If you want to have a special breakfast, make these gingerbread waffles with crème anglaise sauce. I love gingersnap cookies and these waffles reminded me of them. The deep earthy flavor of molasses, dark brown sugar, and bold spices such as ginger and allspice make for a great new spin on waffles.
This gingerbread waffle recipe came from one of my all-time favorite bloggers, Deb Perelman of Smitten Kitchen. I wanted to pair it with something other than powdered sugar and syrup and that is when crème anglaise came to mind.
Crème Anglaise is a velvety vanilla cream sauce that goes good on just about any dessert. Thank bread pudding and soufflés. It is easy to whip up and all you need is milk, heavy cream, sugar, egg yolks and vanilla.
Recipe: Gingerbread Waffles With Creme Anglaise
Shake up your breakfast waffles with these delicious gingerbread waffles!
Ingredients:
For the Gingerbread Waffles:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon ground ginger
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea or table salt
- 1/2 cup buttermilk yogurt thinned with a little milk, fresh apple cider, or even stout beer
- 1/2 cup molasses
- 1/2 cup dark brown sugar packed
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 3 tablespoons butter melted, plus extra for brushing the waffle iron
For the Crème Anglaise:
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 1/2 cup whipping cream
- 1/2 inch piece vanilla bean split
- 3 large egg yolks
Instructions:
- Combine milk and cream in heavy medium saucepan. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean; add bean. Bring the milk mixture to a simmer. Remove from heat.
- Whisk egg yolks and sugar in medium bowl to blend. Gradually whisk hot milk mixture into yolk mixture. Return custard to saucepan. Stir over low heat until custard thickens and leaves path on back of spoon when finger is drawn across, about 5 minutes, make sure to not boil. Strain sauce into bowl. Cover and chill
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In another bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, molasses, sugars, egg and butter until combined.
- Pour the wet into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined.
- Heat waffle iron to a middle heat. Either brush waffle iron with melted butter or spray it lightly with a nonstick cooking spray. Ladle gingerbread batter into waffle iron until they’re about 3/4 filled out. Cook accordingly to manufacturer’s instructions.
- Once done, spread them on a tray in a single layer to let cool slightly. They should firm up within 1 minute.
- Dust with powder sugar and the creme anglaise.
