My return to baking actually doesn’t involve my mixer at all. But it does include pumpkin. It’s a tradeoff but it works. You know what else works? Browned butter. Everysingletime. Lets not just melt that butter. Let’s glam it up, Gaga-fy it, and show it all kind of love. Kind of make it the star of this essential breakfast option. Except there isn’t one MVP here. These pumpkin waffles are a total team effort. Pumpkin, browned butter, ricotta cheese, essential spices, and the usual suspects all work together to bring you the greatest fall-themed breakfast. Like the Gold Medal ultra team sport of the breakfast world.
Seriously. These are amazing. Ahhh-mazing. They are light, fluffy and basically everything a decadent fall breakfast should be. “A dose of autumn deliciousness.” Words of my favorite taste tester. Truth fact, absolutely. I think it took me about 5 full minutes to get over how awesome the flavors were before I enjoyed them. And they were gone and I wanted more. Except this will also fill up so you can’t even eat another, even if you tried. Especially if you drown them in syrup. The only way in my opinon.
I’m so in love with waffles. I knew the boy and I were meant to be when he gave me a rotating waffle maker for our first Christmas. A carbolicious breakfast is never far from my thoughts. And when you mom gives you a growler of New Hampshire maple syrup you have to be ready for waffles anytime. I’ve been on a hunt for the perfect pumpkin waffles and these just might be it. All my favorite flavors and ingredients for waffles. Happy fall and welcome home.
Pumpkin Waffles
*adapted from Williams-Sonoma
*makes 4 3 1/2 inch waffles
Ingredients:
- 5 Tbs. unsalted butter, browned
- 1 cup pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
- 1/2 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1 1/4 tsp. grated peeled fresh ginger
- 1/8 tsp. ground cloves
- 1/8 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
- Pinch of salt
- 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 Tbs. double-acting baking powder
- 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- 1 cup milk
- 1/2 cup ricotta cheese
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
Directions
- Preheat a waffle iron.
- Brown the butter; set aside. Need a refresher on this essential step? Your welcome.
- In a large bowl, combine the pumpkin, sugars, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg and salt. Using a whisk , mix together well. Stir in the flour, baking powder and baking soda. The mixture will be thick and a little lumpy. Don’t try to smooth it out; just mix until the ingredients are incorporated.
- In another bowl, beat together the milk, ricotta cheese, eggs, and vanilla. Add the liquid ingredients to the pumpkin mixture and stir until combined. Fold in the melted butter.
- Lightly butter or spray the grids for these waffles because the batter is pretty sticky.
- For a Belgian waffle iron, spoon out 2/3 to 3/4 cup of batter onto the hot iron. Use a metal spatula or wooden spoon to spread the batter evenly over the grids. Close the lid and bake until golden.
- Serve immediately or keep the waffles, in a single layer, on a rack in preheated oven while you make the rest.
- Makes about six 4 1/2-inch square Belgian waffles.
The Little Red Mixer 