Not My Mom's Waffles

My son and I have two things in common: we love chai tea, and we don't eat a wide variety of breakfast foods. Sure, we'll eat pancakes, waffles, and french toast. We will have yogurt with fruit, or a bowl of cereal, or a bagel from time to time. But unlike my husband, we can do without eggs. In fact, the only way we eat eggs is when my husband makes his breakfast burrito, which is big of flavor but not the healthiest of dishes. So what'sa mom and son to do?

I have found coming up with variations of our favorite standards is key to preventing breakfast to becoming boring. For instance, in 2014 we added a fruit wrap to the morning rotation. In the summer I love to add berries and fresh ricotta to our usual pancakes. In the fall pumpkin becomes the star, and we add my favorite gourd to both pancakes and waffles.

And Sunday morning, I was looking to mix it up again.

Last Sunday, as a treat, I made these chai cupcakes I found I Taste of Home's Facebook page. My son and I, being the huge fans of chai that we are, LOVED them. So Sunday morning I had a stroke of inspiration: add the flavors of chai to our waffles. I asked my son if he was game, and he was willing to give it a try. And they did not disappoint! In fact, my son said, "I could eat these forever!"

It looks like I found another way to keep breakfast interesting.

Chai Waffles
A Country Cooking Original
Makes 8-12 square waffles

Ingredients:

• 2 eggs
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 3/4 cups milk
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 1 tablespoon white sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  For serving:
• maple syrup
• whipped cream
• cinnamon sugar

Directions:

1. Beat eggs in a large bowl until fluffy.
2. Beat in flour, milk, canola oil, sugar, baking powder, salt, and vanilla just until smooth.
3. Preheat waffle iron.
4. Cook according ton waffle iron's instructions.
5. Serve topped with maple syrup, whipped cream, and cinnamon sugar.

An Excellent Start to the Day

When my son started eating solid food all those years ago, I was faced with the same challenge as all mothers: what can I give my kid that he/she will like and is healthy? Breakfast being the most important meal of the day, we immediately introduced him to scrambled eggs, pancakes, french toast, and waffles.

He loved waffles. So much so that I could easily go through a box in a week, especially if my husband or I wanted one. So one day my mother asked, "why don't you make extra and freeze them like you do the pancakes?" Simple answer: I didn't have a waffle maker.

That Christmas a waffle maker was wrapped under the tree for me, and I have been using it nearly every weekend since.

Of course the trick was finding the right waffle recipe. The maker is actually a Belgium waffle maker, and was given to me with a canister of Belgium waffle mix. I used it, because I had it, but none of us were completely enamored with it. So it was time to scour the Internet in search of a recipe.

I found one on allrecipes.com, and I have been making it for years now -- when I'm not making pumpkin waffles in the fall, that is. These are a hit with the family, and quite versatile. We make them plain; with chocolate chips; serve them with berries, honey, and whipped cream; with nutella, strawberries, and whipped cream; with homemade cranberry sauce in the fall; or straight up with maple syrup. And sometimes in the summer, we'll make the leftover batter in the evenings and serve with ice cream.

Forget Reese's! There's no wrong way to have a waffle!

Homemade Waffles
Recipe from allrecipes.com
Makes 6 belgium waffles

Ingredients:

• 2 eggs
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 3/4 cups milk
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 1 tablespoon white sugar
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Beat eggs in a large bowl until fluffy.
2. Beat in flour, milk, canola oil, sugar, baking powder, salt, and vanilla just until smooth.
3. Preheat waffle iron.
4. Cook according ton waffle iron's instructions.

Note from the Kitchen: My son's favorite way to have these waffles is with strawberries and whipped cream. They also freeze beautifully. I make extra every Sunday and freeze them for us to enjoy throughout the week, instead on the ones from the freezer aisle of the grocery store.

Kid Cooks Saturdays: Week #6

I'm really not sure this qualifies as a Kid Cooks Saturday. There was no actual cooking involved, and I made this for myself the day before. But I enjoyed it so much and knew my son would as well, so I helped my son make it for breakfast for himself the day before.

It was a huge it! It was easy to make -- my son loved that he could make it all by himself. It's versatile -- any of the ingredients can easily be swapped out for something else. And it's fun! It brought out the kid in me -- so much so that I drank a glass of chocolate milk with it.

So here is my recipe for a fruit wrap. We we definitely be adding this to our breakfast rotation. Left to his own devices, my son would switch between pancakes and waffles every morning for breakfast. He does eat cereal and I love that he eats yogurt, since it's a great way to incorporate more fruit into the most important meal of the day. This fruit wrap follows in yogurt's foot steps.

And for those that frequently need to eat breakfast on the go, this wrap is portable without being messy. Score!

Fruit Wrap
A Country Cooking Original Recipe

Ingredients:

• tortilla or your favorite wrap
• peanut butter, or your favorite butter (I like sunflower seed butter)
• slided bananas
• sliced strawberries
• blueberries

Directions:

1. Spread peanut butter over tortilla in a thin layer, leaving a 1-inch border.
2. Arrange sliced bananas and strawberries over the peanut butter.
3. Sprinkle blueberries over the bananas and strawberries.
4. Roll up tortilla burrito-style and slice in half on the bias. Enjoy! Chocolate milk is optional.

Red, White and Blue

Red, white, and blue makes a monkey out of you!

This childhood rhyme played in my head as breakfast unfolded one Sunday morning. It started out as a typical morning: my son asking for pancakes. I made the batter the night before -- a little trick I picked up when my son was a toddler, in an effort to get them to the griddle that much faster -- so it was just a matter who wanted what in their pancakes. Blueberries for my husband, blueberries and strawberries for my son, and inspired by my son, I decided to take mine to another level.

Like my son, I put both strawberries and blueberries in my pancakes. But when it was time to serve, that's when I let my creativity shine. I drizzled honey -- fresh from the farmer's market -- over the pancakes. Then topped them off with a dollop -- "Well, hello big dollop!" of fresh ricotta.

This was a breakfast treat like no other! If you haven't had fresh ricotta, you need to change that. Stat. Don't try this with Polly-o from your local supermarket; it's not the same. Fresh ricotta ... I could eat it with a spoon! And combining it with the fresh fruit and honey just took breakfast to a whole new, unbelievable level. You'll never go back to whipped cream.

Red, White, and Blue Pancakes
Original Country Cooking recipe
Makes about 9 pancakes

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon butter, melted, plus more for the griddle
• 1 egg
• 1 cup flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 cup whole or buttermilk
• blueberries
• strawberries, halved or sliced, depending on size
• fresh ricotta

Directions:

1. Beat melted butter and egg.
2. Add dry and wet ingredients. Beat until smooth.
3. Melt a tablespoon of butter on a griddle over medium heat.
4. Ladle batter (3-4 cakes) onto griddle. As edges begin to set, add fruit to cakes.
5. As the batter bubbles and pops, flip them. Cook an additional 2-3 minutes.
6. Plate pancakes. Top with fresh ricotta, and drizzle honey. Garnish with additional blueberries and strawberries.

Gingerbread: Not Just for Cookies

A popular cookie during the holiday season is gingerbread men. And it's no surprise. The use of cinnamon, cloves, ginger, nutmeg, and molasses invoke such a warmth, not just in taste but a warm feeling inside as well. And while the time between Thanksgiving and Christmas feels shorter and shorter each year, what about the rest of the winter season? It goes on for another 3 months, and can feel even longer. (Especially in the Poconos!)

So why enjoy the flavors of gingerbread during the holiday season only?

I know, I know. New year, new resolution to eat better, lose weight, etc. No room for cookies in the new year. But that's still no reason not to enjoy the flavors in another form.

And one of my favorite forms in pancakes. In the summer months I love to add fruit, in autumn I add pumpkin, and now for the winter months, I have a recipe for gingerbread pancakes to enjoy and savor.

Gingerbread Pancakes
Recipe from Taste of Home

Ingredients:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
  
• 2 tablespoons sugar
  
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
  
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
  
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
  
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
  
• 1 egg
  
• 3/4 cup milk
  
• 2 tablespoons molasses
  
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
  
• 3/4 cup apple pie filling, warmed
  
• 3 tablespoons dried cranberries
  
• maple syrup

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, combine the first seven ingredients. Combine the egg, milk, molasses and oil; stir into dry ingredients just until moistened.
   
2. Pour batter by 1/4 cupfuls onto a greased hot griddle; turn when bubbles form on top. Cook until second side is golden brown.
   
3. To serve, place pancakes on plate; drizzle with maple syrup. Top with 1/4 cup apple pie filling; sprinkle with cranberries.

Note: I like to top my pancakes with my spiced cranberry sauce. A perfect combination of flavors!

Waffle House

Sundays are big breakfast days in our home. Pancakes, waffles, french toast, and even the occasional omelet. Those delicious morning starches are wonderful in the summer with fresh fruit. But as the season changes and the farmers market closes, blueberries, strawberries, and peaches are no longer easily available. (And when they are, they are expensive and don't taste as good.)

So how do you put a new twist on Sunday morning favorites, then?

Pumpkin!

So far I've made pumpkin pancakes and pumpkin fresh toast. And now the circle is complete with pumpkin waffles.

So raise a mug and enjoy!

Spiced Pumpkin Waffles
Recipe #67930 from food.com
Makes 6-8 Belgium waffles

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
  
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
  
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
  
• 1 pinch salt
  
• 2 eggs
  
• 1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
  
• 1 cup canned pumpkin puree
  
• 1 2/3 cups milk
  
• 4 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled

Directions:

1. Mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and salt in a bowl.
   
2. In a second, large bowl, add eggs, sugar, pumpkin, milk and butter; beat well.
   
3. Gently fold in flour mixture.
   
4. Cook according to waffle iron instructions.

A New Twist on an Old Favorite

Inspiration can come from anywhere. And on Columbus Day, it came from a loaf of bread.

My family was doing some shopping at The Crossing Premium Outlets in Tannersville and I made a quick stop at the Pepperidge Farm storm. There, next to the cinnamon raisin bread, I saw loaves of pumpkin spice bread. And I immediately knew what I would make for our next big Sunday breakfast.

This time of year, I love to use pumpkin, and I had already been contemplating how I would make pumpkin french toast. When I saw this bread in the store I knew I had to give it a try using this bread. And it did not disappoint. Have some for breakfast with a cup of pumpkin mochaccino.

Pumpkin French Toast
A Country Cooking Original

Ingredients:

• 6 slices Pepperidge Farm Spiced Pumpkin bread
  
• 2 eggs
  
• 1 teaspoon pumpkin spice
  
• 2 tablespoons pumpkin puree
  
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  
• milk
  
• powdered sugar (optional)

Directions:

1. Beat eggs. Add pumpkin spice, pumpkin puree, extract and milk. Whisk until smooth.
   
2. Dip bread into batter.
   
3. Cook on buttered griddle.
   
4. Dust with powdered sugar and serve with maple syrup.

Variations: If you can't find pumpkin spice bread you could use regular cinnamon bread instead. I've also seen cranberry bread in my supermarket, and that would be a delicious option, as well.

Perfect Pancakes

Growing up I didn't eat a lot of squash. My mom is not really a fan, so zucchini, summer squash, spaghetti squash, and the like never made it to our table. In fact, the only squash that made it onto our table was pumpkin, typically in the form of pie or bread. So when you grow up eating those sweet delicacies, it's no surprise pumpkin is your favorite gourd.

Autumn is so beautiful here in the Poconos, and it inspired me to use pumpkin outside of baking. These pancakes by Martha Stewart are the perfect way to incorporate pumpkin into breakfast. The first time I made them I followed the recipe exactly, and I found them to be quite heavy. After comparing the recipe to my dad's recipe for pancakes -- which always come out light and fluffy -- I concluded Martha's recipe was missing baking soda.

And with one alteration ... Perfecto! The perfect pumpkin pancakes recipe was born!

Pumpkin Pancakes
Recipe adapted from Martha Stewart Living
Makes 8 to 10

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  
• 2 tablespoons sugar
  
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
  
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
  
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
  
• 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
  
• pinch of ground cloves
  
• 1 cup milk
  
• 6 tablespoons canned pumpkin purée
  
• 2 tablespoons melted butter
  
• 1 egg

Directions:

1. Whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, salt, nutmeg and cloves in a large bowl.
   
2. In a separate bowl, stir together milk, pumpkin purée, butter and egg. Fold mixture into dry ingredients.
   
3. Melt some butter in a skillet over medium heat. Pour 1/4 cup batter for each pancake. Cook pancakes about 3 minutes per side.
   
4. Serve with butter and syrup.

If you want to go the extra mile and serve up a truly delectable autumn breakfast, sprinkle some chopped, toasted pecans on top. Yum!



My son loved his, too!


I like to make the batter the night before. It helps it thicken up, and then we can make pancakes as soon as we wake up in the morning -- which is exactly when my son wants them.