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Festive days call for an extra-special breakfast or brunch... Decadent High Protein Bacon Waffles combine a protein-rich waffle mix with cinnamon, orange zest, and crumbled bacon, and get topped with a gorgeous pomegranate blood orange syrup and orange mascarpone cream. Truly luxurious and indulgent!
And the Grinch, with his Grinch-feet ice cold in the snow, stood puzzling and puzzling, how could it be so? It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags. And he puzzled and puzzled 'till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before. What if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store. What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more.
~~ Dr. Seuss, How the Grinch Stole Christmas.
Tamara Talks (about indulgent bacon waffles)
When it comes to Christmas, calories don't count. 😆 Amazing food and time with loved ones (rather than shopping and gifts) are what it's all about at Andersen casa. The food of course does "come from a store," but the pleasure that comes in preparing and enjoying the food define Christmas for most of us.
So, we "live a little," "throw caution to the wind," and splurge on luxurious, less-than-healthy, even fatty ingredients. OMG! Is the sky falling? NOPE.
I love Christmas morning breakfast with my family. My husband makes a pot of freshly ground dark roast coffee, and my sous chefs (sons) and I whip up something special. We tend to favor bacon and waffles, but the bacon typically stands alone. This year I decided to incorporate crumbled bacon into a protein-rich waffle using one of a myriad of new "protein pancake and waffle mixes."
I love a basic waffle or stack of pancakes, but let's face it, they're carb loaded and completely lacking in protein. Enter protein waffle and pancake mixes. These mixes pack anywhere from 14 to 20 grams of protein per serving. This opens up a whole lot of new options for starting the day with enough protein! See Protein at Breakfast for more in depth information...
How to Make High Protein Bacon Waffles
These waffles come together surprisingly quickly! whip up the waffle batter (bacon needs to fry) and mascarpone cream. Finish the syrup, and start a waffle. Don't forget a good cup of joe or a mimosa. 😀 Enjoy!
Cooking Steps
- Start the Pomegranate-Blood Orange Syrup simmering on the stove.
- Plug in the waffle iron.
- Fry the bacon.
- Make the waffle batter.
- Finish the syrup.
- Start a waffle.
- Make the mascarpone cream.
- Assemble and serve!
Bacon Waffles Tips and FAQ
If you can't find a protein pancake and waffle mix, or aren't concerned about the amount of protein in your waffles, substitute your preferred mix, or make them from scratch.
My mix requires 1 ½ cups water and 2 tablespoons melted butter or vegetable oil. If using a different brand of waffle/pancake mix, add the liquid/fat/egg (if appropriate) of the package instructions. The bacon, zest, and cinnamon amounts remain the same.
Vegetarians can enjoy these delicious waffles by omitting the crumbled bacon!
Make them gluten free by using a gluten free mix or recipe!
Do you have a Christmas morning tradition? I'd love to hear yours...
Festive Christmas Waffles with Pomegranate-Blood Orange Syrup
Festive days call for an extra-special breakfast...The waffles contain bacon bits, cinnamon, and orange zest, and feature a gorgeous pomegranate orange syrup and an orange mascarpone cream. Truly spectacular and indulgent!
Ingredients
Pomegranate and Blood Orange Syrup
- ¾ cup pomegranate juice
- ¾ cup blood orange juice , remove zest prior to squeezing (see notes)
- ½ cup water
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 cinnamon stick
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¼ cup water, (optional)
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch, (optional)
Waffles
- 4 strips bacon, fried and crumbled
- 2 cups protein pancake and waffle mix (see notes)
- zest of 2 oranges, (see notes)
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 ½ cups water*
- 2 tablespoons melted butter or vegetable oil*
Mascarpone Cream
- 2 ounces mascarpone (or cream cheese), softened
- zest of 1 orange, (see notes)
- 1 tablespoon orange juice, (see notes)
- 2 teaspoons confectioner's sugar
- half n' half or cream, to desired consistency
Instructions
- To a small saucepan over medium-high heat, add the juices, water, sugar, cinnamon stick, and salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer 20-25 minutes until thickened to a syrupy consistency. (If a thicker syrup is desired, make a slurry of the water and cornstarch, add to the syrup, bring to a boil to allow the cornstarch to activate and cook to remove the starchy taste). Cool.
- While the syrup simmers, prepare the mascarpone cream, and fry the bacon. For the cream, add cheese, zest, juice, and sugar to a small processor. Blend until smooth. Add half n' half or cream to desired consistency.
- Preheat the waffle iron. Mix all ingredients for waffles together until combined, but do NOT over stir. Ladle into waffle iron. Cook until crisp and golden brown.
- To serve: Pour syrup over waffle. Top with a scoop of mascarpone cream. Garnish with pomegranate arils if desired. Enjoy!
Notes
* My mix requires 1 ½ cups water and 2 tablespoons melted butter or vegetable oil. If using a different brand of waffle/pancake mix, add the liquid/fat/egg (if appropriate) of the package instructions. The bacon, zest, and cinnamon amounts remain the same.
Both the waffle and the mascarpone cream call for orange zest. I find 3 small oranges yields about ¾ cup of juice. I zest all 3 oranges prior to squeezing the juice. ⅔ of the zest goes in the waffle batter, and ⅓ into the mascarpone cream. Exact amounts are not important.
Macronutrients (approximation from MyFitnessPal.com): 450 calories; 20 g protein; 52 g carbohydrates; 19 g fat. Serving size for macros is 1 waffle with ¼ of the mascarpone cream, and ⅛ of the syrup.
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Nutrition Information:
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 450Total Fat: 19gCarbohydrates: 52gProtein: 20g
Mark says
I want to have these again! You know how I love waffles, and the orange-pomegranate syrup is a nice change from maple!
Tamara says
Thanks Mark! I'll try to work them into the weekend menu soon 🙂