Method

For the waffles, sift all the dry ingredients into a large bowl. In another bowl, combine all the wet ingredients, except the egg whites, and lightly whisk. Beat the egg whites in a separate bowl until stiff peaks form.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry and lightly mix until you have a batter. Don’t worry, there will still be a few small lumps. Gently fold in the beaten egg whites until just combined. (Note: This mixture can be made in advance and stored in the fridge.)

To make the butterscotch sauce, melt the butter in a large, heavy-based pot. Add the sugar and allow this to cook for about 5 minutes on a medium-high heat. The sugar should be mostly dissolved and turning an amber colour. Add the cream and vanilla extract. Do be careful as this will bubble furiously and is the reason why a large pot is essential. Stir continuously as the bubbles subside. By now the mixture should be a lovely silky sauce, but continue to cook over a low heat if you feel the consistency is not right. It will thicken as it cools, too. Stir in the bourbon and salt.

Heat a waffle iron and grease or spray with non-stick cooking spray. Cook the waffles until they are done.

Serve the sauce warm, poured over the waffles.

Cooks notes:

You could add two tablespoons of castor sugar if you want to make them sweeter, or if you are combining them with something else. Drenched in maple syrup is always a good option with waffles, and a scoop of vanilla ice cream complements them well.

I have added bourbon to the butterscotch because it gives it the most incredible smokey flavour. I adore boozy desserts, but omit if you prefer or are making it for children. It’s also an excellent sauce for ice cream and other desserts.

Recipe extracted from Sweet by Sam Linsell (Struik Lifestyle)