Happy November! Can you believe that there are only two more months left in 2013?! Scary, I know. The good news:

1. It’s not winter yet – we still have the perfect fall weather.
2. The best holidays remain.
3. There’s a lot more soup and spiked hot chocolate in my future.
4. …and a lot more scarves, boots, and blankets (in which I will burrito myself for all of winter. Hey, it’s a fact that redheads don’t do as well with the cold.)
5. There’s still time for your 2013 New Years Resolutions!

I’m still hanging on with my monthly savings, I’ve been seeing a lot of live music, and I’ve been doing well with my French news article a day. But with the time left in 2013, I’m going to go to a few more museums, ramp up my volunteer time with the DC kids gardening group I work with, and start the sibling trip tradition!

You know what else I’m going to do? I’m going to start incorporating browned butter in my baking more. And goodness knows that there are a lot of holiday treats (like these spiced molasses cookies!) in my kitchen’s future, so I feel good about this one.

I don’t know why this is something I haven’t started doing before, but I made these Browned Butter Pumpkin Pecan Waffles and wow. Wow. I mean, we all know butter is a gift from God, but when you brown it in a pan and then add it to your batter, it adds an incredible rich nutty flavor that you wouldn’t get with just plain melted butter.

I mixed in canned pumpkin, toasted pecans, and all of your favorite fall spices to really take these waffles to the next level. I still prefer my waffles with just butter on top as you see here, but occasionally I’ll add a little syrup – especially to these bad boys. They were just asking for a little maple goodness for a finishing touch.

Make them for someone this weekend and they’ll love you forever!

Here’s what I did:

Browned Butter Pumpkin Pecan Waffles

Serves 3-4 people.

In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt until golden brown:
-3 Tbs. butter

Pour the butter into a bowl to let it cool. In the same pan over medium heat, toast until browned (about 3-5 minutes):
-¼ c. chopped pecans

Remove from the heat to cool.

In a big bowl, whisk together:
-1 ¼ c. whole wheat flour (or all-purpose if you prefer)
-3 Tbs. packed brown sugar
-1 tsp. baking powder
-½ tsp. baking soda
– ½ tsp. salt
-1 ½ tsp. cinnamon
-½ tsp. ginger
-1/8 tsp. nutmeg
-1/8 tsp. cloves

In a separate bowl, whisk together:
-2 large eggs
-1 c. buttermilk
-1 tsp. vanilla extract
– ½ c. canned pumpkin
-the browned butter

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry, add the toasted pecans, and stir together until just combined.

Preheat your waffle iron. Spray both sides of the waffle iron with nonstick cooking spray. Using a ¼ c. measuring cup, pour the batter onto the waffle iron. Close the lid and cook for about 5 minutes, or until golden brown. Serve with salted butter and maple syrup. Enjoy!

*French phrase for fun:

Les meilleures fêtes viennent toujours.

The best holidays remain.