In every family there’s always a pancake lover and a waffle lover. When it comes to everyone gathering for the holidays, it’s usually a fight to the finish as to which family member will have the final say on the breakfast menu. In our household, I win every time with waffles.

Hands down, my favorite holiday is Christmas. It’s so magical and full of spirit and Christmas cheer. Growing up, my family spent Christmas with my grandparents, Mimo and Papo, at their house in McAllen, Texas. It was always a time to get together with the extended family and over-indulge in Mexican food, especially tamales and beans at family parties.

Early on Christmas morning, it was always tradition that the grandkids made homemade waffles while the parents took their sweet time waking up. With lots of bellies to feed, Mimo always gave each of us a job ­– sift the flour, separate the eggs, beat the egg whites, fold it in the batter, set the table or take people’s orders.

‍

What lessons did she teach us?

• For crispy outsides and fluffy insides – make sure the egg whites are beaten thoroughly, add sugar when its foamy and allow them to form soft peaks. Gently fold the beaten egg whites into the batter so there’s a variety of different sized clumps. Do not over-mix!

• What are soft peaks? Basically, when your flip the whisk upside down, the egg whites should just begin to hold their shape and form curly edges. This should take around 5 minutes with a hand-mixer.

• ‍Warm up the syrup before serving – microwave the syrup to give it a nice flowy texture that goes delightfully on top of warm waffles and butter.

• ‍Keep the oven on low heat – while you continue baking the waffles in the waffle iron, be sure to store already made ones in the oven on a cookie sheet covered with foil so you ensure they stay fresh and warm.

‍

‍

Toppings

The options are endless! Whether you’re a peanut butter and honey fan like my Uncle John or a plain Jane butter and syrup kinda gal, choose your own adventure. Other ideas are adding fresh fruit (strawberries, blueberries, bananas), powdered sugar, toasted nuts or even some whipped cream!

Even though it’s been a few years since Mimo’s passing, I will forever continue to keep her legacy alive by making her waffles recipe every Christmas morning! I hope you give these waffles a try, and I guarantee you – you won’t be disappointed.

‍

‍

Equipment needed:

• Sifter
• Hand-mixer
• Waffle iron
• Cooking sheet
• Foil