Cornmeal adds crunch and sweetness to these fluffy waffles, which are lightened with beaten egg whites. If you’d prefer a little more fiber, you can substitute a third of the all-purpose flour with whole-wheat or rye flour. The banana bourbon syrup, studded with pecans, makes these waffles sweet enough for dessert. If you do go that route, a scoop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream would not be amiss. Or serve the waffles with some butter, sliced bananas and a drizzle of plain maple syrup for a simple but satisfying breakfast.
03Add bourbon to pan and let simmer until mostly evaporated, about 1 minute. Pour in syrup and nuts; simmer until just heated through. Pour syrup onto the bananas and cover to keep warm (or reheat just before serving).
04In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda. In a separate bowl, whisk together sour cream or yogurt, milk, melted butter and egg yolks. Fold wet ingredients into dry ingredients.
05In a mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the egg whites until they hold stiff peaks. Immediately fold into batter.
06Heat a waffle iron and, using a pastry brush or paper towel, lightly coat with melted butter. Cook waffles (using about 1/2 cup batter per waffle) until golden and crisp. Butter the iron in between batches as needed. Serve waffles immediately as they are ready, or keep warm in a 200-degree oven until ready to serve. Serve with banana syrup on top.