Pumpkin Waffles with Warm Buttermilk Syrup

I cannot over-emphasize how AMAZING these waffles and this syrup are. I seriously think they are the best breakfast ever! The waffles are flavorful, with the perfect amount of spice and they bake up somewhat crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. I've made them twice and I CRAVE them! I hope you enjoy them as much as we do! 

I did double the waffle recipe to yield 8 full-size Belgian waffles (pictured above), cut the butter in half and compensated by adding a little more milk. We had plenty for our family and enough leftovers for the next day's breakfast. Recipe from my friend Paige Smedley.

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 Tablespoons baking powder

1 Tablespoon cinnamon

1 Tablespoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon salt

4 eggs

1 3/4 cups milk

1 cup pumpkin puree

6 Tablespoons butter, melted

1 Tablespoon vanilla

Mix dry ingredients together and set aside. Separate egg yolks (reserve egg whites) and beat yolks slightly. Add milk, pumpkin, butter and vanilla to the yolks. Add to dry mixture. Beat egg whites to stiff peaks and fold gently into mixture (do not over mix). Spoon into greased waffle maker per maker directions. Yield: 8 full-size Belgian waffles

BUTTERMILK SYRUP

The syrup will double in size when you stir in the baking soda, so make sure your pan is big enough. Recipe from my friend Polly Yoho.

1 cup buttermilk

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup butter

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Add buttermilk, sugar and butter to a large saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and immediately add vanilla and baking soda. Serve warm over waffles, pancakes or German pancakes. 

Yield: 1 3/4 cups syrup.

Hearty Spaghetti Sauce

We moved this summer and the second night in our new home, our neighbor brought this Turkey Spaghetti sauce for dinner and a fabulous dessert (Marshmallow Krispie Brownies) to introduce herself. Now THAT's the way to make friends, people! We still had boxes to the ceiling and I hadn't made a home-cooked meal in days. Needless to say, I called her to ask for the recipes because we all loved them. This can be made with ground turkey or beef. 

Also, she brought me Dreamfields Pasta, which is my new favorite pasta. It has a low glycemic index, which for those non-diabetics, it means that it doesn't cause such a speedy rise in your blood sugar when you eat it. In fact, out of the 41 grams of carbohydrate in each serving, only 5 grams "count." As a Diabetic, I am always looking for ways to cut carbs, so I am a big fan! I can find it at 2 of my local grocery stores and I seriously can't taste any difference between Dreamfields and regular pasta.  The Turkey Spaghetti Sauce itself is low-carb, but with this new pasta, it's a legitimate "low-carb pasta meal." Hooray for that!

Anyway, I digress... Here's the recipe, from my neighbor Sharon:)  Serves about 8.

1 pound lean ground turkey or beef

1 green pepper, diced

1 onion, diced

1 (28 ounce) can tomato sauce or crushed tomatoes

1 (15 ounce) can petite diced tomatoes, undrained

1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste

1/8 cup Worcestershire sauce

1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder

1/4 teaspoon (or less) cayenne pepper

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/4 teaspoon sage

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon salt

Brown meat with onion and green pepper and set aside.

Mix tomatoes, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce and spices in a large pot. Add browned meat and vegetables and stir well. Cover and let simmer over low heat for about 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Serve sauce over cooked pasta. 

Coconut syrup

**Recipe from my dear friend Jules, whose hand is scooping up this yumminess in photo above!


1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
3/4 c. buttermilk
1 cup sugar (I usually put in 3/4 c. to make me feel better)
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. coconut extract

Place first three ingredients in a saucepan on medium heat until butter melts and sugar dissolves. Boil 1 minute, stirring constantly, then remove from heat and add soda and flavoring. It will fizz, so give it a few minutes to settle down--the foam eventually settles. Store in the fridge--I usually heat it up a little in the microwave before using. YUM!

Cranberry Sauce

This is simple and delicious. Much better than canned!

Directions:

Bring 1 c. water and 1 c. sugar to a boil in saucepan. Add 3 c. fresh cranberries and bring to boil again. Reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes. Dish into small serving bowls and leave out at room temperature until set. Refrigerate until serving.  (***Optional: add 1 tsp. grated orange peel...yummy)

Cranberry Bundt Cake with Warm Butter Sauce

Tis the season for cranberries! Yum!

           4 1/2 Tbs. butter, melted

           1 1/2 cups sugar

           4 1/2 tsp. baking powder

           1 1/2 tsp. salt

           3 cups all-purpose flour

           1 (12 oz.) can evaporated milk (1 1/2 cups)

           3 cups whole fresh cranberries, thawed if frozen

Preheat oven to 350° F. Cream butter and sugar in a large bowl. In a medium bowl, mix baking powder, salt and flour. Add alternately the flour mixture and the evaporated milk into the butter mixture until blended. Fold in the cranberries. Spoon into a greased and floured Bundt pan. Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until the top is lightly browned and center is set. Jiggle the pan to check. Cool in pan for 10 minutes, then run a knife along the edges of the pan and invert onto a serving plate. Top each slice with Warm Butter Sauce and serve. Serves 12-14.

Warm Butter Sauce:

          1 cup sugar

          1/2 cup butter

          1 cup whipping cream

          1 tsp. vanilla

          Pinch salt

Cook together in a heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring frequently for 10-15 minutes.