By Chef John

Pepper’s is often called upon for creative & cost effective solutions to celebration catering. In fact, nearly every client has this on their mind, regardless of whether they’re calling about a bridal shower, surprise birthday party or a black tie gala.

This past weekend we hosted our family for New Year’s Day Brunch.  What better time than the new year for extended family to get together and partake in delicious food?

Now, having been raised by a chef (dad) and a dietician (mom), you might think that everyone in our family is a foodie. In reality, when it comes to palate, we’re not so different than most families. We have family members with predilection for meat dishes, a vegetarian and a couple of fussy eaters.

Our goal was to accommodate everyone’s tastes without over-blowing our budget. To hit the mark, we decide to serve several smaller dishes, at least one of which would be sure to appeal to even the pickiest family members. Sure enough, once the family saw our smoked salmon platter, display of roasted vegetables, potato & smoked garlic sausage strata, fruit platter, and honey glazed ham they were tantalized into trying it all—and enjoying it too!

But the big hit of the celebration was by far our pumpkin waffles. We served them with crushed hazelnut maple syrup. Even those who passed on the syrup said hands down, these were great waffles.

If you’re looking for a menu idea for a cost effective brunch, our pumpkin waffle recipe (included below) is sure to fit the bill and please your guests. Even if you don’t have an event coming up, go ahead and treat yourself and your family members on a weekend morning—you’ll be glad you did!

Pumpkin Waffles                            yield 12 each, 4 in. waffles

2.5 cups all purpose flour

1/3 cup  light brown sugar

2 & ¼ teas. baking powder

1 teas. baking soda

½ teas. salt (my preference is Kosher in nearly all cooking)

2 teas. cinnamon (love Vietnamese cinnamon)

1.5 teas. ground ginger

½ teas. ground star anise or nutmeg ( both provide different nuances, but either are fun )

¼ teas.  ground cloves

4 eggs, large

2 cups half & half cream

½ each lemon juice (optional)

1 cup pumpkin puree, canned & solid pack

1/3 cup butter, melted

Whisk together all of your wet ingredients (eggs, cream, pumpkin & butter). Whisk in the dry ingredients until smooth.

Spray your pre-heated waffle iron with pan release spray (Pam) and follow the directions of the waffle maker.

Serve with warm maple syrup, whipped butter and Enjoy.