Weightless Belgium Waffles with Caramelized Pears
I guess I can write a cookbook and name it “10 000 Calories Breakfasts.” You know I just love crazy decadent breakfast recipes. What can a girl do with such a passion? Just let herself go and cook Belgium Waffles with Caramelized Pears =)
A few Christmases ago Santa got me a pretty cool waffle maker I wanted so bad. And I used it only once. I don’t know why maybe I needed a powerful dose of inspiration or something. But this excellent piece of culinary equipment was waiting until this day to produce one of the most amazing waffles I’ve ever tried. It was worth waiting!
I added grated orange zest and melted brown butter to the batter to create an interesting taste combination. And it worked perfectly! You can serve them with anything you like. Berries, ice cream, chocolate syrup will be fantastic toppings. Today I was in the mood for caramelized pears and hazelnuts. You can use my idea or create something to your taste. Enjoy and don’t be afraid to experiment!
TIP: Use ripe but firm pears, I used Red Crimson. Choose the sweetest and most fragrant kind you can find.
Ingredients
- all purpose flour - 1 cup
- baking powder - 1 teaspoon
- kosher salt - 1/4 teaspoon
- large eggs - 2, separated
- sugar - 2 1/2 tablespoons
- pure vanilla extract - 1/2 teaspoon
- brown or regular unsalted butter - 2 tablespoons, melted
- orange zest - 1 1/2 tablespoons
- whole milk - 1 cup
- cooking spray
- pears - 2, thinly sliced
- unsalted butter - 2 tablespoons
- roasted hazelnuts - 1/4 cup, whole or chopped
- brown sugar - 1/4 cup
- whipped cream
Instructions
- Preheat the waffle iron according to the manufacturer's instructions.
- In a medium bowl sift the flour and baking powder.
- In a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment beat the egg yolks with sugar and vanilla extract until pale.
- Add the melted butter, orange zest and milk to the yolks and gently whisk to combine.
- Mix the egg mixture with the flour mixture. Don't over mix.
- Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form; fold into batter.
- Spray the waffle iron with the cooking spray. Pour enough batter in iron to just cover waffle grid.
- Cook the waffles according to the manufacturer instruction until golden brown.
- To caramelize the pears heat a big non-stick skillet over medium heat.
- Melt the butter, and then add the pear slices and hazelnuts.
- Cook until the pears are soft, about 4-5 minutes. Add the brown sugar and continue cooking until caramelized, another 5 minutes.
- Top the waffles with the caramelized pears and whipped cream. Serve immediately.