Fall is upon us and that means pumpkin time is here! If you read many blogs you'll know that everyone's been on the pumpkin band wagon. The Kitchen Witch is no exception. I can't get enough of those orange globes, they just scream fall and Halloween to me, both of which are amongst my very favorite things ever! Add in the cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg that go so well with winter squash and I'm a very happy Witch indeed. What do you do when you wake up and its the first day that it feels like fall, finally AND you're a pumpkin fiend? You make pumpkin waffles, of course! A quick trip to Smitten Kitchen yielded a recipe that was indeed drool worthy: Pumpkin waffles, the perfect thing for a cold, cloudy perfectly fall day.
The recipe calls for whipping the egg whites and folding them into the batter. Yes, that's extra work but believe me, it's worth it. It really helps keep the waffles light, fluffy and crispy. Pumpkin is notorious for making a dense, moist product and you really do need this extra step to avoid those pitfalls. If you have a stand mixer simply start your egg whites whipping while you mix the other wet ingredients with the dry. By the time you're done with that the egg whites are done, too. So really, it doesn't take any extra time at all, I'm magickal like that!This recipe makes a LOT of waffles. We ate about half a batch and I froze the rest. They reheated beautifully in the toaster from a frozen state. The little Witch really loved these and has been bugging me to make her more of them. Who am I to say no!
Pumpkin Waffles
makes 24 single 4 in waffles
recipe from Smitten Kitchen
2 1/2 c flour
1 1/4 t baking powder
1 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
2 t cinnamon, ground
1 t ginger, ground
1/8 t cloves, ground
2 c milk +juice of 1 lemon
OR 2 c buttermilk (in lieu of the milk and lemon)
6 T butter, melted (3/4 stick)
1 15 oz can pumpkin
1/3 c brown sugar
4 eggs, separated
Preheat oven to 250°F and preheat waffle iron. Sift together flour, brown sugar, baking powder and soda, salt, and spices. Whisk egg yolks in a large bowl with buttermilk, pumpkin, and butter until smooth. Whisk in dry ingredients just until combined.
See how lumpy it is? That's OK. The lumps will work themselves out, don't worry!In a mixing bowl with a whisk attachment, whisk the egg whites until they hold soft peaks. Folk them gently into the waffle batter, until just combined.
Notice the streaks of egg whites? Again that's OK, it will all work out in the end. Please don't be tempted to over mix the batter, the lumps and streaks are what gives you the lightness you're looking for. Its Magick, folks!Brush waffle iron lightly with oil and spoon batter (about 1/2 cups for each 4-inch Belgian waffles) into waffle iron, spreading quickly. Cook according to manufacturer’s instructions.
Transfer waffles to rack in oven to keep warm and crisp. Make more waffles in same manner.
Nutrition Facts
Pumpkin Waffles provided by SparkPeople recipe calculator
Amount Per Serving (1 waffle each)
Calories 109.9
Total Fat 4.1 g
Saturated Fat 2.2 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.3 g
Monounsaturated Fat 1.2 g
Cholesterol 44.0 mg
Sodium 138.0 mg
Potassium 101.8 mg
Total Carbohydrate 16.4 g
Dietary Fiber 0.8 g
Sugars 5.2 g
Protein 3.2 g
