Renee's Kitchen Quest

Bring on the heat!
Cranberry Waffles with Orange Curd

Cranberry Waffles with Orange Curd

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Hello, my fellow foodie adventurers!

Today’s quest is a tangy triumph: Cranberry Waffles with Orange Curd! I spent the first morning of my quarantine whipping up dessert for breakfast. I based this on the Blueberry Sunrise at Waffle Champion I just swapped in cranberries for a tart twist. Picture this: fluffy Belgian waffles drizzled with a sweet orange curd, topped with a vibrant cranberry syrup, and finished with a crunchy walnut granola topping. It turned out delicious. This is a fun breakfast that brightens any day. Ready to wield your waffle iron and claim this treasure?

 

Ingredients You’ll Need (The Quest Inventory)

  • Walnut Granola Topping:
    • 1 cup oats (the hearty grains)
    • 1 cup walnuts, chopped (the crunchy guardians)
    • 1 oz. canola oil (the golden flame)
    • 1 tbsp. honey (the sweet elixir)
    • ⅛ tsp salt (the subtle charm)
    • ¼ tsp vanilla extract (the fragrant whisper)
  • Waffles:
    • 2 cups flour (the sturdy base)
    • 2 tbsp. sugar (the sweet rune)
    • 2 tsp baking powder (the rising spark)
    • 1 tsp baking soda (the leavening ally)
    • ¾ tsp salt (the seasoning rune)
    • 2 cups buttermilk (the creamy tide)
    • 6 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted (the golden ember)
    • 2 eggs (the binding elixir)
    • Cooking spray (the light mist)
  • Orange Curd:
    • 5 egg yolks (the rich foundation)
    • ½ cup granulated sugar (the sweet mantle)
    • ½ cup fresh orange juice (the citrus tide)
    • 1 tsp lemon juice (the zesty kick)
    • ½ cup salted butter, melted (the creamy crown)
  • Cranberry Sauce:
    • 1 ½ cups frozen cranberries (the tart jewels)
    • ½ cup pure maple syrup (the woodland elixir)
    • 1 tsp lemon zest (the fragrant spark)
    • ⅛ tsp cinnamon (the warm whisper)
    • 2 tsp cornstarch (the thickening rune)

 

How to Forge the Feast (The Quest Steps)

    1. 1. Preheat oven to 300°F and line a baking sheet with parchment.
    2. 2. In a large bowl, stir together oats and walnuts.
    3. 3. In a small bowl, mix oil, honey, salt, and vanilla. Pour over oat mixture and stir until evenly coated.
    4. 4. Spread in an even layer on the baking sheet. Bake 25 minutes, stirring halfway, until golden. Cool completely (it crisps as it cools)

     

    Heat the Waffle Forge:
    5. Preheat your waffle iron.
    6. In a large bowl, whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
    7. In another bowl, whisk buttermilk, melted butter, and eggs. Pour into dry ingredients and stir until just combined.
    8. Spray waffle iron with cooking spray. Pour about ½ cup batter per waffle and cook until golden, about 3–4 minutes. Keep warm in a low oven.     Craft the Orange Curd:
    9. Set up a double boiler (or heatproof bowl over simmering water). Whisk egg yolks, orange juice, and lemon juice until thickened.
    10. Slowly whisk in melted butter, then sugar. Cook, whisking constantly, another 10 minutes until thick and smooth. Cool slightly.     Simmer the Tart Jewels (Cranberry Sauce):
    11. In a saucepan, combine cranberries, maple syrup, lemon zest, and cinnamon. Bring to a boil.
    12. Mix cornstarch & water. Simmer 5 minutes, or until thickened.

  • Assemble the Feast:
    13. Place a warm waffle on each plate. Drizzle with orange curd, spoon on cranberry sauce, and sprinkle generously with walnut granola.

 

Tips Tricks & Variations

Every Kitchen Quest hero needs a few clever moves and twists to master the craft. Here’s how to wield your skills and remix this dish like a true flavor bard!

 

Cooking Tricks:

  • Waffle Hack: Let the batter rest for 5 minutes—makes fluffier waffles!
  • Curd Tip: Strain the curd through a sieve after cooking—removes any cooked egg bits for smoothness.
  • Granola Boost: Stir the granola halfway through baking—ensures even toasting.
  • Tart Balance: Add a tsp of sugar to the cranberry if it’s too tart.

 

Tasty Variations:

  • Sweet Skirmish: Swap cranberries for blueberries—softens the tartness as planned!
  • Nutty Vault: Use pecans or almonds in the granola—new crunchy guardians for your topping.
  • Citrus Twist: Replace orange juice with grapefruit juice in the curd—shifts the tide to a bitter-sweet realm!
  • Spice Quest: Add a pinch of nutmeg to the cranberry sauce—new warm whispers to wave proudly!
  • Topping Pact: Drizzle with maple syrup.

 

Cranberry Waffles With Orange Curd

Renee
Fluffy Belgian waffles drizzled with a sweet orange curd, topped with a vibrant cranberry syrup, and finished with a crunchy walnut granola topping.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Total Time 40 minutes
Course Breakfast
Cuisine American
Servings 6

Ingredients
  

Walnut Granola Topping

  • 1 cup oats
  • 1 cup walnuts (chopped)
  • 1 oz canola oil
  • 1 tbsp honey
  • 1/8 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp vanilla extract

Waffles

  • 2 cups flour
  • 2 tbsp sugar
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 3/4 tsp salt
  • 2 cups buttermilk
  • 6 tbsp unsalted butter (melted)
  • 2 eggs
  • cooking spray

Orange Curd

  • 5 egg yokes
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup fresh orange juice
  • 1 tsp lemon juice
  • 1/2 cup salted butter (melted)

Cranberry Sauce

  • 1 1/2 cup frozen cranberries
  • 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
  • 1 tsp lemon zest
  • 1/8 tsp cinnamon
  • 2 tsp cornstarch

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 300 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • In a large bowl, stir together the oeats and walnuts and set aside.
  • In a small bowl, combine the canola oil, maple syrup, honey, salt, and vanilla extract. Mix well and pour over the oats.
  • Stir the oat mixture well until all the oats are coated with the wet ingredients. Spread the oats out on the prepared baking sheet and smooth out until you have an even layer.
  • Bake the granola at 300 degrees for 25 minutes. The oats will not be crispy yet but will crips as they cool.

Waffles

  • Preheat the waffle iron.
  • Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.
  • Whisk together buttermilk, melted butter, and eggs in another bowl, then whisk into flour mixture until just combined.
  • Spray waffle iron with cooking spray and pour 1/2 cup of batter into the waffle iron.
  • Cook waffles until golden and cooked through, about 3 minutes.
  • Transfer to a baking sheet and into the oven set to 250 degrees while you make the rest of the waffles.

Orange Curd

  • In a double broiler combine egg yokes and juice and mix well until it gets thick.
  • Stir in the melted butter slowly while whisking constantly for about 10 minutes.
  • Whisk in the sugar and continue cooking until thick.

Cranberry Sauce

  • Zest the lemon, place the cranberries, maple syrup, lemon zest an cinnamon in a medium s aucepan.
  • Stir the cornstarch into a small bowl with 2 tbsp water and mix into the pan.
  • Heat over medium heat and bring to boil, reduce the heat slightly and maintain onstant bubbles.
  • Cook stirring until the cranberries break and the sauce has thickened about 5 minutes.
  • Assemble waffles with a drizzle of orange curd, cranberry sauce, and walnut topping