Our friend Tiffani Thiessen shares her comforting pumpkin waffles with decadent homemade cranberry syrup with us. The pumpkin puree makes these extra moist and delish! Not gonna lie… the cranberry syrup is my new favorite cocktail ingredient too!

Recipe courtesy of Tiffani Thiessen Photography by Rebecca Sanbria

Sweet Paul: Tell me about this dish. What makes it comforting to you?
My kids love waffles. We are also a morning family, so breakfast is extremely important to us. This recipe allows us to be together and to start the day off creating something we all love making. And you can’t tell me warm waffles with sweet syrup aren’t comforting. That’s like a big warm hug in the morning. It also makes for a great addition to grilled cheese. Just saying.

How are you dealing with these strange times? Long deep breaths, getting outside daily, exercising, trying to always see the many silver linings, and truly taking it only one day at a time.

How important has cooking been for you?  As a child, I was always in the kitchen cooking with my mom and grandmother and aunt. Since it’s something I grew up doing, it gives me a great deal of comfort. I have so many fond memories from being in the kitchen, and it’s a place where I continue to build new memories with my own children.

Any tips for the rest of us? Well, I can share what I know works for me: It’s simply reminding myself that most things in life that are extremely difficult and challenging usually have something around the corner that can teach you and hopefully make you stronger.

What is the one good thing you can say about all this? I have been able to spend huge amounts of quality time with my kids and husband.

How many banana breads have you baked? 9,763. Harper baked one just last night.

MAKES 8 TO 10 WAFFLES

1. Preheat a waffle iron on low, and spray with cooking spray. I use a rectangular waffle iron that makes four waffles, but you can use any waffle iron you have.
2. Whisk the flour, cornmeal, sugar, salt, and baking soda together in a large bowl; set aside.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the 2 egg whites until soft peaks form.
4. In a large bowl, whisk the 2 egg yolks, buttermilk, and vanilla until combined, then slowly drizzle in the 4 tablespoons melted butter while whisking.
5. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the egg whites into the yolk mixture until just combined. Gently stir in the club soda.
6. Pour the mixture over the dry ingredients, and fold until just combined (there should still be plenty of lumps).
7. Add the pumpkin and mix just to combine.
8. Spoon about 2 cups of batter onto the waffle iron, gently spreading until the batter almost touches the edges. Close the iron and cook until golden brown, 5 to 6 minutes. You can open the waffle iron toward the end of cooking to check doneness.
9. When cooked, transfer the waffle to a plate, or keep warm on a rack in a 200oF oven.
10. Repeat with the remaining batter. Serve with remaining butter and cranberry syrup.
11. FOR THE SYRUP: Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan.
12. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer.
13. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until a bright red sauce forms.
14. Strain out the cranberries, and let cool completely.
15. You can thicken up the sauce at any point by reducing it further on the stovetop. The syrup will thicken as it cools
16. Serve immediately or store in an airtight container in the fridge.