A delightful, diabetic-friendly, brunch dish for special occasions.

Banana Pecan Waffles with Rum Raisin Syrup

Rum Raisin Syrup:
2 cups SPLENDA® No Calorie Sweetener, Granulated
1 cup light brown sugar
6 tablespoons dark rum
6 tablespoons water
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cinnamon sticks
1/2 cup raisins

Waffles:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup SPLENDA® No Calorie Sweetener, Granulated
1/2 cup chopped pecans
3 large eggs, separated
2 1/4 cups buttermilk
6 tablespoons butter, melted
2 very ripe bananas, peeled and mashed

1. To prepare the syrup: Combine SPLENDA® Granulated Sweetener and brown sugar in a small saucepan and whisk in the rum and water.
2. Place over high heat and bring to a boil; let boil approximately 30 seconds, making sure the sugars have dissolved. Remove from the heat and add vanilla, cinnamon sticks and the raisins. Let cool while preparing waffles.
3. To prepare waffles: Sift together the first five ingredients into a large mixing bowl. Mix in the pecans.
4. Separate eggs. Beat the egg yolks in a medium mixing bowl. Add the buttermilk, melted butter and mashed bananas. Stir in the dry ingredients until just moistened; do not beat.
5. Whip the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold egg whites gently into the batter. Pour the batter into a preheated lightly oiled or nonstick waffle iron and cook until golden brown but still moist inside, about 5 minutes.
6. Remove the cinnamon sticks from the rum raisin syrup and pour syrup over warm waffles.

Makes 8 servings. Serving Size: 1 waffle, 1/4 cup syrup.

Note: For dietary purposes, please note that this recipe contains alcohol.

Nutritional Information Per Serving (1/8 of recipe): Calories 540 | Calories from Fat 150 | Fat 17g (sat 7g) | Cholesterol 105mg | Sodium 540mg | Carbohydrates 83g | Fiber 3g | Sugars 49g | Protein 10g

Recipe courtesy of Splenda, Inc. Splenda® is a no-calorie sweetener made from sugar that is suitable for diabetics. For more information regarding this product, please call 1-800-777-5363 or visit their website at www.splenda.com.