Waffles, updated

Capturing the waffle recipe evolution...

We eat waffles a little differently than we used to.

First of all, we traded the big waffle maker for the dash mini waffle maker. It makes smaller, more crispy waffles. Sure, they're one-at-a-time, but Sunday mornings are for leisurely making waffles, and if you prefer to make a batch ahead of time they freeze beautifully.

These are dairy free and egg-free. Because eggs got expensive and I adapted the recipe and I like them better this way.

Waffles

1 T. flaxseed meal

3 T. hot water

1 T. olive oil

1 t. apple cider vinegar

1/4 t. salt

1 t. honey

1 c. almond mik

1 c. gf flour mix

1/2 t. baking soda

1/2 t. baking powder

Plug in the waffle maker to let it heat up.

Mix the flaxseed meal and water in a 2 c. measuring cup. Add in the olive oil, vinegar, salt, honey, and almond milk. Measure out 1 c. of gf flour mix, and top with baking soda and baking powder. Add to the wet ingredients and mix well. 

Pour appx 2 T. of batter onto the waffle maker. Spread it to the edges and close the lid. Cook for 4 minutes. Repeat. Makes 6 waffles.

We like them with crunchy peanut butter, syrup, and a sprinkle of cinnamon. 

Pumpkin Waffles

I had the BEST breakfast this morning.

October may be over, but thankfully the pumpkin season is still in full swing. We've got at least another full month of shameless pumpkin-eating over here.

My husband made fun of me for how much I loved these waffles. --Then he asked for another one. They taste like pumpkin pie, but in a warmer way. Perfect for this wonderfully chilly morning.

Pumpkin Waffles

Mix in a bowl:
1 c. flour mix
1/2 T. baking powder
1/4 t. salt
2 T. sugar
[Pumpkin pie spice:]
1/2 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. ginger
1/8 t. nutmeg
1/8 t. cloves

Measure 3/4 c. milk in a glass measuring cup. Add in:
1/3 c. pumpkin puree
1 egg
2 T. oil
Mix with a whisk.

Add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients to make the batter.

Pour ~1/2 c. of batter into a greased, preheated waffle iron and cook for a few minutes- I check to see if they're done when the steaming has calmed down.

Top with syrup and a dollup of whipped cream.

Makes 5-6 waffles.

Yogurt Cake/ Waffles

This is a yogurt cake made on a waffle iron.
They are fantastic. Even though they look kinda meh. (That's not almost-burned. That's golden brown...)

There was a tub of yogurt on its' last days in the back of the fridge. I dunno about you, but about halfway through a tub, I get tired of yogurt. And it just sits there.

Fortunately, I found this recipe that uses a cup and a half of yogurt. Original recipe found here at thekitchn.com. Converted to be GF here:

Yogurt Cake

1 1/2 cups strawberry yogurt
1 T. strawberry preserves
2/3 cup olive oil
1 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/4 cups gluten free flour- 3/4 c each brown rice flour, sorghum flour, potato starch
1/8 t. xanthan gum
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
Pinch freshly ground nutmeg

Pour ~1/2 c. of batter into a preheated waffle iron and cook for a few minutes- I check to see if they're done when the steaming has calmed down. Don't overfill because they rise and spill out of the sides and it's a pain in the butt.

They turn out soft but the outside sorta caramelizes and it's delightful. Subtle strawberry taste. Awesome with tea.

Makes 12 waffles.

Gluten free cinnamon roll waffles

Thanks to pinterest, lately I've been seeing recipes for cinnamon roll waffles. Basically you take a pre-made cinnamon roll and cook it on a waffle iron. Everyday genius, but not so fun for us gluten free folk who can't just pop open a tube of cinnamon rolls.

As with most things of this nature, we have to make a little more effort.

Thankfully, not much more.

This recipe is no more involved than making a regular batch of waffles. You get cinnamon roll taste without the labor of cinnamon rolls, and you don't have to worry about heating the whole house up with the oven. It's pretty much a win-win situation.

Cinnamon Roll Waffles: Makes 6

2/3 c. brown rice flour
2/3 c. sorghum flour
2/3 c. potato starch
1/8 t. xanthan gum
1/4 t. salt
1 t. baking powder
1 t. vanilla
2 T. oil
2 eggs, beaten

1 3/4 c. milk, warmed
1 pkg fast-rising yeast

Cinnamon/ sugar mixture:
1/3 c. brown sugar
1 1/2 t. cinnamon

Add 1 t. of sugar to the warmed milk and add the yeast. Let it get bubbly while you mix your dry ingredients with a whisk. Mix the wet ingredients in a separate bowl, and mix the dry ingredients into the wet. It should be pourable, but not too runny or thick.

Give the waffle iron a good coating with cooking spray in-between each batch. Pour ~1/4 c. of batter into a preheated waffle iron. Spoon some of the sugar mixture on top, and top with more batter. You're basically sandwiching the cinnamon/sugar into the middle of the waffle. Cook for a few minutes- I check to see if they're done when the steaming has calmed down.

Eat them with no embellishments, top them with a dusting of powdered sugar, drizzle them with syrup- or if you're really feeling the sugar rush- cinnamon roll glaze:

1 c. powdered sugar
1/2 t. vanilla
1/2 t. cinnamon
2 T. milk
1/8 t. salt

Or a cream cheese frosting:

4 oz room temp cream cheese
1 c powdered sugar
1/2 stick unsalted butter room temp
1/2 tsp vanilla

Now that we've gotten way too involved with the toppings, I should note that they are fantastic with just a little bit of butter spread on top.

Waffles

chocolate chip waffles

Today was a waffle-making kind of morning.

Before Chris left to do Marine-type-stuff, we'd have a late, leisurely breakfast on most Saturday mornings. Eggs, pancakes, waffles, bacon, hashbrowns, whatever. Wake up late, put on a pot of coffee, and slowly get around to cooking breakfast. He got me a waffle maker, and then started requesting these waffles a lot. They were good, but there were points where I had to veto waffles because I was getting tired of eating them!

They're easy peasy to make, and come out soft with just the right amount of toasted crunch. They freeze really well, too.

I actually haven't made them in over a year, but I felt like it this morning. I made a large batch to freeze and pull out for mid-morning "second breakfast" at work.

Basic recipe:

2 c. GF Flour
1/4 t. salt
2 t. baking powder
2 T. oil
2 eggs, beaten
1 3/4 c. milk

Mix your dry ingredients with a whisk. Mix the wet ingredients in a separate bowl, and stir the dry ingredients into the wet. It should be pourable, but not too runny or thick.

Pour ~1/2 c. of batter into a preheated waffle iron and cook for a few minutes- I check to see if they're done when the steaming has calmed down.

I've made them several ways, using the basic recipe and adding:

-chocolate chips, fruit, or peanut butter
-1 t. vanilla and 1/2 t. cinnamon
-1/2 c. shredded cheese and bacon. <-- Freaking YUM.

Makes 6 waffles.

Assorted product reviews

Over Thanksgiving, I went to College Station and visited Village Foods. Oh my gosh that store has a great GF selection. I was practically giddy. One of the things I picked up was these mini waffles. I normally don't prefer Van's waffles, but these minis looked cute and I was on a GF shopping high.

Surprisingly, I like them. They aren't as dry as their regular waffles and they toast up perfectly. I will probably get these again.

I also picked up a couple packets of Road's End Organic Vegan Golden Gravy mix.


I know, I know. Gravy from a mix. I was a big "gravy from a mix" kind of girl before Celiac, so I was really interested and excited because it's hard to find any that are gluten free.
It mixed up pretty simple and quick. I don't think I liked it very much, though. It was very heavy on the garlic. I think I might use this to thicken sauces or add flavor, but I won't make it as straight gravy; it was just a little too much.

I also found instant oatmeal from Gluten Freeda. Instant oatmeal! Two years ago I never would have thought that instant oatmeal would be a novelty. I tried the variety pack.

I like this stuff a lot, especially because it's quick and nutritious in the morning. I added extra flaxseed meal and almonds to get a little extra out of it. I wasn't a huge fan of the banana flavor, but I have an idea to add it to banana nut muffins that I think will work really well.

The man insisted that I get Gillian's Garlic Croutons.

I have to say, it's been a long time since I've eaten a crouton. I think they're pretty tasty and it was a nice treat. Since croutons are only easy to make if I've made bread and I've kinda given up on that for a while, these were very convenient and I might actually buy them again.

So, I had a very fun time trying out all these new-to-me products.

Central Market (HEB) Blueberry Buckwheat Waffles & a short guide to grocery stores in Houston

As grocery stores go, some of the HEB stores around here offer a pretty decent selection of gluten free fare. The only store I've had horrible luck with is Randall's- at least the one at Shepherd and Westheimer. Even Walmart carries rice noodles, but the last time I was there, that store had zilch. Shame on them.

Anyway, some of the HEB stores carry their store brand frozen waffles... which are gluten free! A store brand making a gluten free option? Radical dude.

I can usually find them right next to the Van's frozen waffles, and I think they're better. They're less dry than Van's, and they are cheaper too! I think I picked up this box for $1.89, while Van's run me anywhere from $2-4. Not that Van's are bad. I mean, a frozen waffle is pretty much a frozen waffle.

But, not all of the stores carry them. I've found these at an HEB in Katy, somewhere around Mason and Westpark Tollway. I've also found them at the HEB at Hwy 6 and Austin Parkway. The last time I was at the HEB in Alief, they didn't carry them.

While I'm at it, let's talk about Kroger. That store has always carried a fairly decent number of products. The one in Rice Village is mediocre- it has a GF section but it's not very big.
The Kroger at Hwy 6 and W. Airport is pretty good. I shop there a lot, and they put their stuff on sale.
The Kroger in First Colony on Sweetwater near 59S is the absolute best. They have an enormous section, and they even have a designated gluten free frozen section. You can find a lot of items there that you can't find at any other store, except for maybe Whole Foods. And even then, I've found things at that Kroger that I haven't seen at Whole Foods.

Target carries mostly mainstream gluten free products- like Chex and a few Amy's meals in their health food section. To their credit, that was the first place I found the Chex when it became gluten free.

Walmart is the same way, but I'm randomly seeing special GF products, like noodles, on their shelves.

Fiesta is awesome. The one in Rice Village has a great GF section, and their ethnic aisles carry a lot of GF options. That's where I initially found the Thai noodle bowls, and they also have CHEAP tapioca and sweet rice flour. I go there to stock up every once in a while. You can always find something neat there.

There's an asian store I went to on Bellaire near the Beltway, and I found huge 1-pound bags of Fiber-J brown rice noodles for 99 cents. 99 cents! I'll have to ask Jen about that one.

Of course, I wrote about Ranch Creek Natural Foods earlier.

I think I've covered it, but I might have missed something. Hopefully this will help someone!

healthier waffles and my health kick shopping trip

First off, the thermometer on the back porch reads 81 degrees. There's a breeze, but it's a warm breeze. Gross. I hate Houston's weather. I miss my hoodie.

I went to the store today on a health kick to start the new year. I came home with broccoli, water chestnuts and bean sprouts for stir fries, but found no baby corn. Boo.

I got a tub of smart balance, some chick peas for hummus, and a few cans of beans. I had some hummus at a New Year's party and liked it, but couldn't eat a lot because people were dipping their pita into the bowl and contaminating it. I just scraped a taste off of the edge that looked pretty untouched. Also, brussel sprouts. I've never had them and have always been curious.

I take 2 Prilosec every morning and I picked up a box of the generic just to see if I could save a few bucks. I really hope it works just as well.

I also wanted to get some cardamom to make chai tea, but the only bottle I found was $10. Negative.

This morning, keeping in tune with my health kick, I was craving waffles. Now, I always eat what I crave, but I tried to make them healthier. They tasted great and are also great when frozen and re-toasted. Sweeet.

Healthier Waffles

3/4 c. brown rice flour
1/4 c. potato starch
1/4 t. xanthan gum
1/4 t. salt
1/2 T. baking powder
1/4 c. nonfat dry milk powder
2 t. egg white powder (this came in a can I found in the baking aisle)
1/2 T. agave syrup
2 T. unsweetened applesauce
3/4 c. + 2 T. water

*I used the milk powder because I'd like to be able to have a dry mix on hand and add as little wet ingredients as possible to streamline the process. If you use milk, use 3/4 c. and use only 2 T. water.

Mix that up and let it sit for about 5 minutes. Make waffles as usual. These tend to stick a tad bit more than the other waffles, I guess because of the lack of oil. Make sure to use some cooking spray. Top with fresh fruit.

Here's to attempts at healthier eating!

*update*

A few posts back I mentioned my mom bought Kinnickinnick (say that three times fast) chocolate donuts as a treat. They were terrible. The texture was bad, there was a funky taste and aftertaste... they were overall gross. The date on the package was still good, so I don't know why they were so bad. She returned them to the store. Anyone else have the same experience?

Gluten Free Waffles!

I know, this is yet another crappy picture. But I was hungry and didn't feel like switching angles or messing with lighting. I need a tripod. I think that's what some of this Christmas money will be going towards.

ANyway. Did you ever see such a plate of messy deliciousness? I finally busted out with the waffle maker. The best way to eat waffles, in my opinion, is with strawberries and whipped cream. Simple maple syrup is fine for store-bought, but does not do homemade waffles justice. Something about the combination of warm, sweet, juicy strawberries and cool whipped cream on top of a soft waffle. Almost like strawberry shortcake, but better.

To make the waffle batter:

1 c. GF flour (try 3/4 c. rice flour and 1/4 c. potato starch)
1/4 tsp xanthan gum
1/4 t. salt
1/2 T. baking powder
1/2 T. agave nectar (or 1 t. sugar)
3/4 c. milk
1 egg
2 T. oil

Mix the dry ingredients, then mix the wet ingredients, then mix the two together, trying to get all lumps out without over-mixing.

Pour some batter onto the preheated waffle iron, depending on how big it is, and cook them according to the directions.

To make the strawberry stuff:

Throw a handful of thawed or fresh cut up strawberries into a small pot. Sprinkle some sugar over the top to make it sweet. How much depends on how sweet the strawberries were to begin with. (I've also been experimenting with agave nectar, but didn't use it for the sauce)
When it's heated, the juices will make a nice syrup.

When the waffles are done, I like to toast them for extra texture.

Top them with the strawberry goodness and whipped cream, and we're in breakfast business.

*If you have any extra strawberry stuff, keep it and serve it over vanilla ice cream later.