Waffle Iron Churros

If you suffer from deep-fry phobia, like me, then this recipe is going to appeal to you in the way way it did to me. We can have crisped, delicious, churro-waffle hybrids (the batter is actually very similar to a choux-the base that creates cream puffs), without all the mess and calories of frying.

And then I highly recommend you drizzle salted caramel all over that shiz.

Admittedly, I haven't eaten that many churros in my lifetime. But I do have very strong memories of people selling churros on the subway platforms in NY. They were always there, beckoning to me, smelling oh so lovely...and somehow I just never bought myself one. One of my life's regrets.

BUT--even though I missed out on those churros, I did partake in some especially delicious and crisp waffles when I was honeymooning in Mexico. And my favorite way to eat them? With cinnamon sugar and caramel sauce. So when I read the recipe for these waffle iron churros, my mind immediately jumped to those waffles in Mexico that I'd loved so much (to the point of me waking Michael up so we could go get some--me telling him I was going to "starve to death" if we didn't.) And I knew I was going to be drizzling my favorite salted caramel sauce on top. Because I make good life choices.

So--the waffles are chewy and and crisp and have gorgeous little specks of cinnamon. Then, you brush them with butter and coat them in cinnamon-sugar. Then you drizzle caramel...or chocolate...or whatever. Doesn't have to be anything. They're delicious either way--but the salted caramel is actually pretty subtle on them. I think it sort of just enchances all the cinnamon-sugariness going on. They're crazy delicious and Michael agrees. It was a real sadness that this recipe only makes 3 waffles. Perhaps you should double the recipe?

Yeah, that's probably the right call.

Whole Wheat Granola Waffles

I know, it's like waffles are becoming the new cookies or chicken or potatoes around here: how many different versions of one thing can I make?? I apologize buuut....I love  waffles. They're tasty and can be a great quick and healthy breakfast option--I love freezing leftovers and toasting them later. Like homemade Eggos :P And my new waffle maker is awesome. So using it is exciting. I hope you can all get on board with these because you're gonna LOVE this recipe!

I had some leftover chocolate chip granola hanging around and decided I wanted to make waffles with that. And I loved the last waffles I made so much I wanted to use that recipe as the base-but altered to be a bit healthier. Annnnd HOORAY-it worked!

These waffles taste hearty and chewy with just a hint of crunch and mmmm...they're just a great day to begin your day! Whether you top them with fruit, butter and syrup, or peanut butter.

I know that I've been eating them for breakfast every day for a week and I have 0 complaints :D

Chocolate Chunk Waffles with Banana and Almond Butter

Look-before we get to waffles. Can we just talk about my neuroses right now? I feel like there are these events in your life that you look forward to and that are built up to be a thing--namely 16th birthday, prom, and your wedding. For me--those were the 3 ultimate events. And on the previous 2 I ended up with nothing but a mess of disappointment. Not only did I not get a super cool 16th birthday party with like a d.j. or whatever (I had big hopes and dreams)...I got no birthday party at all. The friend who I entrusted with it (and who INSISTED she be the one to throw it)--ended up being "too busy" and flaked on it. Which I found out about when it was like...my birthday. (My best friend is still pissed that I didn't just let her throw it. SORRY ALEX!) And then prom..I mean I went to like 4 proms and all were kind of ok. Definitely not magical. And my senior prom in particular-my dress was blah and I went with my gay friend and ended up crying the whole time because I was still heartbroken about the guy I'd been dating and who I'd gone to prom with the previous year, thusly resulting in me getting hit with memories everywhere I looked. Not exactly a great night.

So...now it's all on the wedding. And I'm terrified. I know it won't be perfect but--I mean...I'd love for it to still be GOOD...like maybe even great...ya know? But I'm so scared something will happen (family drama, Michael being cranky, me getting my period--sorry TMI--...etc.) I've legitimately been having nightmares about being disappointed by my wedding for like...ever. At least as long as Michael and I have been together (so 5+ years). The good news is: most of my dream fears have already been 100% made impossible. But still. Ya know. Worries and such.

Do any of you guys know what I mean? And if you've had a wedding--any advice?

Enough about me being a crazy person.

Let's discuss waffles, shall we?

These were the 1st waffles I got to make in my brand new waffle maker that I got from one of my bridal showers. And ohhh they turned out beautifully! These waffles are thick and crisp on the outside while being delightfully chewy on the inside. There are decadent chunks of chocolate that you get the delightful surprise of biting into. They're simple to whip up (no beating egg whites or anything fancy like that) Annd...oh yeah...they are fairly healthyish (thanks to whole wheat, decreased sugar, etc.)!

And for an extra tasty and nutritious breakfast or snack---I topped these waffles with almond butter and banana slices. HEAVEN! I also broke leftovers into quarters, froze them, and then toasted them as needed. Which results in the best toaster waffles ever--and much healthier ones!

Michael ate his waffles with butter and syrup and loved them too. They were pretty much a hit all around. You should give 'em a try ;)

Multigrain Waffles/Pancakes

This recipe can also be known as "the one that finally made me throw my waffle iron out."

Hold on! Wait! Don't go! It's not the recipe's fault! My waffle iron was sort of broken for a bit and this is just when I realized "Oh hey....the top of the waffle iron isn't cooking at all." which was extremely frustrating because it took me quite a few waffles that ended up all messed up and in the garbage before I realized the problem wasn't on my end-that it was my waffle maker. I did manage to salvage 1 waffle so yay! We got some pictures! And with the remaining batter I just made some pancakes!

So yes...my waffle maker is now dead. BUT the good news is there's only a couple more months until my bridal showers where I will hopefully receive the one I registered for :D.

Anyway. On to this recipe. It is super hearty and full of good for you stuffs. I also folded in some whipped egg whites to make them crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside (which is much more noticeable when they are in waffle form).

The pancakes and waffles are chewy and tasty and pretty and this recipe makes a bunch so you can freeze whatever you don't eat and just pop into the toaster (or microwave or oven) when you're ready for a simple, healthy, breakfast!

Plus--you can totally play around with how you top them or what you add into them. As you probably know by now, I like to add chocolate chips and spread nut butter on top. Michael likes chopped apples and cinnamon in his pancakes, and he pretty much is always a fan of fruit and whipped cream on top of waffles--he's also a fan of the classic butter & syrup combo. How would you eat your pancakes or waffles?

Crispy {Healthier} Waffles

Those darned liege wafels make me want to eat Nutella on my waffles. All the time. It's irresistible. Especially now that I was able to go back to NY for a bit and have another taste of my beloved Wafels and Dinges. *Le sigh* I really need to redouble my efforts to recreate their waffles (maaaaybe after the wedding, though.)

Hey-you remember those "leggo my Eggo" commercials (heck...they may still have them on. Perhaps just on children's channels?) Anyway...toaster waffles. They're a thing but they've never really done it for me. However I have a hard time finding the time or energy to make myself a legit. breakfast in the morning. Usually I just grab something small and easy that is sitting around. If there's nothing healthy...then cookies happen.

Which I know is bad.

But-good news! I've learned that if I break waffles into fourths and freeze them I can then re-heat them in the toaster and eat them up in the morning time with very little fuss! And if you make your waffles fairly healthyish...it's a pretty good breakfast. (Yes...I realize...nutella does not a healthy breakfast make. Pretend I used almond butter.)

These waffles are great because they use whole wheat flour and coconut oil to make them a bit healthier plus they have rice cereal in them! Which is a unique and fun little spin that adds a bit of extra crispness.

(But...pssst....these waffles are still my favoritest.)

I love this new breakfast hack so much that I am much more motivated to occasionally make a bunch of waffles because I know that I'm going to be having some gooood breakfasts for a few days, at least! And I know little cheats like this will make my life easier when I-eventually-start having kiddos. 

Now I'm trying to thick of really healthy waffles I could try to make to feed my theoretical, down the road, children....yepp. Par for the course with my brain.

Browned Butter Belgian Liege Wafels

I dare you to take a bite of a waffle that is crisp and chewy, with pockets of caramelized sugar, that (according to my brother) "tastes like a cookie", and NOT became a full on addict.

I'm gonna stop you right now: YOU CAN'T!

Just ask Hayley....and...I'll admit it: ME.

I have found that the #1 food related thing I miss from NYC is probably the liege waffles (the "other" Belgian waffle. It's essentially like the long lost, prettier, more talented, and overall better sister of the Belgian waffle we all know and grew up with) from Wafels and Dinges. It makes me sad that it took me so long to discover them...I only had a year with those flavorful little beauties. And I didn't even appreciate them fully (I mean...I did but like...not enough) until I knew I would be leaving them. Before leaving NYC I probably ate 3+ of those waffles that I dubbed "my last"...but then...I'd see another truck...and I had another! #noregrets

Anyway, I had anticipated that I would go through sugary-waffles-from-heaven withdrawal so I bought myself some pearl sugar before I'd even made the move home (I had it shipped to my mom's house).

And then, as fate would have it, I found myself in possession of a jar of Nutella-my dinge (topping) of choice! Obviously it didn't take me long to tackle making my own homemade liege waffles!

To make the liege waffles you make a thick, yeasted dough and fold in big old chunks of pearl sugar. The pearl sugar chunks caramelize in the waffle iron and create those gorgeous sugary bites as well as the crisp exterior, while the yeasted dough gives us a chewy structure. 

...and this recipe called for melted butter, so I decided to brown it. Typical Kayle move.

Did I notice the browned butter? Ermmm...a little. Not a huge difference. Def. not a necessity. 

Did I love 'em? OF COURSE! They're so PRETTY! And they were sooo delicious, especially smothered in nutella with a good dusting of powdered sugar, and when you get a goood bite of caramelized sugar! 

Are they as good as Wafels and Dinges? Not quiiite (but close!) I think the dough might have been a smidge over-yeasted. That's ok, I'll just continue my quest and try more recipes!

Oh noooo....more liege waffles? Gosh darn it. Life is hard.

:P

Savory Cornmeal Waffles with Eggs and Salsa-Guest Post with Joanne Eats Well With Others

Guys-I have the honor of introducing you, today, to Joanne from Eats Well With Others! Joanne and I met at a brunch (ironically?) with a bunch of food bloggers in the city, about a year ago, and I totally fell in love with her and her blog! She is so down to earth, sweet, funny, smart, and omgoshhh her food is gorgeous AND delicious! Plus-this lady can totally relate to me right now. She is also in wedding planning mode (she actually recently shared some beautious shots from her engagement shoot!)-funny story: at the brunch, it was pretty evident that 3 of us ladies were at a "just about ready to get engaged" point in our lives (Joanne, I, and Tara)  and then time passed and I watched as Tara and Joanne both got engaged. And I stared at Michael, like, "See? THEY'RE BOTH ENGAGED! It is myyyy turn!" And then it was. And all was right with the world.

Anywhozzle, I love Joanne. You'll love Joanne. Commence the lovefest.

The Brunch Dilemma.

We've all been there.

You finally get seated at your (and everyone else's, apparently) favorite spot, ready to eat your own hand out of severe hunger.

And then you're expected to make all of these life (or at least mood) altering decisions!

Savory or sweet? Breakfast or lunch? Carb coma or protein overload?

It's a wonder our heads don't explode.

Thankfully, I have come up with a solution to this predicament of all predicaments.

Savory waffles! Topped with a hefty dose of spicy salsa and your eggs of choice. I happen to live with a sad soul who is afflicted with runny-yolk-a-phobia, so I went the scrambled route, but you should go with whatever your tastebuds desire.

This way you get your carbs, your proteins, breakfast, and lunch in every bite.

No decisions required other than how many people you want to invite over to brunch with you. And once word gets around that you'll be serving up these waffle treats, methinks your friends will be banging down your door for an invite.

Thanks so much, Kayle for inviting me to guest post! I'm sure you're breaking in your new home with lots of good food, and hopefully there's some brunch-ing included in all of that!

{Healthier} Chicken and Waffle Sliders

I've always been like...crazy curious about fried chicken and waffles. Like...I like fried chicken...I like waffles...I'm intrigued.

But I feel like maybe I like it more in a making the waffle savory kinda way as opposed to putting syrup on both. But who knows. I haven't tried it yet.

In the meantime...I tried these:

SAVORY waffles with baked, crunchy chicken. And cheese. Of course there's cheese. These sliders were super tasty-the waffles were crisp, yet tender, and had a yummy cheesy-slightly garlic-y flavor, and then the chicken was perfectly cooked, and the cornflake breading gave them just a hint of subtle sweetness. And the cheese was cheese. And cheese is good.

These are good.

Mashed Potato, Cheddar, and Scallion Waffles

Remember when I made those crock pot mashed potatoes and told you how it makes enough to feed an army? Well, I found myself with a new experience of having too many leftover mashed potatoes, when the fates aligned that Joy the Baker posted a recipe for mashed potato waffles. And, pretty much as soon as I saw it, I made them. And boy oh boy, am I glad I didn't wait!

Let me break this down for you: You take some mashed potatoes, some cheese, and some scallions (or chives) and you create a waffle batter. An extremely customize-able batter, I must say. Feel free to season and change out cheeses etc. to your preference. You wanna make some spicy potato waffles? Go right ahead! You want a more straightforward, buttery potato waffle? That's cool too! I used roasted garlic mashed potatoes in these, so I-for instance- omitted the original garlic powder from the recipe because...well...you get the idea.

I'm a simple gal, so I just at these cheesy, crispy, chewy, potato-y goodness bits of deliciousness by their onesies. But you can totally have some sour cream, salsa, etc. etc. to dip these in. Have a lil potato waffle party! Invite your friends. It's the cool new thing.

Belgian Cookie Dough Waffles with Chocolate Whipped Cream-with STAR Fine Foods

Ok, let's just address the elephant in the room (OMG I WISH THERE WAS AN ELEPHANT IN MY ROOM!...sorry...I love elephants...off topic...): I know. That whipped cream on top of those waffles...*sigh of embarassment* looks like a poop. UGH! I'm sorry! I just...I didn't mean for this to happen, but it did. This teaches me the lesson that I need to get myself a piping tip. Ugh. Ok, anyway, now that we've talked about it, let's just try to forget about it and move on, ok? Ok, great. Thanks for being so mature about this.

Anyway, I've been lusting after The Cookie Dough Lover's Cookbook for quite some time now. And, thanks to the AMAZINGESS of one of my newer bloggy buds Zainab (AKA Blahnik Baker) I now am in possession of my very own copy! EEE! One of the very first things I made from my beautiful new cookbook was these cookie dough waffles. But um...even though they are clearly not a healthy brekky, I still attempted to make them a little less inappropriate for morning times. Essentially I used some whole wheat flour and subbed in STAR'S new Butter Flavored Olive Oil (more on that in Friday's post) in for the butter in the waffles. Super easy swaps and I still ended up with amazing waffles that were chewy and deliciouuus!

Now...these waffles were yummy. Don't get me wrong. But....the cookie dough was sort of barely present, I assume since the dough got all cooked in the waffle iron. Plus this makes A LOT of waffles. So, unless you have a small army (or ya know...a family) to feed, maybe decrease the recipe. But I gotta say, this is a DEFINITE show stopper. Nothing like tellin' people "Oh hey, I made cookie dough waffles topped with some chocolate whipped cream..." Yeah...I can practically see the drool already.

Heart Healthy Waffles

First of all, I want to send out a lot of love to Michael and his family. Today I'm with them in spirit while they honor the wonderful life of Grandma Glo. She was so amazing and will be missed.

<3

I have a dream.

I dream of a spacious kitchen with lots of light. I dream of an island and glistening appliances. I dream of a cheerful, comforting, space with fresh flowers and full of the smells of baking bread or cookies. I dream of a happy place, where people congregate for food, love, and laughter. I dream of little ones reaching up with tiny hands, to help stir or lick a spoon.

I dream of a big, happy family, sitting around a table and enjoying a big breakfast. And at this breakfast...obviously there shall be waffles.

Waffles are king (or queen) of the (non savory) breakfasts around here. Michael doesn't adore pancakes, and I don't really like french toast, but we both enjoy waffles. 

I also want to be able to enjoy waffles in my life for a long, long, long time. My great grandma is 105. I don't know if I necessarily wanna live that long but...hey...it's pretty awesome. 

The beauty of these beauties is they're heart healthy: they include flaxseed and wheat germ (although I omitted the wheat germ because I didn't have any), whole wheat flour, and can be made with egg substitute and a healthier fat choice (such as coconut oil).

I gotta say, I love flaxseed/flaxseed meal. I bought a bag for these waffles and I have really enjoyed it! You can just throw a little tablespoon or some such into like any baked good and hey, woot, you've got a little healthier kick to it!

Back to the waffles-they're hearty, chewy, full of flavor, and really just a great option. Really, the only downside is they aren't quite crisp enough for me. But that's not a big deal, they're so gorgeous and I would be proud to serve this to anyone. Especially my adorable little future family that I'm dreaming of :)

Whole Wheat Double Chocolate Chip Waffles

I'm oddly lazy in the morning when it comes to cooking. I mean like...I'm pretty good to go by 9. But since I wake up at 7, usually, that means me making a like...actual breakfast, doesn't happen often. I go to sleep the night before with great intentions to make something. Then I wake up and it's just like "Ughhh I don't wannaaaa." So, I was pretty proud of myself a few weeks ago when, one Sunday morning, I told Michael "I'm making a big breakfast! Waffles and eggs and bacon!"

And do you know how he responded? He snorted.
"That's funny that you think that's a big breakfast. When my mom would say she was making a big breakfast she made hash browns, an egg casserole, mini muffins, pancakes, sausage, bacon, the holy grail..."

Ok...so maybe he didn't say that last one. But the rest. How can I live up to that?! Aghhh

But anyway, I digress. We're here to talk waffles. Chocolate waffles. Double chocolate waffles. Cocoa powder + chocolate chips. Yes.

Oh and they're like...fairly good-ish for you. We've got whole wheat flour goin' and the darkness of the chocolates makes em like healthy n such and just a lil bit of heart healthy oils as fat.

Now...if you decide to top these waffles with ice cream and hot fudge...that's up to you.
You could also put fruit on top.

These waffles are just cool like that.

Pretty quick to whip up (you don't even need to whip egg whites like you do for my other waffle recipes), I was able to actually deliver on making these waffles that Sunday morning. I'm confident all you other busy (or lazy) peeps can do it too. They're thick and chewy, but crisp on the outside, and they really just taste...well..like chocolate waffles. 

So yeah. Nothing not to like about that.

Crisp and Fluffy Whole Wheat Waffles

WAFFLES!

WAFFLES!

WAAAAFFLES!

OK, I don't know who amongst you remembers All Dogs Go to Heaven--but there's this one scene where the little girl eats a bunch of waffles. And they look like the best waffles you've ever seen. 

These waffles blow those waffles out of the water. 

I'm for serious.

These waffles are not only pretty healthy (whole wheat flour and canola or coconut oil!)-but they are the best waffles I've ever had! The outsides are perfectly crisp and inside they are fluffy and wonderful. And, I threw some chocolate chips in mine because that's how I roll (Michael's were plain-he eats waffles like a normal person with butter and syrup. I eat mine with peanut butter on top).

Oat Waffles (+ Chocolate Chips)

Sooo, I'm not super in love with breakfast food--I know I know! Don't worry, I always eat breakfast, but it's always like peanut butter toast, fruit, green monster smoothie, etc.-just because I know it's good for me. The only other like big breakfast foods I like....well...they taste like dessert. Cinnamon Rolls. Muffins. Pancakes and waffles--BUT--only if they have chocolate chips and I spread peanut butter over them. I wasn't always this way, I used to kind of like the classic butter and syrup combo. But now that I can have a breakfast with one of my flavor combinations, it's done for. Anyway, one day I wanted waffles! And I wanted to use what I had! But I didn't want them to be boring! So, after poring over the internet and thinking a bit, I sort of Frankenstein-ed this recipe together. They're healthier (I have to make up for my pb chocolate weakness) and light yet substantial (as a result of the whipped egg whites + oats). They're delishums!