Christmas Breakfast: Waffles and Hot Sherried Fruit

Christmas breakfast is not complete without crisp waffles and buttery fruit topping.

I love a lazy and indulgent breakfast on a holiday.  These are the mornings when there is no rush.  We are taking our time to ease into the day.  As you plan for upcoming holiday meals and celebrations, take the time for an easy morning with a yummy breakfast or brunch.  I have two favorite waffle recipes and a sherried fruit that are festive and delicious treats.


Before we talk about the sherried fruit, let's start with your waffles.  I've tried two recipes that are definitely noteworthy for two different reasons.  One is an overnight, prep-ahead option that could certainly become a year-round favorite.  The other is an eggnog waffle that envelopes the best of seasonal flavors for a slightly spiced treat.

Overnight Yeasted Waffles

If you want to prep your waffles ahead for Christmas morning, it doesn't get any easier than this.  The night before you will stir together warm milk, yeast, flour, cornmeal, salt, brown sugar, and butter.  The next morning, add 2 eggs and some baking soda.  You are in business.  The results are a light a fluffy waffle that is unlike anything other.  Do not make the mistake that I made with this recipe the first time.  You cannot add the egg and baking soda until the morning you cook these.  You can still cook them, but they won't have the same texture or flavor!  The batter is thick and has the scent of sourdough.  The waffles are light and crispy in a way that other waffles cannot compare. 

Yeasted waffles rise overnight and are ready to make in the morning!

Egg Nog Waffles

Smitten Kitchen has been a favorite blogger of mine for a while.  Her recipe for egg nog waffles has yeast, but you prepare these the morning you are making them.  The nutmeg and cloves provide a light spice that is just right.  You will need to allow enough time for the batter to rest for 30 minutes before you prepare them.  If you are not in a rush, this recipe is worth the work and wait.  I'm not really an egg nog fan, but I do like the seasonal spice that these provide. 

Egg Nog Waffles have just the right amount of rich sweet spices to make this extra special.

Sherried Fruit Bake

Canned fruit recipes became increasingly popular in the 1950s.  Canned fruit cocktail became an ingredient that would take an ordinary recipe to the next level.  These types of recipes continued to increase in popularity in the 1960s.  This recipe has the hallmark of those nostalgic canned fruit favorites. 

Hot Sherried Fruit Bake has basic ingredients that you can keep on make and prep ahead of time.

This hot fruit bake has lots of variations that you can find online.  There are some that have dried fruits.  There is another popular vintage fruit sauce that ferments on the countertop.  Essentially, this is a warm fruit compote.  Recipes for compotes generated during medieval Europe and were served both warm and cold.  It was believed that fruit cooked in sugar balanced the effects of humidity on the body.  The hot sherried fruit recipe is a retro interpretation of a much older Medival concept.  It has the feel of a fancy dish made with simple and easy ingredients.

Once you have decided on a waffle, get ready to prepare your hot fruit topping.  You can have everything ready and layered into a pan to bake the night before.  In the morning, you can put the fruit into the oven as it is preheating and let it bake while you are either making your batter or starting your coffee.  The sherry and butter sauce around the fruit seeps into the waffles and makes a rich sweet treat.  My mother passed this recipe on to me from a family friend.  And, I'm not sure where it came from before this.

While you can make this in the oven, it would be easy to prepare this in a Dutch Oven if you are at the campground.  Just prepare your fruit and sauce as described in the recipe below and refrigerate overnight.  Transfer to a Dutch Oven lined with parchment paper or an aluminum liner.  The results would be the same.

Layer your fruit into a baking dish and pour the prepared sauce over the top and refrigerate the night before you plan to bake this hearty, warm dish.

Sherried Fruit Bake Author: unknown Preparation Time: 15 minutes Cooking time: 30 to 40 minutes Servings: 8 to 10 Calories per serving: 466 

Print this Recipe

Sherried Fruit Bake is made with canned fruit that is drained and placed in a baking dish with a buttery sherry sauce over the top.  Put everything together the night before and bake in the morning for breakfast.  Perfect for warm oatmeal, waffles or a warm side dish.

Ingredients:

• 20 ounce can sliced pineapple
• 17 ounce can of apricots
• 16 ounce can of peaches
• 15 ounce can of spiced apple rings
• 16 ounce can of pears
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 tbsp cornstarch
• 1 cup dry sherry

Instructions:

1. Drain fruit and layer in a glass baking dish.
2. Melt butter in a saucepan. 
3. Add the sugar into the butter.  
4. Mix together the sherry and cornstarch.  Slowly add to the butter and sugar.
5. Cook over low heat till thickened stirring constantly.
6. Pour overnight covered.
7. The next morning, preheat your over to 350 degrees.
8. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes.  Serve hot.

You may wonder what this recipe has to do with camping.  It can have everything and nothing to do with camping.  I really love the combination of waffles and warm fruit.  These dishes would work wonderfully at the campground with a hearty cup of joe around the campfire on a crisp morning.  But, even if you are at home, you can make these delicious treats.  Good food is universal whether you are at the campground or in your sticks and breaks home. 

Until next time...

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