Pumpkin Praline Waffles

We made this Pumpkin Praline Waffle recipe for our good friends from Philadelphia who are visiting this weekend. These waffles are not your classic crisp crusted Belgian waffle. Pumpkin Praline Waffles bring both fall flavor and color to the brunch table, and have a soft and custardy texture that tastes like pumpkin pie. A quick homemade riff on pecan praline puts these waffles over the top. Check out our Overnight Sourdough Waffles for a classic Belgian style waffle. And stay tuned for a savory cornmeal waffle recipe coming up soon! Adapted from King Arthur Flour's All Purpose Baking.

Yield: 5-6 waffles

Ingredients:

   Waffles:

• 2 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 (15 ounce can) pumpkin puree
• 6 tablespoons butter, melted
• 2 cups buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 4 large eggs, separated

   Pecan Praline:

• 1 cup chopped pecans
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 4 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Note: If you do not have all the spices this recipe calls for, feel free to substitute 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice.  Also, if you don't own a waffle iron, never fear, these waffles are quite soft and can also work well as pancakes.

Steps:

1. For the waffles: Combine the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, spices and sugar) in a large bowl.
2. Add the wet ingredients (pumpkin, butter, egg yolks, buttermilk, and vanilla) and stir thoroughly to combine. 
3. In a clean bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold the egg whites into the pumpkin mixture. 
4. For the pecan praline: heat a small non-stick skillet over high heat, add the pecans and cook 2-3 minutes, stirring regularly to prevent burning, until the pecans are beginning to color and smell nuts.  
5. Add the butter, sugar, cinnamon and salt to the pecans. Lower heat to medium and continue stirring for 1 minute, until nuts have absorbed the butter mixture.  Mix the pecan mixture into the waffle dough or sprinkle it on top of the raw waffle mixture as you are putting it into your waffle maker.
6. Cook the waffles to your device's specifications, you are looking for a golden waffle that releases easily from the waffle iron. Note, these waffles will be soft and may be harder to get out of the waffle iron.  We cook ours stove top over medium high heat, 1 minute on the first side, 2 1/2 minutes on the second.
7. Serve immediately or keep warm in an oven at low heat.