Overnight waffles, brown butter pecan ice-cream and spiced pears

1.Combine milk and yeast in an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook, then add egg and a third of the flour, and stir to combine. Scatter in remaining flour (do not stir) and set aside until yeast mixture bubbles through flour (1 hour). Add sugar, vanilla seeds, 1 tsp fine sea salt and knead until a dough forms (3-5 minutes). Add butter a little at a time, kneading until soft (4-5 minutes). Shape into a ball, place in a buttered bowl, cover with plastic wrap and set aside until doubled in size (2 hours). Knock back dough, wrap in plastic wrap, weight with a plate and refrigerate overnight for flavours to develop.

2.For brown butter pecan ice-cream, heat a saucepan over medium-high heat, add butter and swirl until golden brown and foaming (4-5 minutes). Strain off clarified butter (reserve for another use) and place solids in a bowl. Bring milk, glucose and half the cream to the boil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Meanwhile, whisk yolks and sugar in an electric mixer until pale and fluffy (2-3 minutes), add butter solids and whisk to combine. Gradually whisk in hot milk mixture, then transfer to a clean saucepan and stir over medium heat until mixture thickly coats the back of a wooden spoon (6-8 minutes). Pour into a bowl over an ice bath and stir occasionally until cold. Whisk in remaining cream, then churn in an ice-cream machine. Layer ice-cream and pecans alternately into a container and freeze until firm (8 hours or overnight). Makes 1.2 litres.

3.For spiced pears, stir sugar, rind, spices and 800ml water in a saucepan over medium heat to dissolve sugar. Reduce heat to low and simmer for flavours to develop (10 minutes), then add pears, cover with a round of baking paper, weight with a plate and poach until just tender (35-45 minutes). Remove from heat and cool in poaching liquid.

4.Place pearl sugar in a large bowl, press dough into sugar to coat, then knead to incorporate. Divide dough into 6 pieces, roll into balls and set aside on a tray lined with baking paper until doubled in size (45 minutes to 1 hour).

5.Brush a heated waffle-maker with oil. Flatten dough balls slightly into the waffle-maker and cook in batches until golden and cooked through (5-6 minutes). Serve hot with brown butter pecan ice-cream and spiced pears, drizzled generously with maple syrup and scattered with pecans.