maple bourbon bacon waffle bread pudding

First, the bacon — two ways:

8 strips bacon
brown sugar

Press the bacon into the brown sugar to get it to stick to both sides. Sprinkle with black pepper and lay across a cooling rack that is sitting on a parchment lined baking sheet. Put in a 375 degree oven for 20-25 minutes, or until the bacon is well cooked. Set aside to cool and then chop into pieces.

10 slices center cut bacon, cooked until pretty crisp, chopped into small pieces.

Next the waffles:

3/4 cup flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar

Mix first five ingredients together in a bowl. Add the last five and mix well. Spray the waffle iron with cooking spray. Pour the batter according the the waffle maker’s instructions and then sprinkle part of the cooked (not candied) bacon on top and cook the waffle.

Now the pudding:

8 cups 1" waffle pieces (four full sized Belgian waffles)
12 large egg yolks
2 cups whole milk
2 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup pure maple syrup
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Cut waffles into bite-sized pieces and set aside. In a large bowl combine egg yolks, milk, cream, syrup, vanilla and kosher salt. Mix well until combined. Add waffle pieces and candied bacon. Stir mixture together until waffles pieces are coated with the egg mixture. Pour into prepared 13x9 baking dish, confer with plastic wrap and let sit in the fridge for at least an hour.

Take out of the fridge a half hour before cooking and preheat the oven to 375. Cover with foil and bake for an hour. Remove foil and bake another 20-30 minutes, or until center is set. Remove from the oven and brush top with melted butter. Can be served warm or at room temperature.

Peace,
Milton

pig in a blanket waffles

1 package Li'l Smokies

2 packages Crescent Roll dough

Cut each triangle of dough into five relatively similarly sized pieces and wrap each one around one of the little sausages.

3/4 cup flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cup buttermilk
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar

Mix first five ingredients together in a bowl. Add the last five and mix well. Spray the waffle iron with cooking spray. Dip each pig in a blanket in the waffle batter and place on waffle iron. Cook according to waffle maker’s instructions. We served them with honey mustard sauce.

Peace
Milton

chocolate chip cookie waffles

1 cup butter
1 1/2 cups brown sugar, packed
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
2 1/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 12 oz. package of chocolate chips

Cream butter and sugar together in mixer for 5-7 minutes. Add vanilla and eggs and mix to combine. In a separate bowl, mix flour, baking soda, and salt. Add gradually to butter-sugar mixture. Add chocolate chips.

Spray the waffle maker well and, using a one ounce scoop, drop the cookies on the waffle iron and close the lid. Cook for 3-4 minutes.

Peace
Milton

maple cornbread waffles

1 cup cornmeal
1 cup flour
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup sugar (for sweet cornbread)
1/3 cup melted butter
3/4 - 1 cup buttermilk
1 egg
1/4 cup maple syrup

Mix the dry ingredients together in a bowl and whisk the butter, buttermilk, egg, and syrup in another. Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients and pour in the buttermilk mixture. Stir until combined. Cook according to waffle maker’s instructions.

We topped these with a piece of fried chicken and some honey butter.

Peace
Milton

sweet potato waffles

1 1/2 cups cooked and mashed sweet potatoes (one large or two smaller sweet potatoes)

1 cup milk
1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup butter, melted
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 egg whites, at room temperature

Prick the sweet potatoes -- I used purple ones -- with a fork until there are holes all over. Put in a microwave on high for five minutes. Then do it for another five. Take the potatoes out of the microwave, wrap them in foil, and set them aside for about fifteen minutes, then mash them in a bowl and add the butter, sugar, and milk, mixing until well combined.

In another large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir the sweet potato mixture
into the flour mixture and thoroughly combine.

Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Gradually fold egg whites into batter 1/3 at a time. The batter will be thick.

Spray your waffle iron with cooking spray and then cook the batter according to the waffle maker’s instructions. We served these with Cackalacky pulled pork (which is to say I put a Boston Butt in the crock pot, covered it with Cackalacky sauce, and let it ride all night on low) and pimento cheese.

NOTE: Strain and save the drippings from the crock pot, let it cool and skim the fat off, add a can of Guinness and a handful or two of brown sugar, and let it reduce by about half and you’ll have
yourself a mean barbecue sauce.

Peace
Milton

falafel waffles

1 15-ounce can chickpeas,  drained and rinsed

1/3 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 egg whites, beaten until stiff

Put all of the ingredients except the egg whites in a food processor and puree until smooth. Transfer to a bowl and fold in egg whites until combined. Spray the waffle iron with cooking spray and follow waffle maker’s instructions. We topped ours with avocado hummus and tzatziki.

Peace,
Milton

red velvet waffles

I made these and served them as white chocolate ice cream sandwiches and blackberry-balsamic sauce. They rocked.

In a bowl, mix together

1 1/2 cups flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder

In another bowl, mix together

3 egg yolks (save the whites for later)
1 oz. red food coloring (the little bottle)
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
6 tablespoons butter, melted
1 1/2 cups milk

Pour the liquid mixture into the dry mixture and combine until just mixed (may still be a bit lumpy). Now, beat the egg whites you saved until they are stiff and then fold them into the batter. Cook according to your waffle maker's instructions.

NOTE: To make the ice cream sandwiches, I divided the waffle into quarters and then sliced each quarter through the middle, as if they were buns and then put a scoop of ice cream in between the halves because I thought two full waffle pieces would be too thick.

Peace,
Milton