Pumpkin Spice Waffles with Whipped Maple Butter for Cozy Fall Weekend Mornings

Make the maple butter first: beat the softened butter with the maple syrup and a pinch of flaky salt until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Scrape into a small bowl and set aside at room temperature.

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
• 1 cup canned pumpkin puree (not pie filling)
• 1 1/4 cups whole milk
• 2 large eggs, separated
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus more for the iron
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened, for the maple butter
• 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup, plus more for serving
• Pinch of flaky salt and toasted pecans, to serve

Instructions

1. Make the maple butter first: beat the softened butter with the maple syrup and a pinch of flaky salt until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Scrape into a small bowl and set aside at room temperature.
2. Whisk the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon and salt together in a large bowl.
3. In a second bowl, whisk the pumpkin puree, milk, egg yolks, melted butter and vanilla until smooth.
4. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir just until no dry streaks remain. The batter should be thick and a little lumpy; do not overmix or the waffles turn dense.
5. Beat the egg whites in a clean bowl until they hold soft peaks, then fold them gently into the batter in two additions. This is what keeps pumpkin waffles light instead of gummy.
6. Preheat a waffle iron to medium-high and brush it lightly with melted butter. Spoon in enough batter to nearly cover the grid and close the lid.
7. Cook 4 to 5 minutes, until the steam slows and the waffle is deeply golden and crisp at the edges. Pumpkin batter browns slower than plain, so give it an extra minute rather than opening early.
8. Keep finished waffles on a rack in a 200 F oven while you cook the rest, so they stay crisp rather than steaming in a stack.
9. Serve hot with a generous swipe of whipped maple butter, a drizzle of maple syrup and a scatter of toasted pecans.
10. Pumpkin waffles are an American autumn ritual that grew out of the country's long love affair with pumpkin pie spice. Canned pumpkin became a pantry staple after the 1920s, and by the time pumpkin spice lattes took over coffee shops, home cooks were already folding the same warm blend of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and clove into pancakes and waffles. The maple butter nods to New England sugar shacks, where maple syrup is whipped into butter for toast on cold mornings. Make a double batch and freeze the extras; they revive beautifully in the toaster on a school morning.

Nutrition (estimated, per serving)

• Calories: 520 kcal
• Protein: 11g
• Fat: 28g
• Carbohydrates: 58g
• Fiber: 4g
• Sugar: 16g
• Sodium: 610mg