Gingerbread Waffles with Brown Butter Cranberry Compote
Usually when I come up with a new recipe or my own version of a classic dish, I have a food memory from my younger years. This one is about waffles. Truth is I never really cared about them but my parents sure did. During my summer vacations, most Sundays were all about making waffles. My dad was the honorary waffle chef and he’d make them from Krusteaz pancake mix. They came out perfectly. He’d pile them up on a platter and serve them alongside a bowl of freshly cut peaches from the local orchard, maple syrup, and peanut butter. My parents were crazy about them and were convinced that I should love them too but I mostly enjoyed the peaches. I was always underwhelmed with the actual waffle. It just tasted stodgy and heavy.
I didn’t want to hurt my dad’s feelings of course so I endured our waffle Sundays when what I truly craved was eggs benedict. I secretly hoped the waffle craze would eventually fade away but it went on for years. In fact, when my aunt and uncle came to visit one summer, they were blown away with my dad’s famous peanut butter and peach waffles. My uncle loved them so much whenever he went out to breakfast, he’d bring a jar of peanut butter with him. It was getting outta hand but what can I tell you. Families are quirky sometimes.
Once I moved out and started making my own Sunday breakfasts, I focused on egg dishes like omelets, frittata, and huevos rancheros. I did not miss waffles. Then one year for Christmas my dad gifted me with a waffle iron. Oh dear… Here we go. We made them that morning with peanut butter and maple syrup. Peaches weren’t in season so that was that. The waffle iron sat in my cupboard gathering dust until the next time we had brunch together.
I didn’t really give waffles much thought for many years and was quite content about this decision but when I was working on my first cookbook they started to haunt me a little when I was thinking of breakfast dishes. I thought, what if I could make a waffle that tasted interesting? What if my waffle was gluten-free and tasted delicious on its own.
Enter the gingerbread waffle. This recipe was originally made with barley flour which is not gluten-free but at the time I wasn’t sure I could make a gluten-free batter that would hold up in a waffle iron. More recipe testing ensued and now I have the gluten-free version of this delicious waffle with aromatic spices that are like visions of sugar plums, reindeers, and partridges in a pear tree. These are the ultimate holiday waffle with ginger, allspice, cinnamon, and molasses. The best part is they are delicious on their own or with a little melted butter.
Of course I thought why not up the ante and serve these with another holiday flavor bomb? So I paired these with a brown buttered pear and cranberry compote. I would actually eat this compote by itself (it's that good) but when topped onto these gingerbread waffles, just wow!
Cooking Tips
Separate the eggs
The trick to making these waffles light and airy is separating the eggs. The egg yolks are mixed with molasses, maple syrup, yogurt, and butter, then combined with the flours and leavener. The egg whites are whipped separately with a hand mixer until they form stiff peaks and then are carefully folded into the thick gingerbread flavored batter. The waffle iron does the rest.
Keep it Crispy
These waffles tend to be a little soft and floppy out of the iron so after each one is cooked, put them on a rack so they can crisp up. Crispy waffles don’t happen with this particular recipe so don’t skip this step.
Make your compote a day or more ahead
If you’re planning on making these waffles for a hungry brunch bunch you’ll be happy you did!