Holiday breakfasts, for many people, are laden with tradition.  Such as: We always have pancakes. OR My best friend makes scrambled eggs with peppers and onions. OR  Bacon gets fried up in huge quantities for me.

In our house, we are addicted to my mother-in-law’s egg casserole and my homemade cinnamon rolls.

I don’t have a good photo of this. Maybe this year I’ll try again.

…which we might eat right here in the living room.

When I’m dreaming of holiday breakfasts, “the babies” are snuggled up next to our bed.

GINGERBREAD WAFFLES

makes about 6-6″x1/2″ waffles

Lovely with cranberry jam or butter and syrup and some dried cranberries–your choice! Please read Cook’s Notes (below recipe) before beginning.  I liked these with a side of bacon.

• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 2 tablespoons molasses (I like Grandma’s)
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose, unbleached flour
• 1/4 cup cornmeal
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon EACH ground ginger and cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/8 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper, optional
• Grated orange rind, garnish, optional

1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees Fahrenheit if you’d like to keep waffles warm and crispy until the whole batch is baked.
2. Preheat waffle iron and brush lightly with canola or vegetable oil or spray with Baker’s Spray. (Or follow your waffle iron’s directions.)
3. In a small bowl, beat or whisk together liquid ingredients (eggs, milk, molasses); set aside.
4. In  a large bowl or measuring cup, stir together the dry ingredients (flour, cornmeal, brown sugar, salt, baking powder, ginger, cinnamon, and cloves)
5. Pour the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix briefly just to combine well. Lumps are ok.
6. Pour 1/2 cup batter onto hot, greased and bake as directed–approximately 4 minutes OR as directed by your waffle iron instruction booklet.  (As batter sits, it will rise and be more puffy; you’ll need more than 1/2 cup to make a whole waffle.) Place each waffle right on the warm oven rack to keep warm/crispy while you bake the rest. Repeat with remaining waffle batter.
7. Serve hot with cranberry jam and grated orange rind or butter and syrup, honey, or molasses and a few dried cranberries. Also yummy hot and naked off the iron or with nut butter.

Cook’s Notes:  1.  I made these waffles with no fat in the batter and they were fine being baked in a lightly greased All-Clad non-stick waffle iron. If you’d like, you can add 2 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil or cooled melted butter to the liquid ingredients to insure no sticking or to increase flavor.  2. These waffles are not terribly sweet with the sweet-sour cranberry jam, but might seem a bit sweet for syrup. If so, omit brown sugar.

(printable recipe below)

QUICK HOMEMADE CRANBERRY JAM (or sauce)

serves 6

Cook for less time with a little more water for more of a cranberry sauce rather than jam. You can also mash the berries briefly with a potato masher once they’re fairly well cooked.

• 1 pound fresh cranberries
• 1/2 medium apple, peeled, and chopped–optional
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• Pinch salt
• 1 cup brown or white sugar–or more/less to taste
• 1 teaspoon grated orange rind
• Water to cover

Place all ingredients in a 3-quart heavy sauce pan. Bring to a boil, and lower heat.  Simmer, stirring often, for about 15 minutes until cranberries pop, fruit is softened, and mixture is as thick as you like. Add a little water if mixture becomes too thick and berries aren’t yet done. Taste a few minutes into cooking add more sugar if needed.   Remove from heat and serve hot, warm, at room temperature, or cold.

Keeps 3 days well-covered in the refrigerator or up to 2 months in the freezer in an air-tight container or freezer bag.

{printable recipe}

Sing a new song; bake a new waffle,

Alyce