• Preheat your waffle iron the the highest setting.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cornstarch, baking powder, soda and salt. In a smaller bowl, whisk together the buttermilk and vanilla extract. Separate the egg, placing the egg white in the bowl of your electric mixer and the egg yolk in with the buttermilk.
• Beat the egg white on high speed until stiff peaks form.
• Stir the buttermilk and egg mixture into the dry ingredients until just combined. Stir in the melted butter until it’s combined – it will take a minute or two to incorporate. Fold the stiff egg whites into the batter and then fold almost all of the crispy bacon bits (I reserve some for topping) into the batter. Spoon 1/3 to 1/2 cup of batter into the hot waffle iron. Cook until crunchy and golden, about 2 to 3 minutes a piece.
• To serve the waffles, add a slice of the bourbon butter on top. Sprinkle with some of the reserved bacon and cover with the blueberry syrup.

bourbon butter

• Whisk ingredients together in a bowl until combined. I used a spatula to fold some of the bourbon into the butter. Scoop the butter onto a piece of parchment paper and stick in the fridge (or freezer, if you’re rushed) to firm up a little bit before serving.

blueberry syrup

• Place the blueberries, syrup and water in a saucepan and heat over medium heat. Once the mixture bubbles, reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, until the blueberries burst. You can additionally mash the berries or even throw the mixture in a food processor.