Dessert Nerd | Mission: Praline Waffles

By Heather DyerYour mission, should you choose to accept it: Waffles that are crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, and loaded with All The Good Things.This message will not self-destruct, although your diet plan may.Ingredients

• ½ cup warm water
• 1 envelope active dry yeast
• 2 cups milk, warmed
• ½ cup butter, melted
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 large eggs
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• Chopped pecans, toasted
• 1 Tablespoon bourbon (optional, but I like putting bourbon in everything)
• Whipped cream (homemade or store-bought)
• Bourbon butterscotch sauce

Makes about 8 wafflesThe night before: In a large mixing bowl, pour in the water and sprinkle the yeast on top. Let it dissolve for 5 minutes. Add the butter, milk, salt, sugar, and flour and mix until smooth and combined. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it sit on the counter overnight.Whip up a batch of bourbon butterscotch for tomorrow. (You can find the recipe for the sauce in this post here.)When you wake up the next morning, you will be greeted with a sight similar to this:NOT especially attractive, but just wait, it’s gonna be gorgeous soon!Now:Toast the pecans over medium heat in a dry non-stick pan until fragrant, remove them and pour into a bowl to cool. Careful, it only takes a few minutes and they will burn easily! I am not disclosing whether or not I burned mine. You can’t tell from the picture anyway.Add the eggs and baking soda to the batter and stir to combine. Add the bourbon and ¾ cup of toasted pecans.Turn your waffle iron on to a nice high setting and let it warm up. When it’s preheated, use that ¾ cup scoop to dispense the batter. Use a spoon to spread the batter to all edges, and cook according to the manufacturer’s directions.NOW it’s gorgeous, right?Dress up your waffle with whipped cream, Bourbon Butterscotch, and additional toasted pecans. It’s so decadent, it’s perfect for a holiday or when relatives (the ones you like, anyway) come to visit for a weekend. The waffle isn’t overly sweet, so it can stand up to the rich butterscotch and sweet whipped cream. The toasted pecans give it a nice crunch.I tried mine a bunch of times to make sure it was good enough for you guys. Because I care. And because it was freaking delicious.Mission accomplished!(Recipe adapted from Food52: Genius Recipes)