Do you ever find certain foods that trigger powerful childhood memories, transporting you back in time when their cooking aroma fills the air? Or those foods that, when you make them, you always relate to a loved one?
For me, it's orange pecan waffles. Saturday mornings, growing up, we got to sleep in; well, sorta sleep in as my grandmother would typically call at 7am and wake the whole house up. But, as kids, most of us would go back to sleep until we smelled the familiar scent of orange pecan waffles wafting through our closed bedroom doors. It got us out of bed pretty quickly.
The recipe came from the Colonel's best friend; a girl that she had met in her junior year of high school and stayed close with until her passing a few short years ago. While of no relation to us as kids, there was no doubt she was our aunt. Kathy was a woman that lived her life...you know those t-shirts that say "that sounds like a terrible idea, what time"? That's the way she lived. There was nothing too crazy or poorly thought through that didn't seem like a fun idea at the time. She led the charge in bike races or food eating competitions. She’d laugh at the most inappropriate times and things, was loud when we were supposed to be quiet, and had horrendous taste in fashion. We loved her dearly.
These orange pecan waffles are one of many recipes that can be found in our newest cookbook, The Colonel’s Kitchen. They are light and fluffy with a hint of citrus flavor that is both versatile and refreshing. The crunch of the pecans adds a textural element that meshes well with the fluffy batter. They are amazing for dinner with fresh berries, some maple syrup and a small scoop of ice cream that melts and gives a cool creamy flavor to each bite!
Ingredients
1/3 cup butter
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
2 ½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoons sugar
2 eggs, separated
2 Tablespoons grated orange rind
½ cup orange juice
½ cup milk
½ cup chopped pecans
Instructions:
1.) Melt and cool butter.
2.) Sift together flour, baking powder, salt and sugar in large bowl, set aside.
3.) Beat egg whites at high speed until stiff but still moist.
4.) In separate mixing bowl, beat egg yolks at high speed until thick and creamy.
5.) Add orange rind, orange juice, and milk. Mix together.
6.) Add dry ingredients and beat at medium speed just until blended. Mix in melted butter and pecans. Then fold in egg whites being careful not to overmix.
We hope you love this recipe. If you try it, let us know what you think!
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