Applesauce waffles

Pick your own apples is you can
As a kid, I loved picking apples.  We would drive out to the orchards in the Shenandoah Valley and spend the day picking apples and climbing trees.  Then, when we got home, we would make fresh applesauce with a little bit of cinnamon.  Life just seems a little more magical when you get to climb a tree.
Ingredients
  • 3 1/2 cups flour (we use freshly milled wheat flour)
  • 4 tsp baking powder
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • 3 cups milk
  • 8 tbsp butter (melted)
  • 1 cup applesauce
  • 6 eggs separated (see directions)
Directions
  1. Half the recipe if feeding fewer than 5 people.  
  2. Turn on the waffle iron.
  3. Whisk the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt together in a bowl.
  4. Make a well in the center and drop in the milk, melted butter, applesauce, and egg yolks.
  5. Mix together until well combined and set aside.
  6. Beat the egg whites until fluffy and forming stiff peaks.  
  7. Fold the egg whites into the batter - don’t over mix!
  8. Cook until you achieve desired level of doneness.
Tips for Success
  • Get your electric mixer and beat the egg whites until they are good and stiff. You can add a pinch of cream of tartar if you have that in your spice drawer as it will help the stiffening process. Also, make sure there is nothing else in the bowl, otherwise, they won’t whip up very well. Nothing is sadder than when you spend 10 minutes trying to whip up your egg whites and then nothing happens. It’s kind of like when you tell your kids to clean their rooms ... nothing happens.