"The Mexican Mess" or Herbed Jalapeno-Cornmeal Waffles with Chorizo Gravy, Blackened Heirloom Tomato Salsa, Fried Eggs, & Fresh Cilantro

"The Mexican Mess" or Herbed Jalapeno-Cornmeal Waffles with Chorizo Gravy, Blackened
 Heirloom Tomato Salsa, Fried Eggs, & Fresh Cilantro

Hey guys... guess what? It's brunch time again. The best part of any week, by far. Well as far as we're concerned. So what do I have to share with y'all? Waffles. Savory Waffles. Savory Mexican Waffles. All I can say is that these would be the perfect hangover meal following your celebration of Cinco de Mayo. Yep, put this one in your back pocket, it'll be crucial in recovery. It starts off with my favorite waffle base, but adapted a slight bit. I added coarse cornmeal along with cumin, cilantro, chives, and jalapeno. You could just slather this waffles with butter and eat them like cornbread, just do it. I won't judge you. After these Mexican waffles have been stacked they are doused with a spicy, creamy chorizo gravy. Southerners love gravy, but we also like our shit spicy too, ya'hear? The gravy has this delightful pink-tinged color that makes me smile, maybe it'll make you smile too. That's debatable though because you could be hungover while eating this, and if that's the case, you won't be smiling, which is a-ok with me too. Once the waffles have been covered in gravy, the rest is really up to you & what you are feeling. We topped ours with fried eggs because well, we're fried egg junkies. And then some of my Homemade Blackened Heirloom Tomato Salsa was poured all over the top. But, ya know, I wish I had made some corn salsa for garnishing too (so y'all add that and make me proud). All that's left to do is to sprinkle on some fresh cilantro and you've got it made. Serve it warm with a cold Michelada and you don't need anything else!! Enjoy :)

fried egg perfection.

See the pink chorizo gravy? Love it.

And that, my friends, is why it is called The Mexican Mess

For the Herbed Jalapeno-Cornmeal Waffles:

1 ½C AP Flour

½C Cornstarch

½C Coarse Cornmeal

1t Baking Powder

½t Baking Soda

1t Salt & Sugar

¼t Black Pepper

Pinch of Chili Powder & Cumin 

1C Milk & Buttermilk

2/3C Vegetable Oil

2 Large Eggs, Lightly Beaten

2-3T Fresh Cilantro, Minced

1T Fresh Chives, Minced

1 Fresh Jalapeno, Minced

For the Chorizo Gravy:

½lb Ground Chorizo, Cooked into Crumbles (discard the grease)

4T Unsalted Butter

3TAP Flour

2-3C Whole Milk

Pinch of Chili Powder

Salt & Pepper, To Taste

For the Mexican Brunch Waffles:

Herbed Jalapeno-Cornmeal Waffles, Cooked until Crispy

Chorizo Gravy, Warm

Fried Eggs

Homemade Blackened Heirloom Tomato Salsa

Fresh Minced Cilantro, For Garnishing

Directions:

1. For Herbed Jalapeno-Cornmeal Waffles: In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, cornstarch, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, salt, sugar, seasonings, herbs, and minced jalapeno. Whisk together to blend. In another mixing bowl, beat together the whole milk, buttermilk, oil, and egg. Add the dry ingredients to the bowl with the wet ingredients and whisk just until incorporated and few lumps remain. Set aside to rest for 30 minutes. Preheat a waffle iron. Fill waffle wells and cook according to the manufacturer’s instructions. The waffles should be crisp and golden brown. Keep them warm until you are ready to serve.

2. For the Chorizo Gravy: Fry the ground chorizo in a hot, deep skillet. Once crispy and crumbled, remove the chorizo and fat from the pan. Melt the butter, and then combine the fat with the flour in a skillet, continuously whisking, cook on medium heat for a couple of minutes until a roux is formed. Add the milk slowly to the skillet and mix the roux using a whisk. Turn the heat down to low and continue stirring until he mixture is thickened, 2-3 minutes. Add in salt and a lot of pepper to taste (and any other seasonings you would like to add). If the gravy is too thick for your taste, you can thin it by adding more milk, a tablespoon at a time. Add in the cooked chorizo until combined. Keep warm until ready to serve.

3. For the “Mexican Mess”: Stack the waffles on the plate and then pour on some of the hot chorizo gravy. Top the stack with a fried egg and garnish the plate with the blackened heirloom tomato salsa and fresh cilantro.

4. Enjoy while they are still warm!

Croque Madame Waffle Napoleon with Overnight Yeasted Waffles, Gruyere Cheese, Honey Glazed Ham, Fried Eggs, & Béchamel Sauce

Croque Madame Waffle Napoleon with Overnight Yeasted Waffles, Gruyere Cheese, 

Honey Glazed Ham, Fried Eggs, & Béchamel Sauce

Springtime is Brunch time. I don't know why exactly, but we look forward to Sunday every weekend, just so I can whip up some pancakes or doughnuts or waffles in the case of this recipe. We are waffle-crazed people ever since I bought us a fancy schmancy waffle maker last year. And hey guys, what's more brunch-y than a Croque Madame Sandwich? I mean, it has ham, cheese, a glorious cheese sauce, and a big fat friggin' fried egg on top. Sign us up, we're totes there. But, we couldn't just make a classic sandwich, we don't know how to do classic in this house. Why not a Croque Madame Waffle Napoleon with overnight yeasted waffles in place of bread? Perfection. This stacked "sandwich" is made for a man, but trust me, no woman could do this down. The waffles have this wonderful yeasty beer taste, and then when it's paired with sweet ham, nutty gruyere cheese, and extra runny fried eggs... you're in hangover food paradise. We would know, we're hungover a lot. After everything is all layered and stacked, you get the utterly satisfying vision of watching the Béchamel Sauce cascade/waterfall over the waffles. And in Piece, Love, & Cooking land, fried eggs make everything better. Oh hey, fun fact, did you know that eggs actually help you feel better when you're hungover? There's something called "cysteine" that break down toxins in the body. So, drink as much alcohol as you want, as long as you eat eggs afterwards... that's right, right? Yep. Be fancy, make a stack of waffles, call them a Napoleon, and cure your hangover all at the same time... that's our motto!! Enjoy :)

More Eggs... Less Hungover

Oh-so-many yeasted waffles

This is the cascading waterfall that I was talkin' about...

For the Overnight Yeasted Waffles:

½C Warm Water

1 Package of Active Dry Yeast

2C Buttermilk, Warmed

1 Stick Unsalted Butter, Melted & Cooled Slightly

1t Salt & Sugar

2C AP Flour

2 Large Eggs, Lightly Beaten

¼t Baking Soda

For the Béchamel Sauce:

3T Unsalted Butter

3T AP Flour

2C Whole Milk

12oz Gruyere Cheese, Grated

½ C Parmesan Cheese, Finely Grated

Salt & Pepper, To Taste

Freshly Grated Nutmeg, To Taste

For the Croque Madame Waffle Napoleon:

Prepared Overnight Yeasted Waffles, Cooked until Golden Brown & Crispy

Dijon Mustard

Thinly Sliced Honey Baked Ham, For Layering

Shredded Gruyere Cheese (the remaining that is leftover from the sauce)

Prepared Béchamel Sauce

2-3 Fried Eggs per Stack

Minced Chives, For Sprinkling

Directions:

1. For the Overnight Waffles: Combine the water and yeast in a large mixing bowl and let stand to dissolve for 5 minutes. Add the buttermilk, butter, salt, sugar, and flour to the bowl. Whisk until well blended and smooth. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it stand at room temperature overnight. When you’re ready to make the waffles, preheat the waffle iron. Also, preheat the oven to warm and place a baking sheet in the oven. Just before making the waffles, whisk the eggs and baking soda into the batter until smooth (the batter will be very thin). Fill the waffle wells and cook according to the manufacturer’s instructions, or until golden brown & crispy. Transfer the finished waffles to the baking sheet in the preheated oven to keep warm.

2. For the Béchamel Sauce: Heat butter in a 2-qt. saucepan over medium-high heat. Add flour and cook, whisking, until smooth, about 1 minute. Whisk in milk, and bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium-low and let simmer until slightly reduced and thickened, 6–8 minutes. Add ½ cup of grated Gruyere and the Parmesan, and whisk until smooth. Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg.

3. Assembling the Stacks:Heat broiler to high. Place 2 waffles on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, and spread 1 tbsp. mustard over each. Top with 2 slices ham, some Gruyere, and a fried egg. Repeat this process again by stacking another waffle spread with mustard, ham, and cheese. Broil until cheese begins to melt, 1–2 minutes. Top with one last waffle, then pour a generous amount of béchamel on top of each sandwich. Broil until cheese sauce is bubbling and evenly browned, about 3–4 minutes.

4. Garnishing the Stacks:Once the cheese has melted, remove the stacks from the oven and top them with one last fried egg and garnish with a little salt and fresh cracked pepper, as well as some fresh chives for color.

Thanksgiving Leftovers "Chicken & Waffles" with Pecan Crusted Turkey Tenderloins, Cornbread Dressing Waffles, Vanilla Bean-Pecan Butter, Brandied Cranberry-Maple Syrup, & Brown Butter Fried Sage

Thanksgiving Leftovers "Chicken & Waffles" with Pecan Crusted Turkey Tenderloins,
Cornbread Dressing Waffles, Vanilla Bean-Pecan Butter, Brandied Cranberry-Maple
Syrup, & Brown Butter Fried Sage

Well, our first Friendsgiving dinner has come and gone, and I'm pretty sad about it. It was a lot of fun, and we had wayyyyyy too much to eat. But, there's always, always, always room for leftovers. And yeah, I know there are some Thanksgiving Leftover Purists out there who just want a plain old sandwich. But not me, I try to come up with something crazy & different every year. Just a couple weeks ago I made a tartine, and that was delicious, but I knew this time, I had to make something bigger + better. I couldn't help but think of wanting to make one of our favorite meals, chicken & waffles, into a leftover extravaganza. I started with my favorite buttermilk waffle recipe and then added in some of our cornbread dressing to turn them into these bread pudding-like crispy waffle cakes. Seriously, it has an outrageous texture and taste on its' own, but then you top them with some pecan crusted tenderloins that have been fried to perfection, a few tabs of a homemade vanilla bean-pecan butter, a healthy drizzle of brandied cranberry-maple syrup, and brown butter fried sage... and well, my friends, you are certainly in Thanksgiving Heaven (I'm pretty sure that's a real place, don't worry). It was the perfect brunch this morning, but honestly, I could go for these "chicken & waffles" at any time during the day. And you should too!! Enjoy :)

For the Pecan Crusted Turkey Tenderloins

6 Turkey Tenderloins (or chicken can be substituted, as well as pork)

1C Toasted Pecan Pieces (ground into a pecan meal)

2C AP Flour

Salt & Pepper, To Taste

1C Buttermilk, Well-Shaken

3 Eggs, Beaten

1T Hot Sauce

Vegetable Oil, For Frying

For the Cornbread Dressing Waffles:

¾C AP Flour

¼C Cornstarch

½t Baking Powder & Sea Salt

¼t Baking Soda

½C Buttermilk

½C Milk

1/3C Vegetable Oil

1 Egg

2t Sugar

½t Vanilla

1 ½C Leftover Cornbread Dressing or Stuffing

For the Vanilla Bean-Pecan Butter:

1 Stick of Unsalted Butter, Softened

¼C Toasted Pecans, Finely Chopped

1t Sugar

¼C Vanilla Extract

For the Brandied Cranberry-Maple Syrup:

½C Leftover Cranberry Sauce

½C Maple Syrup

¼C Brandy

Salt, To Taste

For the Thanksgiving Leftover Chicken & Waffles:

Pecan Crusted Turkey Tenderloins, Fried until Golden Brown & Crispy

Prepared Cornbread Dressing Waffles, Cooked & Warm

Prepared Vanilla Bean-Pecan Butter, Cut into Tabs

Brandied Cranberry-Maple Syrup, Warmed

Brown Butter Fried Sage, For Garnishing

Directions:

1. For the Pecan Crusted Turkey Tenderloins: Heat the oil, over medium-high heat, in a large cast iron skillet. In food processor, finely ground the pecans. Combine the pecans with the flour. Season the flour and tenderloins with salt & pepper to your liking. Whisk the eggs with the buttermilk and hot sauce. Dredge the turkey tenderloins in the pecan flour, coating each piece completely. Dip the chicken in the buttermilk egg wash, coating completely and letting the excess drip off.  Dredge them again in the pecan flour. Fry the turkey for roughly 6-8 minutes or until there is no longer any pink in the meat. The outside should be golden brown and crispy. Drain the fried turkey on a paper towel-lined plate and season with salt & pepper. Keep these warm until you are ready to serve.

2. For the Cornbread Dressing Waffles: In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugar. Whisk together to blend. In another mixing bowl, beat together the whole milk, buttermilk, oil, egg and vanilla. Add the dry ingredients to the bowl with the wet ingredients and whisk just until incorporated and few lumps remain. Add in your leftover dressing or stuffing and mix to combine. Set aside to rest for 30 minutes. Preheat a waffle iron. Fill waffle wells and cook according to the manufacturer’s instructions. The waffles should be crisp and golden brown. Keep them warm until you are ready to serve.

3. For the Vanilla Bean-Pecan Compound Butter: In a mixing bowl, mash and smooth out the butter with a fork. Add in the vanilla bean seeds, toasted pecans, sugar, and vanilla extract and mix until it is smooth, making sure that all of the component are mixture thoroughly and distributed throughout. Keep it at room temperature or refrigerate until you are ready to spread it onto your waffles.

4. For the Brandied Cranberry-Maple Syrup: Heat the leftover cranberry sauce and maple syrup over low heat in a medium saucepan. Add the brandy and some salt to taste, and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until the brandy infuses into the syrup and it thickens slightly. Keep warm until ready to serve.

5. To Assemble the Turkey & Waffles: Place two cornbread dressing waffles in the center of your plate and spread with the softened vanilla bean-pecan butter. Top the waffle with another tab of the butter and the crispy pecan crusted turkey tenderloins. Pour the brandied cranberry-maple syrup all over your plate and garnish with brown butter fried sage leaves. Enjoy it while it’s still warm!

Pulled Pork & Waffles with Homemade Maple Pearl Sugar "Liege-Style" Waffles, Pulled Pork, Jack Daniels Syrup, & Cinnamon Butter

Pulled Pork & Waffles with Homemade Maple Pearl Sugar "Liege-Style" Waffles,
Pulled Pork, Jack Daniels Syrup, & Cinnamon Butter

My Mountain Man always jokes with me about how I am the only girl he knows that would rather buy a fancy waffle maker than clothes or jewelry or just girly stuff. Well, he's not laughing anymore because he just reaps the benefits of all the yummy waffles we make at this house. For a while now, I have been dying to make "Liege-Style" Belgian Waffles. A lot of people have never heard of them, but they should be known every where because they are hot-damn-delicious. The waffles are typically made with a yeasted batter that is significantly thicker than regular recipes. But instead of adding sugar to the batter, you have to fold in "pearl sugar", which are like specialty sugar pieces that are a little smaller and rounder than plain ole' sugar cubes. I haven't been able to find authentic pearl sugar anywhere, but I know it is easy to order online... I just felt like I could do it at home. To make it a lil' bit southern, I decided to make homemade maple pearl sugar. When you cook these waffles up, the maple pearl sugar heats through, leaving pockets of melted maple-sugary goodness and the outside of the waffles crisp up and almost caramelize like the top of creme brulee. It's that good people. Well, to go along with these amazing waffles, we couldn't help but use some of the leftover pulled pork from the previous night. It might be weird to eat pulled pork & waffles together, but hey, chicken & waffles are fabulous, and so were these. To bring this dish over the top, just shmear on some Homemade Cinnamon Butter and a heavy drizzle of Jack Daniels Syrup. I mean, we practically drowned ours with syrup, even though they didn't need it. It all was just so good and it is definitely in my top list of favorite recipes this year. There's no doubt about it... who knew that a fusion of Belgian + Southern comfort food would be so fabulous? I didn't!! Enjoy y'all :)

"Liege-Style" Waffle Batter with Homemade Maple Pearl Sugar...
Can you see how thick the batter is and all of the little maple pearls?

Before the Drizzle of Jack Daniels Syrup

Oh baby, it's all good n' soaked now :)

For the Cinnamon Butter:

1 Stick of Butter, Softened

3T Brown Sugar

½t Vanilla

1T Cinnamon

For the Homemade Maple Pearl Sugar:

1C Sugar

4t High Quality Maple Syrup

For the “Liege-Style” Waffles:

1 Package of Active Dry Yeast

1/3C Lukewarm Water

1T Sugar

¼t Salt

2C AP Flour (or bread flour could be used as well)

3 Eggs

1C Melted Butter

1t Vanilla

Pinch of Cinnamon

1C Homemade Maple Pearl Sugar 

For the Jack Daniels Syrup:

1C Pure Maple Syrup (good quality & high grade)

½C Jack Daniels Whiskey

1t Vanilla

1-2T Brown Sugar

¼t Chili Powder

Pinch of Salt or To Taste

4T Unsalted Butter, Cut into Tabs

For the Pulled Pork & Waffles:

Prepared Cinnamon Butter, Softened

Homemade Maple Pearl Sugar

Waffle Batter

Pulled Pork, Warmed

Prepared Jack Daniels Syrup, Warmed

Directions:

1. For the Cinnamon Butter: Beat the butter, sugar, and vanilla until the mixture is smooth, then slowly add in the cinnamon and beat until combined. Chill until ready to serve.   

2. For the Homemade Maple Pearl Sugar: Mix the sugar with the maple syrup in a bowl until well combined and it resembles damp sand. Line a baking sheet with a silpat and dump the sugar out onto the pan. Firmly press the sugar into a compact rectangle and let it dry completely over night or until the sugar is extremely hard and lacks any moisture. Roughly chop the maple sugar into pearl-sized shapes. Measure out 1C of the pearls and set aside.   

3. For the “Liege Style” Waffles: Mix the yeast, water, sugar and salt in a bowl and let it develop or sit for 15 minutes. Place the flour in a separate large mixing bowl (we use the bowl of our kitchen aid stand mixer) and make a well in the center of the flour. Pour the yeast mixture into the well and mix until blended on medium speed (we use the paddle in our kitchen aid mixer). Add the eggs (one at a time), melted butter a bit at a time, and the vanilla and cinnamon. Be sure to mix well after each addition to the batter. Keep in mind the batter will be thick and VERY sticky (this is normal). Remove the bowl from the mixer and let the dough rest until it doubles in volume inside the bowl. (About 1 hour) Gently fold in the pearl sugar and let the dough rest for 15 more minutes. While the dough is resting, heat the waffle iron. Spoon about a 2″ ball of dough into the center of the waffle iron (this should yield a waffle that is about 4″ in diameter). I know that sounds small, but these rich waffles pack quite a punch. Waffles will take about 5 minutes to cook (we set our waffle maker to level 4, but you might have to play around with it to get it to your liking).

4. For the Jack Daniels Syrup: Heat the maple syrup over low heat in a medium saucepan. Add in the Jack Daniels, vanilla, brown sugar, chili powder, and salt, and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until the whiskey infuses the syrup and it thickens slightly. Whisk in 4T of Butter or until thoroughly combined. Keep warm until ready to pour over the waffles.

5. Assembling the Pulled Pork & Waffles: Place one of the “Liege Style” Waffles in the center of the plate and spread with some of the softened cinnamon butter. Stack some warmed pulled pork on top and repeat with more waffles, butter, and pulled pork. Finish the waffles off with a heavy drizzle of the warmed Jack Daniels Syrup.

source: liege waffles.

Blueberry-Buttermilk Waffles with Andouille Sausage Maple Syrup

There's nothin' better than a sweet & salty combination for Sunday Brunch. I personally love anything of the sort, so I decided to make some sweet waffles with some spicy, salt syrup to pour over the top. I eventually decided to buy some fresh blueberries at the Farmer's Market because they were perfectly plump & delicious. I then got some spicy andouille sausage and cubed it up, cooked it till crispy, and then infused it with some good quality maple syrup for the ultimate savory flavor. These waffles may not be for everyone, but they certainly hit the spot for us. We just totally dig 'em. What a perfect brunch these waffles made!! Enjoy :)

Blueberry-Buttermilk Waffles with Andouille Sausage Maple Syrup 

Look at all that sausage :)

For the Blueberry-Buttermilk Waffles:

1 ½C AP Flour

½C Cornstarch

1t Baking Powder

½t Baking Soda

1t Salt

1T Sugar

1C Milk & Buttermilk

2/3C Vegetable Oil

2 Large Eggs, Lightly Beaten

2t Vanilla 

1t Amaretto

1C Blueberries (plus extra for garnishing)

For the Andouille Sausage Maple Syrup:

1C Andouille Sausage, Cut into Cubes

1C Pure Maple Syrup

Pinch of Cinnamon & Cayenne

Directions:

1. For the Blueberry-Buttermilk Waffles: In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugar.  Whisk together to blend.  In another mixing bowl, beat together the whole milk, buttermilk, oil, egg and vanilla.  Add the dry ingredients to the bowl with the wet ingredients and whisk just until incorporated and few lumps remain.  Set aside to rest for 30 minutes. Preheat a waffle iron.  Fill waffle wells, sprinkle with blueberries, and cook according to the manufacturer’s instructions.  Cook until crisp and golden.

2. For the Andouille Sausage Maple Syrup: Fry the Andouille sausage in a small pot until brown and crispy. Whisk in the maple syrup and let it simmer for 5-10 minutes. Keep warm until ready to pour over the blueberry waffles.

Date Night : Red Velvet Fried Chicken & Buttermilk Waffles with Cream Cheese-Pink Peppercorn Gravy and Spicy Cinnamon-Maple Syrup

I feel like it's been forever since I had a date night with my Mountain Man. We've just been so busy with school, work, and St. Patrick's Day last weekend... it's just kinda slipped our minds. So, we finally brought it back and decided to make chicken & waffles, again. I know our obsession is down right dirty. But we love it, so there. And we really outdid ourselves with this crazy combination. I had heard of Red Velvet Fried Chicken from some restaurant in San Francisco that made it famous. Well, I knew that I had to make it the second I could... it's just too crazy to pass up! So, I marinated chicken tenderloins in my red velvet cake batter for 24 hours, and then I made a second batch of my red velvet batter and baked a cake. After it was done baking, I crumbled the cake into a breadcrumb-like texture, and then toasted them in the oven until they were nice & crunchy (but not burt). I deep fried these suckers until they were a deep red color and crispy on the outside. Also, I made a homemade gravy with some cream cheese, as a play off the cream cheese frosting typically served with the cake, and added some pink peppercorns for some bite. The waffles needed something sweet, so I made a spicy cinnamon-maple syrup. The chicken was served on top of delicious buttermilk waffles and topped with all the homemade fixin's. This is definitely one odd dinner, but somehow it all works. The chicken alone is sweet, but with the gravy, waffles, and syrup, it is all balanced out. So don't be afraid, just jump right in!! Enjoy :)

Red Velvet Fried Chicken & Buttermilk Waffles with Cream Cheese-Pink Peppercorn Gravy
and Spicy Cinnamon-Maple Syrup

Look at that gorgeous red hue that the chicken got from the marinade

For the Red Velvet Cake Batter:

2lbs of Chicken Tenderloins

2 ½C AP Flour

1C Sugar

1t Baking Soda & Salt

2t Cocoa Powder

1 ½C Vegetable Oil

1C Buttermilk

2 Large Eggs

1oz Red Food Coloring

1t White Distilled Vinegar & Vanilla

For the Toasted Red Velvet Cake Crumbs:

2 ½C AP Flour

¾C Sugar

1t Baking Soda & Salt

2t Cocoa Powder

1 ½C Vegetable Oil

1C Buttermilk, Room Temperature

2 Large Eggs, Room Temperature 

1oz Red Food Coloring

1t White Distilled Vinegar & Vanilla

For the Red Velvet Fried Chicken:

Red Velvet Cake Batter-Marinated Chicken Tenderloins

Toasted Red Velvet Cake Crumbs

Canola Oil, For Frying

Salt & Pepper, For Sprinkling

For the Buttermilk Waffles:

¾C AP Flour

¼C Cornstarch

½t Baking Powder & salt

¼t Baking Soda

1 ½t Sugar

1C Buttermilk

1/3C Vegetable Oil

1 Large Egg, Lightly Beaten

¾t Vanilla

For the Cream Cheese-Pink Peppercorn Gravy:

4T Butter

3T AP Flour

2-3C Milk

4oz Cream Cheese, Softened

1-2T Pink Peppercorns, Whole & Crushed (depends on how much pepper you like)

Cayenne, Ground Mustard, & Garlic Powder, To Taste

For the Spicy Cinnamon-Maple Syrup:

1C Pure Maple Syrup

1-2 Cinnamon Sticks

1T Hot Sauce

For the Red Velvet Fried Chicken & Cream Cheese Waffles:

Prepared Red Velvet Fried Chicken, Cooked

Prepared Buttermilk Waffles

Prepared Cream Cheese-Pink Peppercorn Gravy

Prepared Spicy Cinnamon-Maple Syrup

Directions:

1. For the Red Velvet Cake Batter: Place the chicken tenderloins into a large plastic bag, and set it aside. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder. In a small bowl, whisk together the vegetable oil, buttermilk, eggs, red food coloring, white distilled vinegar, and vanilla. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and lightly mix until combined & a smooth batter is formed. Pour the batter over the chicken in the plastic bag, and let the chicken marinate in the batter overnight or preferably 24 hours.
2. For the Toasted Red Velvet Cake Crumbs: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and spray a 13x9 pan with Pam and set it aside. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder. In another large bowl, whisk together the oil, buttermilk, eggs, food coloring, vinegar, and vanilla. Using a standing mixer, mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined and a smooth batter is formed. Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan. Place the pan in the oven and bake, rotating the pan halfway through the cooking, until the cake pulls away from the sides of the pan, and a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean, about 30-45 minutes. Remove the cake from the oven and run a knife around the edges to loosen them from the sides of the pans. Invert the cake onto a cooling rack and let cool completely. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Once the cake has cooled, crumble the cake by hand onto a baking sheet until coarse crumbs are formed. Toast the cake crumbs until lightly golden brown & slightly crisp (making sure to toss them throughout the baking process). Now that they have cooked, let the toasted cake crumbs cool completely before coating the chicken in them.
3. Heat the quart of canola oil in a deep fryer to 350-375 degrees. While the oil heats, set up a battering station with red velvet marinated chicken and toasted red velvet cake crumbs (for coating). When ready to fry, place the chicken into the crumbs to coat the chicken in them (pressing the crumbs into the chicken, so there’s an even coating). Once you’ve coated the chicken, quickly add them to the hot oil and fry the chicken until they are deep reddish brown and cooked through, about 5-6 minutes (making sure to flip halfway through). Once the wings are fried, remove them to a wire rack to drain, and then season with salt and pepper. Keep the chicken warm in the oven while you make the waffles.
4. For the Buttermilk Waffles: In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugar.  Whisk together to blend.  In another mixing bowl, beat together the buttermilk, oil, egg and vanilla.  Add the dry ingredients to the bowl with the wet ingredients and whisk just until incorporated and few lumps remain.  Set aside to rest for 30 minutes. Preheat a waffle iron.  Fill waffle wells and cook according to the manufacturer’s instructions.  Cook until crisp and golden. Serve immediately with the fried chicken or keep warm in the oven.
5. For the Cream Cheese-Pink Peppercorn Gravy: Melt the butter in a skillet. Combine the butter with the flour, continuously whisking, cook on medium heat for a couple of minutes until a roux is formed. Add the milk slowly to the skillet and mix the roux using a whisk. Turn the heat down to low and continue stirring until he mixture is thickened, 2-3 minutes. Add in salt and the pink peppercorns (I used some crushed peppercorn and whole peppercorns) to taste (and any other seasonings you would like to add). If the gravy is too thick for your taste, you can thin it by adding more milk, a tablespoon at a time. Keep warm until ready to garnish.
6. For the Spicy Cinnamon-Maple Syrup: Heat the syrup and cinnamon sticks over low heat for 10 minutes. Remove from heat, add in the hot sauce, and let it steep for 1 hour. Remove the sticks and pour into a small pitcher.
7. To Assemble the Chicken & Waffles: Place the buttermilk waffles in the center of your plate and spread with softened butter. Top the waffle with the red velvet fried chicken. Drizzle a heavy helping of peppercorn gravy and drizzle with the outsides of the plate with the spicy cinnamon-maple syrup on top and enjoy!!