Roasted butternut squash waffles

Butternut squash definitely doesn’t feature in a regular Swedish waffle, but it does give it a natural sweetness. It also gives you the option of turning this into a savoury starter, or even a main course.

Roasted butternut squash waffles Credit: My Swedish Kitchen

• makes

  8

• prep

  35 minutes

• cook

  30 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

Waffles

• 300 g butternut squash or pumpkin, roasted
• 100 g butter, melted and cooled, plus extra for greasing waffle iron
• 200 g buttermilk
• 200 ml whole milk
• 2 eggs
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon (optional)
• 1 tsp fine sea salt
• 200 g plain flour
• 2 tsp baking powder

Sweet topping

• strawberry jam
• whipped cream

Savoury topping 1

• 4-6 tbsp crème fraîche
• 1 red onion, peeled and finely chopped
• 2 tbsp fresh chives, finely chopped
• 2-4 tbsp Kalix or other caviar

Savoury topping 2

• 4-8 rashers streaky bacon, grilled
• 125 g cherry tomatoes, chopped and tossed with some olive oil and salt
• 1 handful chives, freshly chopped

Instructions

1. To make the waffles, mash the roasted butternut squash or pumpkin and mix with the butter, buttermilk, whole milk and eggs.

2. Sift together the remaining waffle ingredients into the bowl and fold to incorporate. Don't overmix or you'll get a heavy batter. Leave the mixture to rest at room temperature for 20 minutes.

3. Heat up your waffle iron, brushing with melted butter if required (no need with non-stick ones). Pour a ladle of batter into the middle. Gently close the lid and cook for a couple of minutes or until the outside is crisp - this will vary, depending on the heat of your waffle iron.

4. Leave to cool for a minute before topping with the garnish of your liking.

Note

• If you don't have a waffle iron, you could make small drop pancakes instead. Heat up a non-stick frying pan on medium heat, then pour in a small ladleful of batter. Fry for a couple of minutes on each side until golden.

• The batter can be made the day before and chilled. Remove it from the fridge 30 minutes before using, so it returns to room temperature. This ensures a lighter, fluffier batter.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.