gingerbread waffles

Other than Michael and cooking, Christmas may very well be my favorite thing on earth. Thanksgiving to Christmas marks the one time of the year where people generally seem nicer, celebrations and parties abound, and almost everywhere you look it’s beautiful with decorations and lights everywhere.

And then there’s the food.

Oh, dolly, the food.

Pies, cookies, brownies, cookies, candy, cookies, roasts, cookies, hors d’oeuvres, cookies, holiday Chex mix, cookies…there’s a lot to get excited about and it can be easy to overdo it.

That’s one thing I love about my family’s Christmas eating traditions. Our Christmas Eve dinner is just appetizers. We have a big spread of appetizers–jalapeno poppers, cheese and crackers, pasta salad, a vegetable tray, etc.–and it’s delicious.

The next morning is when we pull out the big guns.

We have a huge brunch of waffles with every topping under the sun (a few kinds of syrup, strawberries and whipped cream, etc.), eggs, bacon or sausage, grapefruit, orange juice, and more. That night, we just pull out the rest of the appetizers and have another light meal. It’s perfect.

Growing up, Christmas morning was about the only time we really did waffles. I love waffles and when I went away to college, I decided that waffles weren’t just for Christmas. I love making them more often and am always on the hunt for a new recipe.

This one was delicious and it smelled just like Christmas. That gingery, cinnamony smell. Ah… served with buttermilk syrup or Grade B Dark Amber stuff… oh yeah.

Gingerbread Waffles
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
3/4c pumpkin
1 1/4c milk
4 eggs, yolks and whites separated
6Tbsp canola oil
2/3c brown sugar
1/4c molasses
2tsp cinnamon
2tsp ginger
1/2tsp nutmeg
1/2tsp salt
4tsp baking powder
3c flour

Directions:
In a large bowl, combine pumpkin, milk, egg yolks, canola oil, brown sugar, and molasses. Sift cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, salt, baking powder, and flour over top. Stir to combine well. If the mixture seems a bit thin, add 1-2 Tbsp extra flour. In a medium or large glass or metal bowl, whip egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold whipped egg whites into the batter gently.

Cook according to waffle-iron instructions.