Apple Bacon Black Pepper Waffles With Cracked Black Pepper Bourbon Maple Syrup

Hooray! It's brunch-for-dinner night! Honestly, tonight's dinner didn't start out to be waffles...originally they'd been planned for Sunday brunch...and the Sunday before that...and...well, you get the idea that we've been meaning to make them for a while. 

Somehow busy weekend plans and chores got in the way of a leisurely Sunday morning of cooking and brunching, especially now that warmer weather has just begun to peek from behind those winter skies. Although we never were able to find time to make them on a weekend, why not make crisp-outside, tender-inside waffles a reward for a hard day of weekday work? So we did.

My basic gluten-free waffle recipe (for a regular gluten-filled version, just substitute regular all purpose wheat flour - you know...Pillsbury or Gold Medal or whatever) was the base for a little bit of sweet, little bit of savory version filled with tart apples, smoky bacon and the bite of just a little black pepper to make an adult waffle. Topped, of course, with an equally adult syrup of bourbon, REAL maple syrup and cracked black pepper for a bit of heat to counter the maple-y sweet.

What to serve next to the entree when bacon was already inside the waffles? In our case, a simple mix of fresh blackberries and blueberries with a maple blood orange drizzle. Brunch...oops, make that DINNER was served! That's all we needed. Then again, maybe a blood orange mimosa or kiwi bellini might have taken brunch-for-dinner right over the top. Next time.

Apple Bacon Black Pepper Waffles 

With Cracked Black Pepper Bourbon Maple Syrup

Makes 2 waffles - 4 sections each

• 1 C maple syrup, the REAL stuff!
• 1 t. coarsely cracked black peppercorns
• 1 1/2 T bourbon 

Mix syrup and pepper in a small pot and simmer for 3 minutes - gently. Let cool slightly and add bourbon. Done.

• 1 1/4 C flour - Jule's gluten free all purpose flour or another GOOD gf blend if you want to make these gluten-free
• 1/2 C corn flour
• 1/2 C cornmeal
• 2 t. baking powder
• 3/4 t. salt
• 3/4 t. coarsely ground black pepper
• 1/4 C sugar
• 1 apple, peeled, cored, sliced thinly and cut into 3/4" lengths
• 5 slices thick-sliced peppered bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled
• 2 eggs, separated
• 2 C milk - I use skim milk...eliminates the calories...NOT!
• 5 T butter, melted

In a large bowl, mix the dry ingredients, flour through sugar. Put the egg whites into your small mixer bowl and beat until the whites are still, but not dry. Set aside.

In another bowl, beat by hand the egg yolks and milk, then quickly beat in the melted butter. Add these to the dry ingredients and mix well by hand with a fork. When everything is well incorporated, add the beaten egg whites and fold them into the mixture with a rubber spatula until they are thoroughly mixed in. Add the apples and bacon and mix just until distributed throughout the batter. Let the batter rest an hour or up to 3 hours before baking. 

Now you're ready to make the waffles! Only you know your waffle iron. Only you know how much batter to use. My waffle iron holds 2 cups exactly. Yours may hold more or less. Only add what YOUR waffle iron holds so it doesn't ooze out the sides and make a mess.  My waffle iron doesn't need oil either. If your waffle iron needs it, use it. I LOVE my Cuisinart waffle maker!

Bake the waffles according to your waffle iron directions, keeping each batch warm as you finish up the batter. Serve hot with syrup for brunch OR dinner!

NOTE: I like to use leftover waffles for a breakfast sandwich. Take 2 waffle sections, put a thin slice of cheddar cheese between them and grill on both sides in a skillet until the waffles are crisp again and the cheese is melted. YUM!