As for standard breakfast waffles, none can hold a candle to these pecan-studded wonders with a tangy orange syrup that my mother created years ago and still serves at weekend brunches. Remember never to cover cooked waffles while keeping them warm in the oven; it makes them soggy.
Makes 12 to 14 waffles
INGREDIENTS:
FOR THE BATTER
- 2 large eggs
- 1 1⁄2 cups half-and-half
- 4 tablespoons (1⁄2 stick) butter, melted
- 1 1⁄2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1⁄2 cup finely chopped pecans
FOR THE SYRUP
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 cup fresh orange juice
- 1⁄4 cup light corn syrup
- Grated zest of 1 orange
INSTRUCTIONS:
- To make the batter, combine the eggs, half-and-half, and melted butter in a large mixing bowl. Use an electric mixer to beat the mixture until it becomes smooth. In a small mixing bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add this dry mixture to the egg mixture and beat at medium speed until well blended. Stir in the pecans until the batter is well blended and smooth. Set the batter aside.
- To make the syrup, combine the sugar, orange juice, and corn syrup in a medium saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil over moderate heat, stirring until the sugar is completely dissolved and the mixture becomes syrupy. Remove the saucepan from the heat, add the orange zest, and stir until well blended. Keep the syrup warm.
- To make each waffle, ladle a small mound of the batter onto the center of a greased electric waffle iron set at high heat. The amount of batter used will depend on the size of the waffle iron. Cook the waffle according to the manufacturer’s instructions, or until it turns golden brown. Stack the cooked waffles on a plate and keep them warm until ready to serve. Serve the waffles with the syrup.
