The Carriage House Inn Bed and Breakfast is please to share our signature breakfast entree, for the month of December, Gingerbread Waffles.  Served with a Spiced Pear & Cranberry Compote this dish is reminiscent of December tastes and scents.  This is a great recipe to surprise your family with on Christmas morning!

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 cup molasses
• 1 cup root beer (can use a regular beer if desired)
• zest of one orange
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil

Combine flour, salt, baking powder, ginger, cinnamon and cloves in a large bowl.  Mix together molasses, root beer, beaten egg and oil in a medium bowl.  Stir wet ingredients into dry ingredients, adding additional root beer if necessary.  Place  waffle batter into preheated, greased waffle iron, per manufacturer instructions.  Serve with Spiced Pears & Cranberry Compote (recipe follows.)  Makes 4 Belgian waffles.

Spiced Pears & Cranberry Compote

• 1 cup orange juice
• 1 cup fresh cranberries
• 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
• 2 pears, peeled, sliced and cut into large pieces
• dash of ground cinnamon, cloves & ginger

Place orange juice,  pear pieces, spices and cranberries into a small saucepan.  Bring to a boil, lower heat to simmer and continue heating until cranberries burst (about 2-3 minutes.)  Add maple syrup and let simmer another two minutes.    Keep warm until waffles are ready for serving.