W is for Waffles!

Wonderful waffles, that is.

If you are in your mid to late 20s and grew up with a curiosity for cooking at a young age, chances are your parents gave you the "Alpha-Bakery Children's Cookbook" care of the Gold Medal Flour company. At least, mine did and I'm living proof that cultivating a fondness of cooking from the start can have a lasting impact in one's development. As a child, I loved pulling out my very own cookbook and working with my mom to create both savory and sweet delights. I remember spending what felt like hours turning the colorful pages of my Alpha-Bakery book. I'd recite to myself, "K is for Kartwheels," "B is for Baked Alaska" and so on. I don't know what ever happened to my original cookbook but my lovely in-laws blessed me with a revised edition for Christmas a couple years ago. A few of the recipes are a bit more kid/safety-friendly, as the "Baked Alaska" has been omitted and replaced with "Banana Bread." (I always wondered how other kids' parents help their children make that recipe. I never got to, maybe because of the open flame associated with the final product.) Regardless, I treasure this new edition and look forward to sharing the book with our children someday.

While my recipe for waffles is somewhat influenced by the ease of the recipe in the Alpha-Bakery cookbook, it is more so an adaptation of Mark Bittman's Everyday Buttermilk Waffle recipe. I've altered his recipe to make it heartier and healthier. I hope you enjoy these as much as we do!

My Wonderful Waffle Recipe
Makes 4-5 servings
Adapted from Mark Bittman

Ingredients:
2 c. whole wheat flour (or white flour, if preferred)
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
2 tbsp. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 3/4 c. buttermilk* (see note below) or 1 1/2 c. sour cream or yogurt with 1/4 c. milk
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 tbsp. melted butter
oil or nonstick cooking spray for brushing the waffle iron

Optional add-ins:
1 c. fresh or frozen berries (blueberries, raspberries, blackberries)
1 c. chopped walnuts, almonds or pecans
sliced, sauteed apples

*Note: if you do not have buttermilk, you can make it yourself. Just combine 1 tbsp. vinegar and 1 tsp. lemon juice into a measuring cup. Add milk to the measuring cup until it equals the amount called for in the recipe. Mix well and then let sit for 10 minutes. Then it's ready to use!

Directions:
Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl. In another bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, eggs, melted butter and vanilla (and fruit or nuts, if desired). While the waffle iron heats up, lightly grease with oil or nonstick cooking spray. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry. When the iron is hot, spread just enough batter to cover the iron. Be careful not to overfill it. Bake until the waffle is done, about 3-5 minutes per waffle. Serve immediately. Extra waffles can be frozen and easily reheated in the toaster oven (think healthy version of Eggo Waffles).

For extra pizzazz, I lightly saute thin slices of apple and pear with brown sugar and then add the slices into the batter once its poured on the waffle iron. Then, when the waffle iron is closed, the fruit slices are sealed into the waffle. It's very delicious and a fun presentation for guests.

I hope this recipe becomes a staple in your home, as it is in mine!