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Carrot Cake Waffles with Maple Cream Cheese

Source of Recipe

From "The Happy in a Hurry Cookbook" by Kathy and Steve Doocy


Recipe Introduction

"When we lived in New York on East 54th, just down the street from Studio 54, there was a charming bakery on the corner that had the best carrot cake cupcakes. Never realized until we lived in New York, but carrot cake is a big deal in the Big Apple. In Lower Manhattan, to celebrate the end of the Revolutionary War, they had a legendary blowout at Fraunces Tavern, three hundred years before the neighborhood was overrun with Panera Breads. According to historical documents, here's what they served George Washington, the future president: Fish House Punch, beef, ham, and vegetables, along with *carrot tea cake.* They also served tipsy squire, which is a custardy dessert, not a drunk guy in a triangle hat. Tipsy squire may have disappeared, but carrot cake survived. A few miles uptown, one of New York's most recognizable institutions decided it would serve only one dessert on holidays: carrot cake. Who has the good taste to choose that item? Riker's Island, the city's main jail. Reportedly the inmate bakers make 2,500 cakes a year, each serving twenty people and weighing ten pounds. You'll love this easy breakfast recipe—it's packed with carrot cake flavor, and the maple cream cheese on top is amazing. It reminds Kathy and me of the carrot cakes our moms made in the 1970s, but for others it may be a fond memory of their time in the joint."

List of Ingredients

â—¦ 4 ounces cream cheese (half an 8-ounce package)
â—¦ 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
â—¦ ½ cups shredded carrot
â—¦ 1 ½ cups Krusteaz Light & Crispy Belgian waffle mix
â—¦ 1 large egg
â—¦ 2 ½ tablespoons vegetable oil
â—¦ 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon, plus a pinch
â—¦ â…“ cup pecans, finely chopped, plus more for garnish


Recipe

In a microwave-safe bowl, combine the cream cheese and maple syrup. Cover the bowl and heat it in the microwave for 15 seconds. Remove and mash with a fork until smooth, then set aside. Preheat a waffle iron to medium/medium-high heat.

In a medium bowl, combine the shredded carrot, waffle mix, â…” cup water, egg, oil, cinnamon, and pecans and give a stir until it's evenly mixed (do not overmix). Pour â…“ cup of the mixture onto the center of the waffle iron and close the lid. The waffles should be done when they stop steaming, but we want them crispier, so once they stop steaming or your waffle iron says 'ready,' add another minute or so on the clock. Remove the waffles to a plate, cover to keep warm, and proceed to make the rest of the waffles.

When the waffles are almost done, add a pinch of cinnamon to the maple-cream cheese topping and give it a final stir. Top each waffle with a big dollop of the maple-cream cheese topping. I like to smear it across the top so it fills in the little holes. Garnish with some extra pecans if you like.

Makes 5 or 6 waffles