Over the Christmas/New Years holidays, I experimented with making overnight gingerbread waffles, and this is what I came up with. They’re great on their own, and then you drizzle sweet-tart lemon curd on top, and they get even better.
Since I discovered the recipe years ago (via Orangette), I’ve made many batches of overnight waffles. The only downside is that you have to plan ahead, so you can’t decide that you want to make these when you wake up in the morning. The good part is that when you get up, most of the work of making these outstanding waffles is already done. They’re like the waffle version of a slow-cooker meal.
Winter is the perfect time for slow-cookers, and gingerbread. Gingerbread in the summer just doesn’t seem right, does it? But in the middle of winter, those spices help wake your tastebuds up from hibernation. The lemon curd sauce helps in that department, too.
I think you could also make the lemon curd ahead, though you’ll want to warm it up in the morning. And while the lemon curd is delicious, you can definitely still enjoy these with maple syrup. (I did, the first time I made them.)
Also, did you know that chicken eggs come in colors other than white or brown? Maybe I shouldn’t admit this, but I didn’t! My sister Elise gave us a dozen eggs from her flock of chickens, and I was surprised how colorful and pretty they were. I had no idea chickens could lay blue or green eggs! (They’re not green inside, but is that what Green Eggs and Ham is based on? I always thought that was just Dr. Seuss being imaginative.)
Gingerbread Overnight Waffles with Lemon Curd
Adapted from here and here.
1/2 cup warm water (100-110 F)
1 package dry yeast
2 cups all-purpose flour (or 1 cup all-purpose flour and 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour)
2 cups warm milk
1/2 cup melted butter
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
2 eggs
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 Tablespoons blackstrap molasses
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp cloves
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 Tablespoon sugar
Put the water in the mixing bowl and sprinkle in the yeast. Let stand to dissolve for 5 minutes. Add the milk, butter, salt, sugar, and flour to the yeast mixture and beat until smooth and blended. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let stand overnight at room temperature.
Just before cooking the waffles, beat in the eggs, add the baking soda, sugar, and spices, and stir until well mixed. The batter will be very thin. Pour the amount of batter into a very hot waffle iron. Bake the waffles until they are dark brown and crisp. This batter will keep well for several days in the refrigerator.
Lemon Curd Sauce
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp all-purpose flour
1/2 cup water
2 egg yolks, lightly beaten
2 Tbsp butter, cut up into small pieces
1 tsp lemon zest
3 Tbsp lemon juice
Stir together sugar and flour in a medium saucepan. Stir in the water. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbling. Remove from heat.
Very gradually stir the hot sugar mixture into the two beaten eggs. Immediately return egg mixture to the saucepan. Cook, stirring constantly, over medium heat until mixture comes to a gentle boil. Cook and stir for 2 minutes more. Remove from heat. Add butter pieces, stirring until melted. Stir in lemon zest and juice. Use immediately or cover surface of the curd with plastic wrap until ready to serve.
These look so yummy. Can’t wait to try to make these or try some of yours. Happy 2016. I didn’t know eggs were colored except brown and white. Very cool.