Chocolate and Raspberry Waffles

It was a snow day! The fist one this winter, which is not so typical. Usually we'd have at least a couple by now. This year we're lucky, or not. Depends how you look at it.

Never the less, an unscheduled day off usually means a nice extra long breakfast.

Today's idea--waffles. And as if having waffles wasn't good enough--chocolate waffles. During winter days I like to keep few things on hand and chocolate powder is in top 5. It is essential for most baking during long cold winter night as well as for dinner recipes. But this is a subject of a different post.

Now, chocolate always goes good with raspberries. It's a classic combination. That's why to this adapted chocolate waffles recipe I added frozen berries during frying. Frozen berries is another to go item during winter. It's a perfect reminder of warm summer and I try to freeze them myself. Another reminder of sunny summer days is my home made jam. And I used it here too. I took a cup of raspberry jam and simmered it with a 1/2 cup of water to make raspberry syrup to cover out waffles: combine water and jam in the sauce pot and bring to boil stirring constantly; turn down the heat to low and let simmer uncovered while you cook waffles--by then it'll get thick enough to pour over waffles.

Here it is--another addition to my Tutti-Frutti Breakfast collection. You know, chocolate is a fruit too!

Chocolate Raspberry Waffles

WET

3 large whole eggs, beaten

1/2 stick (2 oz) unsalted butter, melted or 1/3 cup light vegetable oil

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups (16 oz) buttermilk at room tº

DRY

1 1/2 cup all purpose flour

3 Tablespoons white sugar

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 /2 teaspoon salt

1 cup frozen raspberries (slightly thawed)

1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 cup (8 oz jar) raspberry jam/preserves

1/2 cup water

1. Preheat waffle iron according to manufacture's directions.

2. Mix WET ingredients in one bowl adding the buttermilk last

3. Mix DRY ingredients in another bowl

4. Combine two together and whisk until all incorporated and stir in chocolate chips. Let the batter stand a little bit.

5. Ladle the recommended amount of the batter onto the hot iron (I use the square one and ladle 1/4 cup per waffle), add about half a dozen raspberries, close iron and cook until the waffle is crispy on both sides (usually the iron beeps or turns off the light when the waffle is done)

6. Serve with some whipped cream, raspberry syrup (see instructions above) and more chocolate chips and raspberries.

You can also freeze the leftover waffles (never the batter) wrapped in aluminum foil for next morning to heat them in a toaster.

Tutti-Frutti 3: Lemon Cake Waffles

As many of us, on one hand, I like to buy fresh seasonal vegetables and fruits at its best that means in season; on the other hand, I love having variety. However, during winter months here in North Ease the variety is quite scarce. Thank God for ever fruitful California and Florida! And citruses are at their best this time of year no matter what state they are coming from! One of my favorites, of course, lemons! As an old cliché goes, when life gives you lemons, make... well, I made lemon cake waffles. Kids absolutely loved them and ask for them almost every day. Good thing I can make an extra batch or two on weekend and then freeze them for the rest of the week so they can just pop them into the toaster and have some waffles for breakfast—kids, too, like variety! Tutti-Frutti Breakfast recipe number three: Lemon Cake Waffles. I used poppy seeds here; although I understand not everyone favor these little black dots. If you do not, just omit them.

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Lemon Cake Waffles

WET:

4 oz unsalted butter, melted OR 1/4 cup vegetable oil

16 oz cultured buttermilk room temperature

3 whole large eggs

1 tea spoon vanilla extract

Lemon zest from one medium lemon, about 2 Table spoons

DRY:

3 Table spoons sugar

2 cups all purpose flower

1 tea spoon baking soda

1 ½ tea spoon baking powder

½ tea spoon salt

1 ½ teaspoon poppy seeds (optional)

(wet+dry+fry+serve)

Mix all WET in one bowl, mix all DRY in another and then combine both mixtures and whisk until smooth. Fry waffles on a preheated waffle iron, according waffle iron instructions. Serve with warm maple syrup or raspberry jam/syrup.

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Kids can help with measuring the ingredients and mixing the batter.

If you cook few batches ahead, just wrap them into a sheet of aluminum foil, 4 per “package” and freeze. When ready to eat, toast them in your toaster on medium setting with “defrost” option.

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Я стараюсь употреблять только свежие местные продукты и по возможности в сезон. Мне бы хотелось жить в таком климате, где круглый год спеют свежие овощи и фрукты, но увы. Хотя не так всё плохо—есть Калифорнийские и Флоридские цитрусы зимой! Мой самый любимый цитрус—это лимон. В это трудно поверить, но это так! Он просто маленькая бомбочка, напичканная витамином Ц, и его можно и есть и пить! И, конечно же готовить! Американцы говорят, если жизнь посылает лимоны—сделай лимонад. А я сделала вафли с лимоном... Третий рецепт серии завтраков Тутти-Фрутти: Лимонные Вафли. Я добавила в тесто маковое семечко, хотя не все добродушно к нему относятся. Если не желаете, можно не использовать.

Лимонные Вафли

Нам понадобится:

ЖИДКИЕ ингредиенты:

70 гр сливочного масла, растопить (или ¼ стакана-около 70 гр- светлого растительного масла)

1 литр кефира, комнатной температуры

3 целых крупных яйца

1 чайная ложка ванилина (экстракта ванили)

Тёртая цедра 1 среднего лимона, около 2 столовых ложек

СУХИЕ:

3 столовые ложки сахара

2 стакана белой муки

1 чайная ложка соды

1 ½ чайной ложки разрыхлителя (baking powder)

½ чайной ложки соли

1 ½ чайной ложки семян мака (не обязательно)

(жидкие+сухие/перемешать+поджарить+подавать)

В отдельной посуде перемешать ЖИДКИЕ ингредиенты, в другой—СУХИЕ, затем смешать вместе до образования однородной массы; подогреть вафельницу пока тесто «отдыхает». Жарить вафли соответственно инструкции вашей вафельницы. Подавать полив кленовым сиропом или малиновым вареньем/сиропом.

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Детки могут посодействовать в измерении ингредиентов и их смешивании.

Можно приготовить вафли «впрок»: поджаренные вафли завернуть в алюминиевую фольгу, по 4 вафли на «упаковку». Заморозить и хранить до востребования в морозильнике. Для того, чтобы разогреть, воспользуйтесь тостером, подогревая вафли на средней настройке используя функцию размораживания (defrost)—каждое утро дети сами себе могут «приготовить» таким образом вафли! Они же тоже любят разнообразие!