CORNMEAL WAFFLES WITH BANANA BOURBON SYRUP

Cornmeal Waffles With Banana Bourbon Syrup image

Cornmeal adds crunch and sweetness to these fluffy waffles, which are lightened with beaten egg whites. If you'd prefer a little more fiber, you can substitute a third of the all-purpose flour with whole-wheat or rye flour. The banana bourbon syrup, studded with pecans, makes these waffles sweet enough for dessert. If you do go that route, a scoop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream would not be amiss. Or serve the waffles with some butter, sliced bananas and a drizzle of plain maple syrup for a simple but satisfying breakfast.

Provided by Melissa Clark

Categories breakfast, brunch, dessert, main course

Time 35m

Yield About 10 waffles

Number Of Ingredients 14

Ingredients

7 tablespoons unsalted butter, more for waffle iron
1 large ripe banana, peeled and sliced into 1/2-inch-thick rounds
2 tablespoons bourbon
1/2 cup maple syrup
50 grams toasted chopped pecans (1/2 cup), optional
160 grams all-purpose flour (1 1/4 cups)
100 grams finely ground cornmeal (3/4 cup)
15 grams sugar (1 tablespoon)
8 grams baking powder (1 teaspoon)
5 grams fine sea salt (1 teaspoon)
3 grams baking soda (1/2 teaspoon)
1 cup sour cream or Greek yogurt
1 cup whole milk
4 large eggs, separated

Steps:

Melt 5 tablespoons butter either on the stove or in the microwave. Set aside.
In a medium skillet over medium-high heat, melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter until foam subsides. Add bananas in a single layer. Cook, without moving, until undersides are golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes; flip and brown other side, 2 to 3 minutes more. Transfer to a bowl.
Add bourbon to pan and let simmer until mostly evaporated, about 1 minute. Pour in syrup and nuts; simmer until just heated through. Pour syrup onto the bananas and cover to keep warm (or reheat just before serving).
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda. In a separate bowl, whisk together sour cream or yogurt, milk, melted butter and egg yolks. Fold wet ingredients into dry ingredients.
In a mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the egg whites until they hold stiff peaks. Immediately fold into batter.
Heat a waffle iron and, using a pastry brush or paper towel, lightly coat with melted butter. Cook waffles (using about 1/2 cup batter per waffle) until golden and crisp. Butter the iron in between batches as needed. Serve waffles immediately as they are ready, or keep warm in a 200-degree oven until ready to serve. Serve with banana syrup on top.

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 325, UnsaturatedFat 5 grams, Carbohydrate 38 grams, Fat 16 grams, Fiber 1 gram, Protein 6 grams, SaturatedFat 9 grams, Sodium 323 milligrams, Sugar 15 grams, TransFat 0 grams