International Waffle Day 2014

Happy International Waffle Day!  Not be confused with National Waffle Day in the US--that’s celebrated in August. Perplexed much? Me too. But I’ll take whatever excuse necessary to celebrate waffles!

I’ve been out of town and/or sick the past week, so in lieu of a new recipe, I thought I’d post a waffle round up. We really like waffles around these parts. I make them at least once a month. Just because you may have missed out on celebrating International Waffle Day for breakfast doesn’t mean you have to miss out entirely--you can always fire up the waffle iron for “brannier” (aka breakfast-for-dinner).

One final note before we get to the main event (copious amounts of waffles), not all these recipes were originally gluten free, but if you’ve made a batch of Jeanne’s GF AP flour mix, you can substitute that in equal amounts for the AP flour in any recipe to make  that recipe GF.  Pretty nifty.  And vice versa.... if you’re not GF but the recipe is, just substitute regular AP flour for the GF flour and you’ll be all set.

Confetti Waffles a la mode

Zucchini Bread Waffles with Maple Cream Cheese 

Coconut Waffles 

Almond Flour Waffles with Honey Butter Syrup and pears (GF) 

Cranberry Waffles with Orange Sauce (GF) 

Banana Waffles (GF) 

Cornmeal Waffles with Blueberry Nectarine Maple Compote (GF) 

Chocolate Waffles with Ice Cream and Chocolate Sauce (GF) 

And who could forget the waffle doughnuts

Vanilla Bean Waffle Doughnuts (GF) 

Pumpkin Spice Waffle Doughnuts (GF) 

Hopefully that gives you a few waffle recipe ideas? And hopefully I won’t be sick for too much longer & can get back to the kitchen soon.....

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Waffle Weekend: Gluten Free Chocolate Waffles

This week has been full of changes.  We decided spur-of-the-moment that I should attend Food Blog South next weekend!  I designed new business cards to take with me to FBS (because my old ones were three years old & full outdated information).

After submitting my new business card designs to the printer, I suddenly panicked because my new card design didn’t match my blog site design. Thus, the blog also received a slight facelift, with some design changes and an updated "About Me & FAQs" page.  And I created a Sweet Treats Facebook page! (I should have made one *years* ago...) I In less than a week, there have been over 230 likes!!  If you haven’t already, please venture over there and “like” the page :)

But there have also been some bittersweet changes too.  We said “see you later” to some very dear friends who are moving from Texas to Washington for a job transfer. We’re excited about this new adventure they’ll have, but we’re also really sad to lose them...

So this weekend, in celebration and in consolation, I made Gluten Free Chocolate Waffles and topped them chocolate sauce, vanilla ice cream and raspberries.  They made a great breakfast in bed while binge watching "Veronica Mars" :)

Gluten Free Chocolate Waffles
adapted from Gale Gand via Waffelizer 
Yields approximately 6 waffles, depending on waffle iron size 

5.3 oz / 1 1/4 c Gluten Free Flour (I used Jeanne’s GF AP Mix, or use AP if not gluten free)
1.5 oz / 3 Tbl Brown Sugar
2 tsp Baking Powder
3/4 tsp Sea Salt
0.75 oz / 1/4 c Cocoa Powder (I used Hershey’s Special Dark)

2 eggs, separated
1 1/2 c Whole Milk (room temp, if possible)
1 oz / 2 Tbl Unsalted Butter, melted
1 oz / 2 Tbl Vegetable Oil, plus additional for greasing the waffle iron

Chocolate sauce, optional, for serving (recipe follows)
Vanilla Ice Cream, optional, for serving
Raspberries, optional, for serving

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and sea salt. Sift in the cocoa powder & stir to combine. 
2. In a separate smaller bowl, whisk together the egg yolks (reserve the whites), milk, unsalted butter, and vegetable oil.  
3. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and whisk until just combined. 
4. Preheat the waffle iron. Whip the egg whites to medium stiff peaks, using a handheld mixer (or just a whisk if you’re in need of a good arm workout). Fold the egg whites into the waffle batter. 
5. Cook on the preheated waffle iron, greasing with additional vegetable oil if necessary (we did need to grease ours). Hold finished waffles in a 200 F oven until all the waffles are cooked. 
6. Serve the waffles drizzled with chocolate sauce, topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream & a sprinkling of raspberries. Store any leftover waffles in the refrigerator or freezer. 

Chocolate Sauce
3 oz semisweet or dark chocolate, broken or chopped into small pieces
3 oz Heavy Cream

1. Place the chocolate into a small/medium bowl.  
2. In a small sauce pan, heat the cream until just before the boiling point (small bubbles around the edges of the pan as well as steam should be visible. 
3. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate. Let stand for a minute, then whisk until all the chocolate pieces are melted. 
4. Serve drizzled over the waffles. Store any leftovers covered in the refrigerator. 

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Waffle Weekend: Spiced Pumpkin Waffle Doughnuts (GF)

We have reached the time of year where everything turns to pumpkin.  Sweet pumpkin desserts. Savory pumpkin dishes. Drinkable pumpkin. Pumpkin decor.  (if you don’t believe me, just check Pinterest or Instagram).

Personally, I’ve been craving pumpkin doughnuts. And pumpkin spice lattes (but that will come in a future post....).  Sadly, I have not found too many gluten free pumpkin options, but that means I simply must make something myself!

Three years ago, I fried pumpkin spice cake doughnuts  for a Daring Bakers challenge.  I liked the recipe so much that I included it in the doughnut day of Laminated Doughs when I taught that class at the Culinary Institute of Charleston.

I’ve been thinking about those doughnuts lately, but I haven’t been so keen on the frying part.  While I don’t mind frying (since I conquered my fear of frying), but I do hate the mess it makes & how the smell of oil permeates our small open concept apartment.  And opening the windows is not an option since temperatures are still in the upper 90s....

Remembering the waffle doughnut method I concocted early last summer, I decided to turn the fried cake doughnuts into waffle doughnuts!  Less messy and smelly yet still delicious.  They’re even better when they're dunked in maple glaze & paired with a homemade pumpkin spice latte :)

Pumpkin Spice Waffle Doughnuts 
adapted from here

14.9 oz / 3.5 c Jeanne's GF AP Flour Mix (or use AP flour, if you're not GF) 
4 tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp Salt
1 Tbl Cinnamon
1 tsp Ginger
0.5 tsp Baking Soda
0.5 tsp Nutmeg, freshly grated if possible
pinch Cloves

3 Tbl Butter 
1 c Sugar

1 ea Egg
2 ea Yolks
1 tspVanilla

1/2 c + 1 Tbl Buttermilk
8.7 oz / 244 g / 1 c Canned Pumpkin 

1.  In a large bowl whisk together the dry ingredients. Set aside. 
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter with the sugar on low speed--the mixture will be lumpy. 
3. Add the egg & yolks, one at a time, mixing on low.  Scrape down the sides. 
4. Add the buttermilk, mixing on low. Add the pumpkin, mixing on low. 
5. Add the dry ingredients in two batches. 
6. Let the batter rest while the waffle iron preheats. If you can, set the temperature to medium high. 
7. Drop heaping tablespoons of batter onto the waffle iron. Cook until very lightly browned
8. Cool slightly. Glaze, if desired. These waffle doughnuts are best consumed the day they are made. 

Maple Glaze
8 oz, 2 c Powdered Sugar
4 Tbl Milk
4 Tbl Real Maple Syrup
sprinkle of Cinnamon  & freshly grated Nutmeg 

1.  Sift the sugar into a small bowl. Whisk in the milk & maple syrup. 
2. Add the cinnamon & nutmeg. 
3. Use immediately, or cover & refrigerate until ready to use.  

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Waffle Weekend: Cornmeal Waffles with Blueberry Nectarine Maple Compote

In a perfect world, every Saturday would allow for sleeping in and eating waffles for brunch.  But let’s be honest, those weekends don’t regularly happen.

Case in point, this past weekend. Just because we couldn’t have a leisurely brunch did not mean waffles should be entirely forgotten.  Instead, we had to change our thinking slightly.  

Waffles are equally delicious in the evening as they are for breakfast, especially this cornmeal version that is reminiscent of a cornbread/waffle hybrid.  Add a side of crunch, oven cooked bacon (not pictured, as it was still baking during these photos) and some warm Blueberry Nectarine Maple Compote & we had the perfect Saturday supper.  

p.s. Don’t you just love these heart-shaped waffles? One of the many highlights of this housesitting adventure has been utilizing their adorable waffle iron.

Blueberry Nectarine Maple Compote
adapted from Serious Eats

Note: I like to start the compote first so that it can be simmering while I prepare & cook the waffles.  

1c Fresh Blueberries
1/4 c Maple Syrup (the real stuff, NOT pancake syrup) 
1 1/2 tsp Lemon Juice
1/4 c Water
1/2 c Brown Sugar
1 nectarine, peeled & sliced into thin wedges
1/4 tsp Cinnamon

1. In a small stainless steel sauce pan, combine the blueberries, maple syrup, lemon juice and water.  Bring to a boil over medium high heat, then reduce the heat to simmer & cook for 5 minutes.  Stir occasionally.
2. Add the brown sugar & nectarine to the pot. Simmer an additional 30 minutes, stirring as needed. 
3. Remove from the heat & add the cinnamon.  Serve warm. Store any leftovers for up to 1 month in the refrigerator. 

Cornmeal Waffles

adapted from Williams-Sonoma 

Note: Because I was low on ingredients and was only cooking for 2, I made a half recipe. But if you are planning to serve more than 2 people, I'd highly recommend doubling the recipe.  

1/2 c Flour (I used Jeanne’s AP Gluten Free Mix)

1/2 c Cornmeal

1 tsp Baking Powder

1/4 tsp Baking Soda

1/8 tsp Salt

1 c Buttermilk (I didn’t have enough, so I used some regular milk & mixed a little lemon juice into it)

1 egg

2 Tbl Maple Syrup (the real stuff, NOT pancake syrup)

2 Tbl Vegetable Oil, plus more for the waffle iron  

1. Preheat the waffle iron to a low setting.  
2. In a liquid measuring cup, if making your own buttermilk, mix together the regular milk with a tsp of lemon juice & set aside. 
3. In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients (flour, cornmeal, baking powder, soda & salt).  
4. Add the remaining ingredients to the liquid measuring cup & whisk together.  
5. Pour the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients & stir just until combined.  
6. Portion the prepared batter onto the greased, hot waffle iron & cook according to the manufacturer’s instructions.  Place the finished waffles in a single layer onto a baking rack-lined sheet pan & place into a 250 F oven to keep crisp until ready to serve.  

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Waffle Weekend: Vanilla Bean Waffle Doughnuts

Every once and a while, we have an “aha!” moment.... Looking at things in a different context that we previously have.  Inventing a new purpose for something.... Imagination and resourcefulness are wonderful things!

Several months ago, while having friends over for dinner, our conversation turned to doughnuts and the never-ending he never-ending debate of what kind of doughnuts are better: cake doughnuts or yeast-raised doughnuts.  Personally, I tend to prefer the flavor  & texture of the yeast-raised doughnut, but when I’m the one making the doughnuts, cake doughnuts are much less time consuming.

Once I overcame my fear of deep frying several years ago, I truly do not mind frying things--I just really, really hate how the smell permeates entire spaces.  And when you live in a small apartment, it’s even worse.  I know that baked doughnuts are an option, but I don’t have a doughnut pan, nor am I really interested in investing in one for the few times I year I would use it....

In the days following our dinner party, the doughnut conversation stayed fresh in my I had one of those “aha!” moments--inspiration hit me! I didn’t feel like frying doughnuts. I do not have a doughnut pan. I also don’t have one of those mini doughnut-baking-devices either.  But I do have a waffle iron! Why not try "baking" doughnuts on a waffle iron instead? 

I found one of my favorite cake doughnut recipes & whipped up a small batch.  Once the dough was mixed, I scooped tablespoons of it onto the pre-heated waffle iron.  I not-so-patiently waited for the iron to beep the alarm that the cooking cycle was done.  Once the first testers were “baked,” I couldn’t wait to give them a try.  While the end product may not have looked like the traditional doughnut, but the flavor & texture was spectacular. And the work to get to the final doughnuts was really minimal (no frying oil or oven to pre-heat). We at them so quickly that I didn’t even get a photo!

Fast forward to this past weekend.  It was Saturday morning & I was trying to decide what to make us for breakfast.  I was looking through my Pinterest boards, trying to find inspiration.  I came across my pin for Melissa Coleman’s Baked Vanilla Bean Doughnut recipe, and I knew I had just had to try them on the waffle maker!

Oh my goodness, they were positively amazing! I, personally, loved the glazed version, but husband really enjoyed the ones dusted in confectioners sugar (he dipped some of them in homemade peach jam).  I can foresee many, many more batches of these “doughnuts” for our future weekend breakfasts.  


Vanilla Bean Waffle Doughnuts
adapted from The Faux Martha 
Yields approximately 24 mini "doughnuts" 

Doughnut Base
3 Tbl Butter, melted 
1 c Jeanne’s AP GF flour mix  (or substitute 1/2 c AP flour and 1/2 c Whole Wheat flour)
1 tsp Baking Powder
1/4 c Sugar
1/4 tsp Sea Salt
1/8 tsp Nutmeg, freshly grated
2 Tbl (42 g) Honey
1 large Egg
1/2 tsp Vanilla Bean Paste
1/3 c Buttermilk  

1. In a microwave safe container, microwave the butter until it is nearly melted.  Swirl the container until the residual heat melts all the butter & then set aside to cool slightly.  Preheat a Belgian waffle iron to the crispiest setting.  
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour & baking powder.  
3. In a medium bowl, whisk the sugar, sea salt & freshly grated nutmeg. Add the slightly cooled melted butter. Stir in the honey, egg & vanilla bean paste & mix until combined.  Whisk in the buttermilk. 
4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients & whisk just until combined, but without lumps.  
5. Use a small scoop or a tablespoon to portion the batter onto the hot waffle iron.  Cook according to the waffle maker’s instructions.  
6. Allow the finished doughnuts to cool slightly on a rack before dipping in glaze (recipe follow) or dusting with confectioners’ sugar.  Doughnuts are best eaten the day they are made, but any leftovers can be stored in an airtight container.   

Glaze
1/2 c Confectioners’ Sugar
1 Tbl milk or cream (or a mix of the two)
1/4 tsp Vanilla Bean paste 

1. In a small bowl, whisk together the ingredients. If it is too think, add more milk, 1 teaspoon at a time.  If the mixture is too runny, add a bit more powdered sugar.  
2. Use immediately to drizzle or dunk the slightly cooled doughnuts.   

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