Gingerbread Waffles (GF, vegan)

Yum yum!

DELICIOUS GINGERBREAD BELGIANWAFFLES! Perfect for festive winter mornings. Not pictured: I also made these with a Disney Frozen snowflake-shaped Belgian waffle maker that I got for Christmas, and it was phenomenal.

WAFFLES:

1 cup teff flour (or use some all purpose GF)

¼ cup coconut sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon ginger

½ teaspoon nutmeg

¼ teaspoon allspice

¼ teaspoon clove

¼ teaspoon xanthan gum (optional)

¼ teaspoon salt

⅓ cup coconut milk

1 large egg (or 1 flax egg, which is what I used)

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

3 tablespoon agave nectar

3 tablespoon melted coconut oil

      ---> combine ingredients, waffle-ize in your favorite waffle maker (Belgian worked very well)

GLAZE: 

1 cup coconut sugar (powdered, if you want to be picky about consistency)

1 tablespoon coconut milk

1 tablespoon lemon juice

¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

     ---> whisk together. You can also mix these ingredients by taste.

Enjoy!

Waffle Cookies! (Wookies?)

Waffleization #1: Chocolate Oatmeal Waffle-Cookies!

Look like waffles, taste like cookies. True Waffleization.

Waffleized cookies are cookie batter cooked in a waffle iron.  I whipped up some chocolate-oatmeal batter, and popped it in my belgian waffle maker... instant waffle-cookies! (wookies?)

THE RECIPE:

1 c flour  (1/4 all-purpose GF, 1/4 brown rice, 1/4 c millet, 1/4 c GF oat)
3/4 c GF oats

1/2 tsp baking powder
3/8 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg
3 Tbs cocoa powder
1 Tbs cacao nibs (optional)

1/4 c coconut oil
1/4 c agave
1/4 c coconut sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla

Combine dry ingredients in a bowl, and separately whisk together all wet ingredients in a large bowl. Add dry ingredients, and stir/beat until well combined. (I did it by hand using a wooden spatula/paddle thingy.)  The batter should be cookie-consistency: Holds its form, but still moist/a little sticky.

Fire up the waffle iron! I used a medium-high setting, but still needed to watch them carefully.  It's a balance between cooking them long enough that they're firm enough to be removed in one piece, but also not cooking them too long/too high that the outside burns.  A little bit of dark toastiness is fine, and to be expected. The inside will still be gooier than the outside, which is also fine (and delicious)!

Scoop on blobs of the batter, and flatten them slightly.  I chose not to make them full-waffle sized, but any size should work.  Since I didn't fill the griddle, my "green light" was going off before the waffle-cookies were truly all the way done... so as I said, I had to check them to see when they were really done.

Overall, this worked very well! They taste just like normal cookies, but have the added benefits of being (a) waffle-shaped (thus possibly still passing as breakfast), and (b) TWICE AS BIG as normal cookies (thus allowing you to eat twice as much). :)

SUCCESS! Wookies rock.

"The Waffleizer"

I found a new favorite blog, and just in time for International Waffle Day (or, if you're Swedish, Våffeldagen!), which is March 25th.

Creations of THE WAFFLEIZER: http://www.waffleizer.com/

 It is... "The Waffleizer," and features its author, Dan, experimenting with waffle-izing many every-day foods.  These range from macaroni and cheese, to hamburgers, to crepes, to (my personal favorite) bibimbaffle.  (That's waffle-ized bibimbap, a Korean rice/egg/veggies dish)

I must say, it's pretty inspirational. Waffleizing will begin tomorrow!! Stay tuned, and fire up the iron.

Meet the Pizzelle

Pizzelle sandwich!

Meet the Pizzelle- traditional Italian waffle cookies. They can be crisp or chewy, sweet or savory, and are typically made with flour, eggs, sugar, and butter/oil.

Carob pizelle ice cream roll.

Dessert pizzelle with strawberry purree and shipped kream.

I had never heard of pizzelle before- and then I found a pizelle maked at a yardsale for 5 dollars! I couldn't resist. These will now be a staple of my regular repertoire, because they made a thin wafer perfect for sandwiches OR dessert toppings. They're just as easy to make as waffles, but provide a lower-carb alternative, since they're thinner and smaller. I did a little research, and whipped up the following all-purpose recipe:

PIZZELLE:

1 egg
1 tbs extra light olive oil
1 tbs millet flour
1 tbs garbanzo bean flour
1 tbs all-purpose gluten free flour
2 tbs brown rice flour
1.5 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp vanilla
10 drops liquid stevia
1 tbs almond milk
1 tbs ghee

Mix all ingredients together. Consistency should be thicker than waffle batter, but thinner than cookie dough. Place a heaping teaspoon of batter onto each pizzelle circle on hot pizzelle maker, close lid, and bake for ~5-10 seconds for soft, flexible pizelle, or ~30-45 seconds for crispy pizelle. I like soft better for ice cream sandwiches, but crispy better for sandwiches or dessert toppings.





CAROB PIZELLE:

see above, but substitute 1-2 tsp flour for 1-2 tsp carob powder
(Yes, it's my first Carob Month carob recipe!)

What I used them for--

 

Sandwiches with rice cheese, pizza sauce, and spinach

Dessert with strawberry purree, soyatoo whipped cream, and raspberries

Ice cream sandwiches, taco-style (with carob pizzelle and mint carob chip Rice Dream)

Awesome, a whole new food item!

It's.... INTERNATIONAL WAFFLE DAY!!! (March 24)

 
and it's time to celebrate!  (I'm posting this a bit in advance, to give ample inspiration for waffley breakfasts tomorrow.)

What a wonderful week. A supermoon, the first day of spring, warm weather, two best friends' birthdays, and International Waffle Day on March 24.

Not gonna lie, I've been waffling all week in anticipation. Monday night I made cinniteff waffle sandwiches with pizza sauce, cheeze, and mixed greens on them. I also came to the discovery that (at least in my belgian waffle maker, with cinniteff waffles) thinner batter makes soft, flexible, moister and lighter waffles, whereas thicker batter (which is what I usually do for breakfasts) makes crispy belgian-style waffles. I liked the lighter option for dinner, when I want proportionally more protein and less carbs. So keep that in mind!

Also, I ran out of teff flour Monday. Which led me to create the above-pictured Goldi-squares Stairway to Waffleheaven #Winning Waffles. We'll just call them #WinningWaffles for short..... (TIGERBLOOD!!!!)

They pretty much are amazing. Light, faintly sweet but still neutral flavor allows for unlimited possibilities. Such as:

PIZZA WAFFLE!!!! huge success. I used Bridgford Turkey Pepperoni, and Prego VeggieSmart sauce. yum.

OMG  it's a WAFFLEDONUT. okay not really, but that's what it tastes like. Just sprinkle on top: Organic cocoa powder, coconut sugar, and shredded coconut. And it tastes like a chocolate powdered sugar donut! Slash some kind of intensely amazing pastry delicacy.


So, for the substrate behind all this madness:

THE RECIPE:

1 egg
1 tbs extra light olive oil  ---> whip together until a bit frothy
up to 3/4 c almond milk
1 tsp vanilla
5 drops stevia
1.5 tbs millet flour
1.5 tbs garbanzo bean flour
1 tbs Bob's Red Mill All-Purpose GF Flour
1 tbs coconut powder (ie, finely shredded coconut/coconut flakes)
scant 1/8 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda     ----> mix all together, pour into [belgian] waffle iron and WAFFLE IT UP!

Ghee (or coconut oil) it after it's off the iron.


#WINNING

Chocolate Covered Waffle Sticks

Chocolate covered Waffle sticks, featuring the Sweet 'n' Savory Challenge ingredient of the month: Coconut Oil!




Coconut oil is one of my kitchen staples. Great for baking, great for a butter-substitute, it's all-around delicious and healthy. Plus, it has the unique property of a melting point around 76 F. This means that at warm temperatures, it is a liquid just like olive oil-- but at cold temperatures (aka, now) it is completely solid.

With all of the recipes in which I use coconut oil, for this month's challenge I wanted to pick a recipe that exploits the oil's high melting point. Really, no other oil can be substituted for this chocolate coating.

So, I present to you: Chocolate Covered Waffle Sticks-- a breakfast in dessert's clothing.  (...which obviously still makes it a breakfast.... right??)

Any type of waffle will due for dipping in this delicious chocolate sauce, but I opted for my trusty Cinni-Teff waffles.




THE RECIPE:


Cinni-Teff Waffles:

1 egg or egg substitute equivelent
1 tbs extra light olive oil                        ----> whip
1 cup milk substitute (rice/soy/almond/coconut)
1 tsp vanilla (alcohol-free)                    ----> mix
3/4 cup teff flour
1/4 cup cinnamon (or more/less to taste... I like lots!)
1 tsp baking powder                           -----> mix
1/8 tsp salt

Bake on high in (Belgian) waffle iron, then let cool. (Try not to eat them all at this stage...) These proportions make about 4.5 x 5 inch waffles.

Chocolate Dipping Sauce:

3 tbs coconut oil
3 tbs cocoa powder
1 tsp vanilla
2 tsp agave nectar (or to taste)

Melt coconut oil in a small pan over low heat. As soon as it is melted, remove from heat. Stir in cocoa powder, vanilla, and sweeten to taste with agave. Let cool until mixture just begins to thicken. To speed the process, luke-warm pan of chocolate can be placed in the fridge for short periods of time. Just be sure to check/stir it frequently to prevent the coconut oil from hardening prematurely.

Assembly:

Slice waffles into strips, or alternately cut bite-sized peices around each square. When sauce has begun to thicken, dip each piece into the chocolate sauce. If chocolate sauce thickens too much for dipping, spread with a knife onto waffle. If desired, roll in shredded coconut, nut pieces, or other small delicious item. Place on a waxed paper-lined plate/cookie sheet to harden. To speed hardening, place cookie sheet in fridge.

Long long ago, I used to eat chocolate covered waffles from Whole Foods. They were delicious. So are these. Really, absolutely the same. Which = success!

Also: in nine weeks, I am incredibly excited to report that I will be visiting a friend in Trinidad for Carnival 2011. This will involve parading through the streets in this costume, which will require looking phenomenal, which will require cutting back on the dessert (and all other food...) for the next nine weeks. Which, in turn, requires me to not bake any more desserts for quite some time. So, be prepared for a temporary dessert-hiatus-- yet I will try to post some veggie/entree recipes.

Anyway. Chocolate covered waffle sticks? These aren't desserts! They're just waffles. Good old, breakfast-certified, waffles.

Coconut Almond Golden Waffles

Version 1: ADVANCED.

I decided to get fancy with my breakfast batter. I used my usual waffle proportions, with the following awesome ingredients:

THE RECIPE:
1 egg
~1 tbs extra light olive oil           ----> stir together
~ 1 cup soymilk
~ 1/4 tsp almond extract
~ 15 drops stevia                      ----> stir together
~1/4 cup all purpose gluten free pancake mix (I used Trader Joe's brand)
~ 1/4 cup millet flour
~ 1/4 cup garbanzo bean flour
~ 1/4 cup flaxseed powder
~ 1/8 tsp salt
 shredded coconut
slivered almonds                     ----> stir together

So, I actually started out with this being pancake batter, and thus I made it thinner than waffle batter. (That's the only difference). I had half left over, which I ate later in the week. By this time it had thickened from being in the fridge, and thus was perfect to be cooked into the lovely waffles which you see above. These were pretty darn delicious, especially with extra almonds and coconut sprinkled on top.


Okay so then I made a simpler version, which basically was the same general result, except more versatile because the coconut and almond is only in the topping:

Golden delicious. (Waffle, not apple.)

VERSION 2: BASIC.

THE RECIPE:

1 egg
~1 tbs extra light olive oil           ----> stir together

~ 1 cup soymilk                        ----> stir together
~1/4 cup all purpose gluten free pancake mix (I used Trader Joe's brand)
~ 1/4 cup millet flour
~ 1/4 cup garbanzo bean flour
~ 1/8 tsp salt                            ----> stir together

Yes, this produces a golden waffle with a natural hint of sweetness. It's a great universal substrate waffle, for either sweet or savory use. I opted for sweetness for my last two dinners, sprinkling on slivered almonds and coconut, and drizzling on agave nectar for syrup.

I'm a huge fan of this flour combination. I am a huge un-fan of commercial "All purpose gluten free flour mixes"-- each of the three I've tried is phenomenally gross. Trader Joe's and Namaste Food brands have the same chalky taste (Is that... the sorghum flour?? excessive tapioca flour?? no idea. ), and Bob's Red Mill uses way too much garbanzo bean flour. However, the sweetness of millet flour generally softens out the strangeness of any of these. Millet also contributes the yellowy gold color (garbanzo helps too) which makes these waffles look so appealing. As a general rule, combining many GF flours helps to mellow out each of their "unique" flavors-- and in this case, "all-purpose", millet, and garbanzo blend into a balanced harmony producing a neutral and pleasing flavor.

Happy National Waffle Day!!!

That's right, it's August 24! Time to celebrate those delicious squares of goodness. Today marks the anniversary that the U.S. patent was issued for the first waffle iron.

Oh, the waffle. In the bread-free world in which I roam, the waffle is a beacon of starchy hope. In addition to providing a "normal" breakfast food, it is a versatile substrate for infinite taste creations.

So many different sauces can be spread upon it.
So many different flours can make up its base.

Use it as bread for a sandwich! Use it as crust for a pizza! Use it as a "cone" for a sundae!
Best of all, waffle batter is a 3-minute miracle, as it is super fast to whip up, and slight variations never seem to harm the final product.

With a waffle in your stomach, the world is just a better place!

And thus I present, my hearty breakfast-of-choice, the UNIVERSAL CINNI-TEFF WAFFLE!!!!!

THE RECIPE:  (makes 4 belgian waffles- 4x5 square-size)

1 egg
~1 tbs extra light olive oil
~1/2 c  almond milk / rice milk / etc
1 tsp vanilla extract (sugar & alcohol free)
~ 2/3 cup teff flour
~ 1/3 cup cinnamon
1 tsp baking powder
1 dash salt

Mix ingredients in a 2-cup measuring cup. First, beat together egg and oil. Next, add milk to make the total liquid level in the cup be a little more than 1c (this is the only step that I actually measure!). Add 1 tsp vanilla, and mix.

Add dry ingredients: Dump in ~1/2c teff, and add as much cinnamon as desired- I recommend lots! Add baking soda and baking powder, and stir mixture into batter. Continue adding more teff until batter is the consistency of very thick pancake batter.

Pour into pre-heated, ready-to-go waffle iron (waffle iron is hot-to-go, h-o-t-t-o-g-o !!!). These will rise much less than regular glutenous waffles, so it's okay to make the iron pretty full.

Enjoy your delicious little waffle!! Butter with coconut oil, and top as desired.
If you need inspiration, see the following:

1. 
Cinni-teff waffle with rhubarb sauce, blueberries, and vanilla coconut-dream ice cream, shown at the top of the page.

--> (WHITE PEACH RASPBERRY) RHUBARB SAUCE:
rhubarb
white peach
a few raspberries
dash salt
stevia to taste, if desired

---> throw everything into a pot with a small amount of water in the bottom. Simmer until all fruits are very mushy. Mush them, then simmer on low heat for a long time, until concoction has been reduced down to spreadable consistency.

White peaches provide enough sweetness that stevia may not be necessary, depending on how tangy you like your rhubarb sauce! Additional flavorings like cinnamon and nutmeg can be added as desired too.



2.
The French Gopher!

Yeah, that's right.

It's a GOPHER!!!!

Orr, a gaufre.

Coming to you from the lovely land of France!


On the streets of Paris, there are vendors selling this genuine Parisian delicacy. Smeared with nutella and topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream: THAT is a true French Gopher.

(okay I call them gophers because (a) it's funny, and (b) i can't pronounce french.)

Anyway, recreate this masterpeice with cinni-teff waffle + almond butter + vanilla ice kream on top. MmmMmm.

I think the best combo is using Trader Joe's Roasted Creamy almond butter. Buuut some days I feel like the hearty TJ's almond butter with flax seeds, and other days I prefer the milder TJ's Raw almond butter. And I have to admit, I rarely put ice cream on top. (!)

I must say, though, that the nuttiness of this concoction really is a perfect complement to the Teff. I think it is a much better combination than some of the fruity variations that I have tried.


3.  
FLOUR VARIATIONS

You can use the same recipe as cinni-teff, substituting the cinni and the teff for nearly any GF flour, and still obtain delicious results. Three that I have tried are:

Coconut flour! Now add some fruit...

-Garbanzo bean flour waffle.  I add rosemary, extra salt, and use extra virgin olive oil instead of extra light. Makes a great lunch waffle, or a sandwich substrate! (though may be a bit dry- be careful!)

- Coconut flour waffle. Be careful- coconut flour's high fiber content makes it necessary to slightly alter the proportions here- otherwise your waffle will crumble and/or stick to the iron. As a guideline, use twice the egg and half the flour. This waffle is great with fruit on top! (or that rhubarb sauce...) It will have a nice flaky consistency, too.

- Millet + Garbanzo Combo waffle. Not gonna lie, I got this idea from my popover batter- and it turned out great! I used ordinary (cinni-teff) proportions, though it probably could have used a bit more oil. Taste was mild and pleasant- would be perfect to use as a sandwich bread.


4. 
WAFFLES FROM OUTER SPACE

Because some waffles are just too cool to have been born on earth.

First, there is the Green Giant Waffle (or, Little Green Sprout Waffle, if you prefer). To assemble, YOU WILL NEED:
1 waffle
some spinach
some sprouts
some avocado
and/or anything green you can find
also maybe some cheese.

DIRECTIONS: 1. cook waffle. 2. butter it if you want. 3. PUT EVERYTHING ELSE ON TOP. 4. eat.
It's good, I promise. And all that green stuff really justifies you eating yet another waffle.


Second, there is the amazing SUPER SURPRISE PIZZA WAFFLE!!!!

Mmmm, yeah, that's right, it's pizza and waffle AT THE SAME TIME!!!!!!!

And, there's a surprise. What is the surprise, you ask?????
THERE IS CHEESE IN THE WAFFLE BATTERRRR!!!!!!!!!

Ooey, gooey, (soy) cheesey goodness!

 Yes, I added a bunch of shredded mozzarella rice cheese to my millet-garbanzo waffle batter.

Although I had pictured gooey strings of cheese dripping from the innards of the belgian squares, the cheese really just added a nice flavor. But, stay tuned for updates as I experiment a bit further.

Anyway, this was a most-delicious waffle form, and easily constructed by spreading pizza sauce on the freshly-cooked waff, and sprinkling a handful of rice cheese on top. Yummo!


~~~~~~

As this National Waffle Day winds to a close, I sincerely hope that you have gotten the chance to eat at least one sweet waffle in this 24 hours. I was lucky enough to eat THREE! (two 1/2 cinni-teffs at breakfast, and one pizza-waffle plus one garb-millet for dinner)

I also would like to thank National Waffle day for bringing my family together for a waffle-filled dinner this evening. As I wished everyone a Happy  N.W.D. about a million times during the day, my mom was well-aware of the importance of the date. Thus, when stumped for something fast to make her and my dad for dinner, she whipped up her own waffles with a buckwheat mix... plus some eggs and turkey bacon!

So, for the first time in a long time, my parents and I sat around the table happily munching our waffs. And, when my sister came over hours later, the first thing she said was "Happy Waffle Day!!!" --and grabbed a leftover waff from the plate left out on the table.

What a wonderful day!! What a wonderful waffle!! What a wonderful world!!!!
Ilovewaffles.