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Savory Cheddar Bacon Waffles with Maple Hot Honey

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Crispy cheddar and bacon waffles with bacon fried right into the grid, finished with spicy maple hot honey.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 8 slices thick-cut bacon, cooked until crisp, fat reserved
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 3/4 cups buttermilk
  • 2 large eggs
  • 3 tablespoons reserved bacon fat, melted
  • 1 1/2 cups sharp cheddar, shredded
  • 2 tablespoons chopped chives
  • 1/2 cup honey
  • 1/4 cup maple syrup
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1 teaspoon hot sauce
  • Pinch of salt

Instructions

  1. Cook bacon until crisp. Mince half finely and chop the other half into shards. Reserve 3 tablespoons of the rendered fat.
  2. Whisk flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and pepper together in a large bowl.
  3. In a separate bowl, whisk buttermilk, eggs, and melted bacon fat until combined.
  4. Pour wet ingredients into dry and stir just until no dry streaks remain. Fold in cheddar, minced bacon, and chives. Let the batter rest 10 minutes.
  5. Preheat waffle iron and grease well. Pour batter into the iron, then scatter a few bacon shards directly onto the wet batter before closing the lid.
  6. Cook until deep golden and crisp, about 4 to 5 minutes depending on your iron. Repeat with remaining batter and bacon shards.
  7. While waffles cook, warm honey, maple syrup, cayenne, hot sauce, and a pinch of salt in a small saucepan over low heat until just loosened, about 2 minutes. Do not boil.
  8. Serve waffles hot, drizzled generously with the maple hot honey.

Notes

Use thick-cut bacon so you get enough rendered fat for the batter and sturdy shards for the top. If your waffle iron runs small, cook the bacon shards a touch longer in the skillet first so they’re fully crisp before they go back in for a second fry. Leftover waffles reheat best in a toaster or oven, never a microwave, or the crust goes soft. Swap gruyère or smoked gouda for the cheddar for a different edge, and pepper jack if you want heat baked into the batter itself.

Find it online: https://www.receipster.com/savory-cheddar-bacon-waffles-with-maple-hot-honey/