Pumpkin Oatmeal Waffles

I love holiday/fall spices, and sometimes find myself craving pumpkin pie in June. These waffles are the perfect fix. We like them with whipped cream and caramelized pecans. You could easily make these with just wheat flour, maybe just add a little more liquid to the batter.

1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup oatmeal
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1 1/2 cups (14 1/4 oz) canned pumpkin
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
6 tbsp/3/4 stick butter, melted
4 large eggs, separated
2 cups buttermilk

In large bowl, combine dry ingredients. Stir in pumpkin, brown sugar, butter, and egg yolks. Add buttermilk and mix until blended. In separate bowl, beat egg whites till stiff. Fold the whites into the batter. Bake in preheated waffle iron. They take a little longer to cook than most waffles.

I like to make a quick and easy version of caramelized pecans for these waffles. Place however many pecan pieces you want into a small saute pan, sprinkle with enough sugar to lightly coat pecans when melted (1/2 tbsp or so), turn the heat on low, and toss or stir till the sugar is melted and the pecans are toasted, This happens quickly, keep the nuts and sugar moving!