Buttermilk Waffles with Caramelized Pears and Ricotta
Is there anything better than Sunday brunch? Maybe Saturday brunch? No no no, it's all about Sundays. My ideal brunch also has to take place in bed... calm down, with PJs on (hey, this is PG rated!). So what did I do this past weekend? The only thing to do: make perfectly crispy waffles with pears caramelized in their own juice, butter and brown sugar. Yum! I know I've been working my way through the appetizers section of my Nani's Better Homes and Gardens cook book, but I had a hankering for waffles, and who am I to say no to myself? The Everyday Waffles recipe was the perfect starting point. I swapped the salad oil for butter (naturally) and the regular milk for buttermilk (notice a theme?), added vanilla, a few spices, then caramelized the pears, and we were in business! Brunch business.
Here's what you need:
1 3/4 c. All-Purpose Flour
3 tsp. Baking Powder
1/2 tsp. Salt
2 Beaten Egg Yolks
1 1/4 c. Buttermilk
2 Stiff Beaten Egg Whites
Canola Cooking Spray
2 Pears, peeled and sliced 1/4" thick
1 Stick plus 2 tbsp. Butter
1/2 c. Brown Sugar
2 tsp. Vanilla
1/4 tsp. Cinnamon, plus more for dusting
1/4 tsp. Nutmeg
2 tbsp. Heavy Cream
Fresh Ricotta Cheese
Here's how to make it:
Sift the dry ingredients together. Whisk together the egg yolks, buttermilk and 1 tsp. vanilla. Melt 1 stick of butter and stir into the egg yolk mixture, then and gently stir in the dry ingredients. Fold in the egg whites leaving a few trails of white, careful not to overmix! Heat up your waffle iron and spray evenly with cooking spray. Spoon about a half a cup of batter onto the lower part of the iron, now the batter will be thick so you may want to help it along a bit by spreading it slightly. Cook until crisp and golden, repeat with the remaining batter.
While the waffles are cooking, melt the better in a medium saute pan and add the pears and fry until some of the juices are released. Stir in the brown sugar, remaining tsp. of vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg, and continue to cook until the pears are slightly softened. Add the cream and stir until incorporated and the sauce thickens. Add the salt and remove from the heat. Feel free to taste at your own risk! It will be extremely hot, but might be worth a burnt tongue, just sayin.
To plate this drool-worthy dish, stack a few waffles onto a plate, pile on some pears and drizzle with the sauce. Spoon on a dollop of ricotta and sprinkle with cinnamon. Enjoy!!
