in a large bowl.  Whisk together to break apart the cornstarch.  Ad the remaining dry ingredients, and whisk to blend.  Add eggs, pumpkin, milk and melted butter to the dry ingredients.  Mix until just combined.  Preheat and lightly oil waffle maker.  Make according to your waffle maker directions.  Serve with whipped cream and cinnamon syrup.

(Pumpkin waffle recipe adapted from: http://pumpkinwaffles.wordpress.com/)

Cinnamon Syrup:

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon

Place butter, buttermilk and sugar in a pot over medium heat. Stir until butter melts and sugar dissolves. Bring to a boil and boil one minute. Remove from heat and add baking soda and cinnamon. It will bubble up; just continue to stir and give it a few minutes for the ‘fizz’ to reduce before serving.

Waffles of Insane Greatness

Have I mentioned that we really LOVE waffles at my house?  They are at top of the list of favorite foods right up there with chocolate chip cookies.  I think it is because we love them so much that I get sucked in by claims of' the best recipe ever'  and I just can't help but try them out now and again. Oh and there are so many lovely varieties to match the season, the ingredients you have on hand or simply your mood.  Let me review with you my favorite waffle recipes I have previously shared-- I have the overnight waffles, sour cream waffles, peanut butter wholegrain waffles, gingerbread waffles (not to mention the double chocolate and whole wheat blender waffle recipes my sisters have posted)  Yeah, you get the picture I am a sucker for a good waffle and I think we have you covered in the waffle department:)

Well, this recipe using cornstarch seems to be ALL OVER the Internet with lots of different names including" Waffles of Insane Greatness".  I was intrigued when I read that the recipe originated right here where I live in Chattanooga, TN at a restaurant called Aretha Frankenstein's. I have never eaten there, but I plan to now! They were made famous when Miss Rachel Ray stopped in on an early episode of $40 a day.  Cool, huh?!  Also, who could resist a recipe with that description?  I, of course had to try it out and lo and behold--it did make the PERFECT waffle!  Super crispy on the outside and sweet and tender inside.  That is exactly how a waffle should be in my opinion!   These waffles have a lot of cornstarch, which is not an ingredient I use often.  I found that I was always out when we wanted waffles (very dissapointing) so I now buy the big huge container at Costco and we are now good to go anytime the craving for perfect waffles strike:)  I have been using this recipe for quite some time but didn't share it with you all because I didn't think we needed another waffle recipe on The Sisters Cafe, but you know what?!  I changed my mind, I just can't keep this insanely great recipe from you any longer!  Hope you enjoy these as much as we do!

***Please note that you need to let the batter sit for 30 minutes before coooking--so plan accordingly:)***

PS
Here are some links fo Happy thoughts and my Weekly Menu

Waffles of Insane Greatness
submitted by Melanie~The Sisters Cafe

1 1/2  c all-purpose flour
1/2 c cornstarch
1  tsp baking powder
1/2  tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 c whole milk or buttermilk
2/3 c vegetable oil
2 eggs
3 tsp sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Butter and syrup, for serving

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; mix well. Add the milk, vegetable oil, egg, sugar and vanilla and mix well. Let the batter sit for 30 minutes.

Preheat a waffle iron. Do not use non-stick spray on the waffle iron; the oil in the batter will allow the waffle to release easily. Follow the directions on your waffle iron to cook the waffles. Serve immediately with butter and syrup.

Recipe Source:  Aretha Frankenstein Waffle Recipe on Food 52

Gingerbread Waffles

How was your Christmas yesterday?   I hope it was Happy!  Ours was:)  We are in Utah staying with my parents.  Their home is literally bursting with family! It is a very merry place right now!  All the children are in heaven, getting to play all day with little cousins and sleep in sleeping bags each night!  How exciting!  It has been so fun to be all together again, chatting, eating our Mom's home cooking, playing games, holding each others babies, etc!  I am looking forward to more of the same this next week!  What are your plans for this lovely week between Christmas and New Years?  Well, if you are looking for a yummy holiday-ish recipe  for your family, I would highly recommend this one!

I made these waffles on a cold and blustery night a couple of weeks ago and they were perfect! So tasty for a cozy night at home and  I loved the way they made my home smell!  What a delicious dinner they made.  If you are fans of gingerbread, you will LOVE thsee waffles.  Such a fun recipe for this time of year!

Gingerbread Waffles
submitted by Melanie~The Sisters Cafe

2 cup flour
3  tsp baking powder
1 tsp ginger
1 1/2 tsp ground  cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground cloves
2/3 cups brown sugar
2 eggs, separated
1/4 tsp cream of tarter
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1/2 cup molasses
6 Tb melted butter

Combine the first six ingredients in a large bowl and set aside.  Next combine the brown sugar and egg yolks until fluffy. then add the buttermilk, molasses and butter. Next combine the wet ingredients to the bowl of dry ingredients.  Be sure to stop mixing as soon as the batter is barely combined--Don't over mix! In a medium bowl whip the egg whites with the cream of tarter until they are light and fluffy.  Gently fold the egg whites into the batter.  Cook your waffles in a hot waffle iron according to package directions.  Enjoy!!

We like these with Connor's Bubbly Syrup ( Buttermilk syrup).  And they are amazing with freshly whipped cream if you have any:)

Double Chocolate Waffles with Berries

I couldn't resist one more chocolate recipe before Valentine's! This is the ultimate Valentine's breakfast. I've tried chocolate waffles before, but this recipe takes the cake. I think it is the melty little chocolate chips... or maybe it is the perfect crispy exterior of the waffle and the soft interior... or maybe it is the combination of the chocolate with the slightly tart berry sauce... Oh, I can't decide. But one thing is for sure, these waffles are sure to please!

P.S. I can't wait to make these for dessert with a scoop of ice cream and caramel sauce... no, fudge sauce... no, with the berries still... I guess I'll just have to make all three!

Double Chocolate Waffles with Berries
Submitted by Mindy ~ The Sisters Cafe

2/3 cup flour
1/3 cup corn starch
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
6 Tablespoons sugar
1 cup milk
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/2 cups mini chocolate chips (I just quickly chopped up some regular chocolate chips)

Berry Sauce and Topping:
3 cups berries (Any combination will do. I used 1 cup strawberries and 2 cups blueberries in the picture. Fresh is always best, but frozen is really delicious, too)
1/4 cup raspberry or strawberry jam (I like it with this homemade strawberry jam)
2 Tablespoons hot water
Whipped cream
Cocoa powder for dusting (optional)

Start by making the berry sauce since it can sit while you make the waffle batter.

Combine jam and warm water and whisk until combined. Add in the berries and gently stir until combined. Depending on the sweetness of the berries, you can add a little powdered sugar if you'd like. (I don't). Set berry sauce aside and make waffle batter.

Waffles:
Preheat a waffle iron. Combine flour, cornstarch, cocoa powder, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Use a whisk to combine. In a separate bowl whisk together sugar, milk, oil, egg and vanilla until frothy. Slowly add the wet ingredients into the dry a little at a time, whisking to combine. Just stir until they are combined and do not over mix. Stir in the chocolate chips. This is a pretty thin batter, so do not be expecting something that looks like pancake batter. It is supposed to be thin. You shouldn't need to grease your waffle iron. Ladle batter in (rather than pouring - you want those chocolate chips evenly distributed!) and cook according to your iron. Be careful not to overfill. This batter has plenty of leavening so it will expand. The waffles are kind of soft when they come off the iron, but they will magically crisp up after they come off. Top with berry sauce and whipped cream. (Made about 4 waffles on my iron)

Recipe Source: Our Best Bites

Overnight Waffles

I love waffles and make them often for my family. Over Christmas break (and the unexpected snow days that followed) I was tempted to try a couple of new waffle recipes that had rave reviews. Both of them were D-E-L-I-C-I-O-U-S seriously delicious! I for one believe if you are going to take the time and make the effort to create something in the kitchen, it should be really GOOD! That is why I am always on the quest to find the best recipe for our favorites. Being a great cook is all about finding the right recipes. Well, I think I have found a great recipe now for waffles for whatever ingredients I happen to have and depending on the amount of time I have to work with. This recipe is my new favorite! They take minutes to make the night before, and then in the morning it is a breeze to make a hot breakfast for your family. They are amazing--perfectly crispy on the outside and soft and tender on the inside. When I don't plan ahead and have some sour cream on hand, I can make the wonderful Sour Cream Waffles. I also love the healthy whole wheat waffles, which are noisy in the blender, so I only use that recipe when everyone is up! We also love these peanut butter chocolate chip waffles with banana cream when the mood strikes. Last, but not least, I have one more insanely good buttermilk recipe that does not have yeast or require a mixing up the night before to share with you (soon). You could say that I now have a waffle recipes to pick from for whatever ingredients, circumstances or mood I find myself in! Yippee for waffles!

Overnight Waffles
Submitted by Melanie ~ The Sisters Cafe
Original recipe from Mark Bitman's 'How to Cook Everything'

1/2 teaspoon Instant yeast
2 cups All purpose flour
1 tablespoon Sugar
1/2 teaspoon Salt
2 cups Milk
8 tablespoon Butter melted and cooled
1/2 teaspoon Vanilla extract optional
Canola Oil for brushing on waffle iron
2 eggs

1. Before going to bed, combine the dry ingredients and stir in the milk, then the butter and vanilla. The mixture will be loose. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside overnight at room temperature (I found a gallon pitcher worked best)

2. Brush the waffle iron lightly with oil and preheat it. Separate the eggs and stir the yolks into the batter. Beat the whites until they hold soft peaks. Stir them gently into the batter. (I just stirred the eggs into the batter without separating them. Seemed to work well.)

3. Pour batter onto the waffle iron and bake until the waffle is done, usually 3 to 5 minutes, depending on your iron. Serve immediately or keep warm for a few minutes in a low oven.

I watch for the steam to stop rising from the waffle iron before I check for doneness. Also, these freeze well if you have extras. A quick toast in the toaster oven crisps them up again and they taste almost as good as fresh.

Peanut Butter-Chocolate Chip Waffles with Banana Cream

I recently ordered this double waffle maker from the CSN stores. I was impressed with the company. CSN has a lot of different online stores, but my favorite one is the Kitchen and Cookware store found here. I found the prices to be great and a lot of the items had free shipping. Anyway, the day I received my new waffle iron, I tried this extravagant waffle recipe from one of my favorite wholegrain cookbooks. These waffles were a treat, piled high with banana cream. You would never believe that they were whole grain! And the waffle iron's heart shaped sections was so fun and it worked perfectly!

Peanut Butter-Chocolate Chip Waffles with Banana Cream
submitted by Melanie
Recipe from King Arthur Flour Whole Grain Baking
printable recipe here

1 cup spelt flour
2 Tb baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup crunchy peanut butter
1/4 cup sugar
4 Tb butter, melted
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup chocolate chips

To make the waffle batter: Combine flour, baking powder and salt in a small bowl. Cream the peanut butter with the sugar until it softens, then pour in the butter. Beat in the eggs one at a time the mixture is completely smooth. You'll need to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the milk gradually, the mixture will be very wet. Stir in the flour mixture on the slowest speed and mix until just combined Stir in chocolate chips. Let the batter sit for at least 10 minutes before you use it. This is especially important with spelt, as the batter starts out very soupy, but thickens as the grain absorbs the liquid. Cook waffles in a hot waffle iron and serve with Banana Cream.

Banana Cream
yield: 2 cups
2 large bananas
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp lemon juice
1 cup heavy cream

Mash the bananas in a small bowl and sprinkle them with the sugar, cinnamon and lemon juice. Whip cream in a separate bowl until it is stiff. Fold the banana mixture into the whipped cream and serve immediately.

Sour Cream Waffles

I know what you are thinking..."Have a little waffle with your berries!" My boys love to tease me with that. I can't help myself, I just LOVE berries at breakfast. And since it is berry season (yeah!!) I am in heaven!

One morning my boys were begging for waffles, but I was out of buttermilk, the key ingredient in my favorite waffles. I remembered seeing a recipe from a cookbook that used sour cream. It was in a cookbook that I bought for display. I loved the title--"Back to the Table. The Reunion of Food and Family" by Art Smith. I have it on a decorative iron holder in the corner of my counter top. It is a good reminder of the power of the family meal! I think it is so important and a beautiful tradition to gather daily around a table and share a home cooked meal and conversation with the people you love. Good for the body and for the soul. But back to the recipe:) With 5 hungry boys waiting, I quickly located the recipe on page 91 and whipped them up. They were surprisingly fantastic. I wondered why I hadn't used this cookbook before.

Now I alternate between these waffles and the buttermilk waffles found here. I love both, it just depends if I have buttermilk or sour cream on hand. Sour cream, just like buttermilk gives baked goods a lighter and delicious texture. These waffles are worth getting out of bed for! In the picture I have berries (obviously) and Erin's coconut syrup, found here. It was wonderful!!

Sour Cream Waffles

Submitted by Melanie

Recipe From Back to the Table by Art Smith

1 3/4 cups all purpose flour

1 tablespoon sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

8 Tb butter (1 cube) butter, melted

1 cup milk (I usually 1/8-1/4cup more--I like the batter to be a little thinner)

1/2 cup sour cream (I use light)

3 large eggs

Heat waffle iron. Lightly oil grids. Meanwhile, whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl to combine and make a well in the center. Whisk the melted butter, milk and sour cream, and eggs in a medium bowl until well combined and pour into well. Whisk until smooth, do not over mix. *Honestly I usually use my hand held electric mixer. It works fast and turns out great!

Spoon about 1/4 cup of the batter into the center of each quadrant of the waffle iron and close the iron. Cook until the waffle is golden brown, 3-4 minutes. Serve the waffles hot, with the syrup passed on the side.

Buttermilk Waffles

This is our all time favorite waffle recipe.  I recently made them for breakfast for my husband's birthday, and I realized no one had posted them on The Sisters' Cafe yet.  What a tragedy! :)  Melanie gave me this recipe when I first got married, and I don't think I will ever find another that I like more.  We prefer it with coconut syrup, which Erin has already posted.  And when I don't have buttermilk on hand, I just use regular milk, which still tastes great.  But try it however you like... you won't be disappointed!

Buttermilk Waffles
Submitted by Mindy ~ The Sisters Cafe

1 stick butter, melted

2 cups flour

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 tsp baking soda

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt

3 large eggs

2 cups buttermilk

1 tsp vanilla

Preheat waffle iron.  Beat eggs until fluffy.  Beat in everything else just until smooth.

Whole Wheat Blender Waffles with Coconut Syrup

This morning I made a new waffle recipe. It was whole wheat and super healthy, and I've been looking forward to trying it out. It was AWFUL. They were so incredibly bland that I had to choke down a few bites before I decided all the rest of the waffles and batter were going in the garbage. It was that bad. After making up a batch of waffles, my heart was completely set on a warm and delicious waffle breakfast. I almost wanted to start all over and make one of my favorite waffle recipes that I could trust, but the breakfast moment was over. My hubby was on his way out the door, and my 2-year old was already filling up on his tastless poor-excuse-for-a-waffle. So I got out the old bowl and spoon, and frosted mini-wheats have never tasted so unsatisfying in my life.
Consequently, I've decided to post my very favorite, tried-and-true, never fail, healthy, delicious, you-won't-be-sorry-that-you-tried-it waffle recipe. Whole Wheat Blender Waffles, pictured with delicious coconut syrup. *applause* I promise you that these are wonderful and will make your life happier! I might have to make these for lunch just to make up for the bad breakfast experience. Oh yeah - another plus to this recipe is it is SO EASY and fast. Throw it in the blender, set the timer, and viola! You have a slightly crunchy waffle that tastes delicious, sits well in your tummy, and blesses your body with whole-wheat-health! In case you don't know what whole wheat berries are, they are grains/'kernels' of wheat that haven't been milled yet. I buy wheat like this and then grind it myself to make fresh whole wheat flour for bread, muffins, etc. But you don't grind it for this recipe - you actually measure out the berries. You could probably get a small amount of berries at your local health food store.  *I have to add that you should buy WHITE wheat versus red wheat. Much better. It's milder and sweeter than red wheat; in fact, the end products it is used in are very soft and light. (And I would recommend using HARD wheat instead of SOFT wheat.  If you have any questions about purchasing wheat, ask us (via comment or email) and we'll help you out.)

Whole Wheat Blender Waffles
Submitted by Erin

1 c. plus 1 Tb whole wheat berries
1 c. milk
2 eggs
4 Tb oil
2 Tb sugar (or honey)
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

Blend wheat berries and milk on high for 4-5 minutes, until batter is smooth. Add remaining ingredients and blend on low for a minute, or until incorporated. Cook on hot waffle iron. (Stir batter before pouring into waffle iron, because the heavier wheat particles will settle at the bottom.) Makes about 10 waffles.
(To make pancakes instead of waffles, use 1 c. wheat berries and 2 Tb oil.)

 

And now, time for the best part of a waffle breakfast - the homemade SYRUP! This is the best syrup ever. In the whole world. It can't be beat. :) Seriously, when I offer to make waffles or pancakes for breakfast, the first thing my husband says is, "With Coconut Syrup?" If I say, "Well, I ran out of coconut extract..." or "I don't have buttermilk" then he passes on the waffles. No joke. This syrup is a MUST around here. (And if you don't like coconut, there's a good chance you will still like this. It's got the subtle sweet coconut flavor without the coconut texture.) Anyway, it is truly DELICIOUS.

Coconut Syrup
submitted by Erin

7-8 Tb. butter
¾ c. buttermilk
1 c. sugar
½ tsp baking soda
1 tsp coconut extract

Place butter, buttermilk and sugar in a pot. Then turn stove on medium and stir until butter melts and sugar dissolves. Bring to a boil and boil one minute. Remove from heat and add soda and flavoring. It will bubble up; just continue to stir and give it a few minutes for the 'fizz' to reduce before serving.