Praline Waffles
Throughout the majority of the summer, we're quite happy to have a grab-and-go-type breakfast. A banana, maybe a bowl of cereal, a piece of toast with peanut butter and jelly… nothing terribly high maintenance or warm, for that matter.
However, once fall starts to kick in, we crave hot, satisfying breakfasts. Oatmeal is usually our go-to; we make it with cinnamon, maple syrup, chopped apples, raisins, and walnuts. It’s wonderfully filling and packed with flavor. Things like pancakes and waffles inch back onto our radar, as well.
To celebrate our brand new waffle maker, we decided it was high time to whip up a recipe on our to-do list since last fall. Cinnamon-spiced Belgian waffles topped with praline syrup… every bit as decadent as you might imagine, and every bit as rich, too.
Nothing is quite like waking up on a chilly morning, wrapped up in your favorite pajamas or blanket, and sitting down to a fabulous, warm breakfast. It’s such a treat, and we revel in it since breakfasts like this are not every day.
As you might imagine, the praline syrup certainly falls on the high side of the sweet meter, so if you are particularly sensitive to sweets, you could dress these waffles up with the customary butter and maple syrup. No harm, no foul, and they will taste absolutely fantastic. You could even throw some chopped pecans on for good measure… And a couple of pieces of oven-baked bacon. You know, to balance out the sweet and savory, of course.
This recipe made eight waffles in our waffle maker, and we froze the leftovers. A speedy trip in the toaster oven (or regular toaster, for that matter), and they’ll crisp right up. What’s your favorite way to top a waffle? More importantly, what’s your favorite cool-weather breakfast food?
One year ago: Oatmeal Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Scones
Six years ago: Hearty Beef Stew
- Yield: 8 servings
- Prep: 10 minutes
- Cook: 20 minutes
- Total: 30 minutes
Ingredients
For the Waffles:
- 3 eggs, at room temperature, separated
- 1½ cups ( 360 ml ) buttermilk, at room temperature
- ½ cup ( 113.5 g ) unsalted butter, melted
- ½ teaspoon ( 0.5 teaspoon ) vanilla extract
- 1½ cups ( 187.5 g ) all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1½ teaspoons ( 1.5 teaspoons ) ground cinnamon
- 1½ teaspoons ( 1.5 teaspoons ) baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon ( 0.25 teaspoon ) kosher salt
For the Praline Syrup:
- 1 cup ( 220 g ) dark brown sugar
- ½ cup ( 113.5 g ) unsalted butter, softened, cut into cubes
- ½ cup ( 0.03 ml ) maple syrup
- 2 pinches kosher salt
- 1 cup ( 99 g ) coarsely chopped pecans
Method
- Preheat oven to 200 degrees F. Preheat a Belgian waffle maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
- In a large bowl, whisk the egg yolks, then whisk in the buttermilk, melted butter and vanilla extract. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add the flour mixture to the egg yolk mixture and whisk until smooth.
- In another medium bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold half of the egg whites into the batter, then gently fold in the remaining egg whites. Cook the waffles according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Transfer to a baking sheet and keep warm in the oven.
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, combine the brown sugar, butter, maple syrup and salt. Heat the mixture, stirring when the butter begins to melt. Continue to cook, stirring constantly, until the syrup is smooth, about 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the pecans, then remove from the heat. Spoon the syrup over the waffles and serve immediately.
