Pumpkin Pie Waffles

I found this recipe about 3 or 4 years ago at Williams-Sonoma Online. It is a wonderful recipe, but I have always wanted mine to look like the pictures! Unfortunately, they don't. Not sure if it is my waffle maker, or their recipe but either way, in order to get a little more "crunch" to my waffles this year I decided to whip my egg whites and fold them in. I also put in 1 full teaspoon of soda, as opposed to 1/2. (Of course I omitted the rum, don't usually have it on hand!) I like the adjustments I made and decided two things. . .

ONE: The batter is the most delicious batter I have ever tasted and

TWO: I had forgotten how good these are and will make them at least 3 more times before the holidays are over!

Pumpkin Pie Waffles

Ingredients:

5 Tbs. unsalted butter
1 cup pumpkin puree (you can use canned puree)
1/2 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 1/4 tsp. grated peeled fresh ginger (I use fresh or 1/2 tsp. ground)
1/8 tsp. ground cloves
1/8 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
Pinch of salt
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 Tbs. double-acting baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 cup milk
1/2 cup sour cream
2 eggs (separated)
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Vanilla ice cream and/or maple syrup for serving or a BIG dollop of whip cream. Wish I woulda had that today!

Directions:

Preheat a waffle iron. If you want to hold the finished waffles until serving time, preheat an oven to 200°F.Melt the butter; set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the pumpkin, brown and granulated sugars, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg and salt. Using a rubber spatula or handheld electric mixer, mix together well. Stir in the flour, baking powder and baking soda. The mixture will be thick and a little lumpy. Don't try to smooth it out; just mix until the ingredients are incorporated. In a separate bowl, whip your egg whites into stiff peaks. In another bowl, beat together the milk, sour cream, eggs, and vanilla. Add the liquid ingredients to the pumpkin mixture and stir until combined. Fold in the melted butter and egg whites.

Whether or not your irons grids are well seasoned or made of a nonstick material, it is best to lightly butter or spray the grids for these waffles because the batter is quite sticky. Brush or spray the grids again only if subsequent waffles stick.For a Belgian waffle iron, spoon out 2/3 to 3/4 cup of batter (or the amount recommended by the manufacturers instructions) onto the hot iron. Use a metal spatula or wooden spoon to spread the batter evenly over the grids. Close the lid and bake until golden. If the waffle is hard to remove from the iron, peel it off gently and carefully.

Serve immediately or keep the waffles, in a single layer, on a rack in the preheated oven while you make the rest.Serving: Serve these warm and golden, one to a diner, topped with vanilla ice cream and/or maple syrup. Makes about six 4 1/2-inch square Belgian waffles.