i.e. Heaven on a Plate
Nate and I have had non-stop plans since Christmas.
Don’t get me wrong, we love travelling and spending time with family and friends, but sometimes it’s nice to have a lazy weekend at home where we can sleep in (a luxurious 8 am), and make something fantastic for breakfast.
Nate’s in the midst of his marathon training since he qualified for the Boston Marathon, so I try to make meals with enough calories to carry him through his runs.
I’m not gonna lie and tell you that these waffles are perfect for your New Year’s diet, but I can tell you that they’re worth every.single.calorie. I actually cut down on the amount of butter and bacon in the original recipe, if you can believe it.
They taste like cornbread with a bite of bacon in every forkful. The thyme-infused syrup is herby and delicious- a combo I’d never have dreamed up on my own.
So please, make this for someone you love this weekend.
Cornmeal-Bacon Waffles with Thyme-Infused Maple Syrup
Slightly adapted from Leite’s Culinaria
makes 12-14 waffles
For the thyme-infused syrup:
8 small sprigs fresh thyme
1 cup pure maple syrup
8 whole black peppercorns
4 tablespoons cold water
For the cornmeal-bacon waffles:
1 pound thick-cut bacon
4 large eggs
3 cups (12 fluid ounces) buttermilk, plus more as needed
6 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
1 1/2 cups cornmeal
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3 Tbsp sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
Make the thyme-infused syrup:
Pull off most of the leaves from the thyme. Place both the leaves and the stems in a small saucepan with the maple syrup, peppercorns, and water. Place over very low heat and bring to a very gently simmer. Let it bubble for 10 minutes to infuse the syrup with thyme. Strain the syrup into a pitcher. (You can make the syrup up to 3 days ahead. Cover tightly and refrigerate, then gently reheat over low heat just before serving.)
Make the cornmeal-bacon waffles:
Heat a heavy skillet or griddle over medium heat and add the bacon. Cook until crisp, turning once, 7 to 10 minutes. Drain on paper towels and let stand until cool enough to handle. Crumble the bacon into small pieces. You should have about 1 1/4 cups.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, buttermilk, and butter. In a large bowl, mix together the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and pepper, if using. Make a well in the center of the cornmeal mixture, then pour in the egg mixture. Whisk until the batter is mostly smooth with just a few lumps. If the batter is too thick, stir in another 1 to 2 tablespoons buttermilk. Gently fold in the bacon.
Preheat your waffle maker.
Ladle the batter into the waffle maker, using 1/2 to 3/4 cup batter per batch and spreading the batter so that it almost reaches the edges. Cook until crisp and browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Using a spatula, remove the waffles and serve hot or place on a baking sheet in a single layer in a 200°F (95°C) oven for up to 20 minutes while you make the rest with the remaining batter. Drizzle with the warm thyme-infused syrup.
Enjoy!
wow this is like every guy’s dream breakfast! bacon, waffles, and delicious syrup! love the idea of infusing maple syrup with thyme and peppercorn. and its so cute that you cook for Nate and think about his caloric needs hehehe.
Hehe. I rarely cook bacon so this was one of the few times Nate got to enjoy it 🙂 I can’t take credit for the infusion idea, but it was sublime! As for Nate’s caloric needs, I’m only worried cuz he’s so thin and I don’t want him to shrivel up to nothing…He runs about 50 miles a week during training!
The photo on the fork is tempting. We make waffles often, particularly with sour milk or buttermilk.
I wonder what buttermilk does to waffles since all recipes seem to call for it…
We make sweet milk waffles, too, Amy. I think buttermilk adds a bit of tang. Our trusty old Betty Crocker Picture Cookbook gives both options, as well as giving an option for “richer” waffles (more eggs).
I’m a huge fan of bacon in waffles and I can hardly have a waffle with it! In infusing the syrup with thyme is a great idea. When I have a particular sherry in the house I make the bacon waffles like so: http://sports-glutton.com/2011/01/18/bacon-waffles-w-sherry-syrup/
btw…kudos to Nate for qualifying for the Boston Marathon!
I had never heard of bacon waffles before! You should def try the thyme syrup…it wasn’t my idea but it’s delicious. Checking out your recipe now 😉
And I’ll tell Nate you said so!
oh my….bacon in the waffles!! Yum… I love the maple syrup idea…very creative!!
You should try it!
My husband and I have been in the same boat since the holidays and I completely understand enjoying a relaxing Saturday morning together. Everything about this breakfast sounds delicious. I never thought about infusing herb flavor in maple syrup. I’ll have to try that.
the herb syrup was, in my opinion, the best part! You should definitely be relaxing on weekends now 😉
Hi there! I was recently a 30-year-old woman living and working in Manhattan, and I applaud you for being all those things AND a blogger. I had to quit my job and move to Alabama before that happened. Love the site! Best of luck to you.
Oh wow! Just checking out your blog now…moving to Alabama sounds exciting! I wish I had more time to focus on blogging. What do you do now in Alabama?
I love how crispy those look. I love cornmeal and bacon so this is right up my alley.
Try them and let me know how they come out! Judging by the recipes you guys have on your blog, I think you’d like ’em 😉
Nothing like hanging out on a lazy weekend… these waffles look like the perfect way to do it! Love the thyme infused syrup… (and thanks for pointing out the bacon ;)).
Hehe, you like that bacon arrow? I thought they weren’t quite as cool if you didn’t explicitly understand the bacon within 🙂
Your waffles sound wonderful! Wish I was trying to bulk up with calories too!
Thanks Beth! Man, I wish I was trying to bulk up too…I had a small sample of the waffles, unlike the 3 full ones doused in syrup that Nate ate 🙂
Your waffles sound like they are worth every calorie they have. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Hehe, for sure! If only my body naturally burned calories the way it would if i were training for a marathon… 🙂
This looks really yummy. I am excited to try it.
Thanks 🙂
These look amazing! I have never had waffles with cornmeal in them…but seeing yours, it’s something I would like to try! And, of course, everything is better with bacon! 😀 Yum.
hehe, def give ’em, a try!
[…] I mentioned in my recent post, Nate needs carbs to fuel his long Sunday runs during his marathon training. Since I was kind of […]