These are perfect dessert waffles. However, my favorite time of the year for these is October and November when the mornings are cold and crisp, and the colors outside are on fire. I don't know why, but these just appeal to me mightily that time of year.

1/2 cup packed plump, moist dried cherries
Two 3-by-1 inch strips orange zest (pith removed) finely diced or chopped
3T unsalted butter
1c all purpose flour
1/3c old-fashioned oats (not instant)
1 1/2t double-acting baking powder
1/4t baking soda
1/4t salt
1/8t freshly ground black pepper
pinch of cinnamon
3T sugar
1/2c cottage cheese (or ricotta)
1 large egg
3/4c milk
1/4t pure vanilla extract*
1/8t pure almond extract*
1/8t pure orange extract*
* do NOT use imitation extracts

If the cerries are not moist and plump, place them in a heatproof bowl and pour boiling water over them. Let the cherries steep for a minute, drain, turn out onto a paper towel, and pat dry. Mix them with the orange zest and set aside.

Preheat your waffle iron. If you want to hold the waffles until serving time, preheat your oven to 200F.

Melt the butter. Reserve. In a medium-seize bowl, whisk together the flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, salt, pepper, cinnamon, and sugar. In a large bowl, beat together the cottage/ricotta cheese and egg until well blended. Don't worry if the batter is lumpy or some curds of cottage cheese remain; it will be fine when it bakes. Gradually add the milk while continuing to beat. Beat in the extracts. Pour the dry ingredients over the cottage cheese mixture and combine with a rubber spatula. Fold in the cherries and zest, and then the melted butter.

Lightly butter or spray the grids of your iron, if needed. Brush or spray the grids again only if subsequent waffles stick.

Spoon out a generous 1/2 cup of batter (or a little more than your waffler's manufacturer suggests) onto the iron. Use a metal spatula or wooden spoon to spread the batter evenly over the grids. Close the lid and bake until pale golden and set. Serve the waffles immediately or keep them, in a single layer, on a rack in the preheated oven while you make the rest of the batch.

These need nothing more than maple syrup and a little butter...but I like to use the pecan praline from Bruce Bissonnette's "Famous Dave's Bread Pudding" recipe that's on this site and some vanilla ice cream if I'm making these as dessert waffles. These things are fantastic.

Recipe by Dorie Greenspan's "Waffles from Morning to Midnight"