Chicken & Gingerbread Waffles with Cranberry Syrup

Hey there... sorry long time, no post. I have a new job and just moved back into my house, and haven't had a lot of extra free time when I get home. I just threw a party to celebrate my return home, and so I thought I would share a few recipes of the food I served as well as recap the party... It was a cookie exchange and several of my sweet friends braved the rain to share the evening with me. It really meant a lot since I have no family here.

One of the dishes I made for my guests is a holiday spin on Chicken & Waffles. I made Chicken & Gingerbread Waffles with Cranberry Syrup.

Baked or Fried Chicken

1/2 to 3/4 lbs per person chicken breast tenderloins

(I use one chicken tenderloin per skewer, some guests might want two servings)

Breading:

1 box corn flakes

6-10 gingersnap cookies

1 cup flour

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)

salt

Eggwash:

6 eggs

1/2 milk

I suggest making the waffles a day in advance if you do not have a lot of time. I will list that recipe below. To make the chicken, preheat your oven to 400°, and mix your breading ingredients in a bowl...then pour the crumbs mixture into a shallow pan so that you will have plenty of room to bread the chicken in it. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper for the chicken to bake on. Make your eggwash by beating the eggs and then pouring in the milk. Mix until combined. 

To bread the chicken, dip it into the crumbs, then the eggwash, then the crumbs, then the eggwash, then the crumbs again. Lay each piece on the cooking sheets with plenty of room all around them. When you have filled a tray, spray each piece with a non-stick cooking spray. Make sure your oven is up to temperature and bake each sheet until the breading is golden brown. This will not take long, maybe 15-20 minutes, so keep your oven light on and an eye on it! Chicken is great when it is cooked nicely and almost unpalatable when it is OVERCOOKED and DRY. :(

If you want to skip the baking and deep fry the pieces, go for it! I just didn't want the oil smell throughout the house with guests coming over. 

Cranberry Syrup:

2 cans jelled cranberry sauce 

1/2 cup corn syrup

1/4 brown sugar

1/4 lemon juice

Heat the sauce with the corn syrup, sugar and lemon juice in a saucepan, slowly bring to a boil for about a minute. If sauce is too thick add a little orange juice and heat through. 

Gingerbread Waffles:

2 cups flour

1 Tbs baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cinnamon

2 Tbs ginger

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp clove

3 Tbs sugar

2 large eggs

2 cups milk

4 tbs butter (melted)

1/2 cup molasses

Preheat your waffle iron. Mix the dry ingredients together and then the wet ingredients. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix until just combined. Grease your waffle iron with non-stick cooking spray and then pour the battle onto the griddle. Cook for about 5 minutes and then check for doneness.

When waffles are cooked through and browned, remove from iron and cut them into squares.

Place them on skewers alternating chicken pieces and waffle pieces. Drizzle the syrup over them and serve!!

Tune in the rest of this week for more recipes from the party!