Banana Waffles with Blueberry Sauce

I'm starting to develop some serious waffle making skills. I've got the basic recipe down to a science, thanks to Alton Brown of Food Network, and they've been coming out moist in the center and crispy on the outside just how I like them. I thought I'd alter the basic recipe by replacing one egg with banana. I take a ripe banana, cut it into chunks then blend it to baby food consistency with a hand held blender. The delicious goop gives cupcakes and in this case waffles a delicious mild banana flavor. But in this recipe, the blueberry sauce is the star of the show. And I don't drown blueberries in tons of sugar. It's just not necessary. One tablespoon is all you need. Let the fruit's natural flavor shine through! 

Carlos and I recently had these for Easter Sunday Brunch and they were divine. Add some fresh nonfat yogurt on top or perhaps a drizzle of 100% maple syrup and you've got the makings of a delicious breakfast. You don't even need bacon on the side.

Ingredients:

1 ripe banana
2 cups of whole wheat flour
1 tsp of baking powder
1/2 tsp of baking soda
3 tbsps of sugar
2 eggs
2 cups of buttermilk
1/2 stick of butter, partially melted

cooking spray for greasing the waffle press

1 bag of frozen blueberries
1/4 cup of water
1 tbsp of sugar
1 tsp of cornstarch

Heat up your waffle press.

Cut up your banana into chunks and add to small bowl. With a handheld mixer, blend the banana chunks until they are baby food consistency. Set aside.

In a larger bowl, add the flour, baking powder, baking soda and sugar. Note how I don't use salt? You don't need it. Just extra sodium you can take out of your diet.  Add the eggs, buttermilk, partially melted butter and banana goop. Stir until mixed well. Scoop portions of the batter into your waffle press (don't add too much so you don't have overflow). Remove the waffles once they are dark golden brown and crispy.

While you are cooking your waffles, add the water, frozen blueberries and sugar to a small pot and stir. Cook over medium heat with the lid on until it comes to a bubble. Remove the lid and cook on low for a few minutes. Turn off the hit and stir in the cornstarch. Set aside to cool.

Serve the waffles while hot and drizzle some of the blueberry sauce over the top. Add a spoonful or two of yogurt if desired. Enjoy!

Gingerbread Waffles with Cinnamon Peach Topping

I'm not exaggerating when I say these waffles are flipping amazing. It's not so much the waffle itself but the combination of spices, the aroma of the molasses and the sweetness of the peaches that makes this recipe simply divine. I was trying to come up with new waffle recipes now that I have a lovely waffle maker. My friend Lisa suggested gingerbread waffles. I liked the idea but I was imagining these dark super spicy waffles that would be unappetizing. I'm not the biggest fan of gingerbread but I do enjoy it in moderation. So when I was searching through various gingerbread waffle recipes on the internet, I decided to create my own, with ideas borrowed from several of the recipes and with the idea of making these waffles light on the molasses, light on the spices and soft and moist. The result was fabulous! Originally, I had intended to put cinnamon apples on top but I loved the idea of cinnamon peaches even better. If you want to wow your family or friends with a fantastic brunch, make sure this is on your menu!

Cinnamon Peaches with Syrup

Ingredients:

1 bag of frozen peaches (not fresh)

2 tsp of cinnamon

3 tbsp of sugar

Mix the frozen peaches, cinnamon and sugar in a bowl. Cover the bowl in plastic wrap and let sit in the fridge overnight. Frozen peaches work the best with this because of their softer texture that they attain during the freezing process. If you don't have time to let this macerate overnight, pop it in the microwave and zap it for 20 second intervals, stir until you get the desired texture. Macerating these overnight will create the most delicious brown liquid that will surpass any maple syrup you'll ever have.

Gingerbread Waffles

Ingredients:*

2 cups of flour

2 tbsp of sugar

1 tbsp of baking powder

1 tsp of ground ginger

1 tsp of cinnamon

1/8 tsp of ground nutmeg

1/8 tsp of ground cloves

6 tbsp of soft margarine

4 eggs, beaten

3 tbsp of molasses

1 cup of almond milk (or soymilk or regular milk)

1/2 cup of sour cream

This makes 8 waffles.

Heat up your Belgian waffle maker.

Mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, spices in a bowl. Toss the margarine tablespoon by tablespoon into the flour mixture. Add the eggs, molasses, milk and sour cream. Mix thoroughly until all lumps are gone but don't over mix. Add some of the mixture to your waffle maker. About 1/2 a cup or so. Cook until it's the desired crispiness. Layer the waffles in between paper towels to keep them from getting soggy.

Serve with some of the cinnamon peach and syrup topping. Enjoy!

*If you want these spicier, add more ground nutmeg and ground cloves. If you want it darker add more molasses. If you want it crispier, replace the soft margarine with melted butter.

Gingerbread Waffles With Cinnamon Peach Topping

Strawberry Belgian Waffles

I am so sick of pancakes. Every Sunday, Lemon Ricotta Pancakes. Over and over and over again. I know, if I'm going to over indulge on pancakes light, moist and fluffy Lemon Ricotta Pancakes are the way to go. But I just needed to make something else for Sunday Brunch. I've been lusting after a Belgian Waffle-maker and while I was at Target I went ahead and bought this one for $20. I was having a really bad day so buying this waffle-maker and thinking about tomorrow morning's strawberry Belgian waffles made me a little happier.

It's simple, small and easy-to-use. All the things I needed in a Waffle-maker.

Strawberry Belgian Waffles

2 cups of flour

1 tbsp of baking powder

1/2 tsp of salt (optional)

2 tsp of sugar

3 eggs

1/2 cup of melted margarine (or butter)

1 tsp of vanilla

1 cup of almond milk (or soy milk or regular milk)

1/2 cup of chopped strawberries (fresh)

Heat up that ole waffle-maker!

Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl. Beat the 3 eggs separately and melt the margarine. Add the eggs, vanilla, milk and stir and slowly incorporate the margarine. Whisk until smooth but don't over whisk. Fold in the strawberries. Pour some into your waffle-maker, make sure not to overload and cook until it's the desired crispiness and shade of brown. Serve with some sliced strawberries and bananas and a little bit of maple syrup. Happy Brunch!