Piloncillo Dessert Waffles with Caramel Cream and Pan-Roasted Bananas

SERVES 8

We’ve all seen those behemoth waffles at diners, piled high with fruit and cream. Nothing wrong with the occasional dessert for breakfast, as far as I’m concerned. But I’m also into flipping the script and doing breakfast for dessert to add a little whimsy to a dinner party or celebration. The waffle base for this dessert is inspired by Liège waffles, those Belgian wonders with hunks of molten pearl sugar crusting the edges.

WAFFLES

1 cup (4½ ounces/128 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled

1 teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon fine sea salt

⅔ cup (5⅝ ounces/160 grams) well-shaken buttermilk

2 large eggs, separated

¼ cup (2 ounces/57 grams) water

2 tablespoons (1 ounce/28 grams) grapeseed or canola oil

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup (4½ ounces/128 grams) piloncillo, chopped into shards and ¼-inch bits*

PAN-ROASTED BANANAS

3 medium firm-ripe bananas, cut into ½-inch-thick slices

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

CARAMEL CREAM AND ASSEMBLY

1 cup (8½ ounces/240 grams) heavy cream, chilled

⅓ cup (3⅜ ounces/95 grams) Buttermilk Caramel Sauce, plus extra for drizzling

*You’ll need 1 full 4½- to 5-ounce cone of piloncillo for this amount. To make chopping easier, first warm the cone of sugar in the microwave for about 20 seconds on high power. Grab it carefully (an oven mitt comes in handy if the cone gets especially hot!), and hack it up on a cutting board using a large sharp knife.

1. Preheat the oven to 200˚F. Set a wire rack over a baking sheet and place it in the oven. Preheat a Belgian-style waffle iron to medium heat. Spray it lightly with nonstick cooking spray.

2. Make the waffles: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, egg yolks, water, oil, and vanilla extract.

4. Place the egg whites in a separate medium bowl, and using a handheld electric mixer, whip the egg whites to stiff peaks.

5. Pour the buttermilk mixture into the dry ingredients and whisk until smooth. Gently fold in the egg whites with a large flexible spatula. Fold in the chopped piloncillo and any sugary dust that’s on the board from chopping. Using a standard ice cream scoop, drop the batter onto the waffle iron in ¼-cup portions, making sure you get plenty of sugary nuggets in each waffle. Cook until the waffles are crisp and deeply golden, and the bits of piloncillo are molten and bubbling, about 4 minutes, depending on your waffle iron. Remove the waffles to the warm oven, arranging them in a single layer. Repeat the waffle-making process with the remaining batter until you have 8 finished waffles.

6. Prepare the bananas: Heat a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Melt the butter in the skillet. Lay the banana slices in a single layer in the hot skillet and let them brown without moving them, turning them once with a thin, flexible metal spatula (a fish spatula is especially good for this), about 1½ minutes per side. Carefully remove the banana slices to paper toweling.

7. Make the caramel cream: In a medium bowl, combine the cream and caramel sauce. Whip the cream to soft peaks.

8. To assemble the waffles, place each waffle on a dessert plate. Dollop a generous ¼ cup of caramel cream atop each waffle. Divide the banana slices equally among the plates and drizzle each waffle with Buttermilk Caramel Sauce.