That’s it, I found my perfect waffle recipe. I tried it for the first time this morning and I absolutely fell in love with it. I am writing this post while still in awe of how delicious they turned out to be.
These waffles were crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, just like proper waffles should be. The grass-fed butter gave them that creamy consistency I just love. I added some organic maple syrup for the sweetness. And then, in a stroke of creativity, I reached for my homemade blackberry sauce. The GAPS-approved chocolate chips I had in the cupboard did their part too!
These waffles are not only delicious but they are made with real food. I swear I will not buy milk from a grocery store ever again. What is even the point of doing that when we could be drinking healthy local milk while supporting small farms?
The blackberry sauce is the absolute killer here, though. The slightly sour berries sweetened with honey and vanilla make for a wonderful addition to many sweet meals, not only waffles. And if you combine it with some amaretto then your sauce will be on another level altogether.
This kind of breakfast is perfect for those days when we just want to spoil ourselves and savor some delicious real food. Take a breath and enjoy your breakfast. It will set the tone for the rest of the day and you will leave the dining table while feeling energized and ready for action!
A side note about maple syrup
I haven’t written down my thoughts about maple syrup yet so this post seems a good place to do it.
Do you know that there are two types of maple syrup, grade A and grade B? It’s counterintuitive but grade B maple syrup is actually better for us because it contains more minerals and vitamins. Grade B maple syrup is collected later in the season and is characterized by a darker and deeper color.
And another thing to remember is the difference between conventional maple syrup and organic maple syrup. I’m sure you can by now tell which one I want you to buy. Yup, the organic one.
Maple syrup farms only have a short window of opportunity in a year to tap the trees and make them release the coveted maple syrup. This window is only about six weeks long. After that, the holes in the trees close up for the season. So some farms have begun using formaldehyde pellets to keep the holes open for longer. It works and they can get more maple syrup this way but that formaldehyde gradually dissolves and ends up in the bottle together with the maple syrup.
Organic maple syrup farms are heavily regulated and forbidden from using formaldehyde in their maple trees. That’s why I believe it is worth it to support those smaller farms that do not produce their maple syrup with disregard for consumers’ health.
The bottom line is: buy organic grade B maple syrup!
And now the recipe(s)! First I’ll teach you how I make my own blackberry sauce and then we’ll move on to the waffles.
Homemade blackberry sauce
Necessary equipment:
- a medium saucepan
- a potato masher
- a wooden spoon
- a glass bowl
- a strainer
- a rubber scraper
Ingredients:
- 1 lb. of blackberries (fresh or frozen)
- ¼ cup of raw honey
- 1 t. of vanilla extract
- 1 t. of amaretto liqueur OR almond extract if you want your sauce to be alcohol-free
Instructions:
- Put the berries in the saucepan and use a potato masher to mash them into smaller pieces and release the juice.
- Add the honey and bring the saucepan to a boil.
- Simmer the contents of the saucepan uncovered for about 20 minutes.
- Add the vanilla extract and amaretto. Use a wooden spoon to stir until combined.
- Place a strainer over a glass bowl and pour the mixture into it. Press it with a rubber scraper so that all the liquid comes out. Once done, you can discard the seeds and other solids that were caught in the strainer.
- Your sauce is ready! Pour into another container, like a small glass jar, and keep in the fridge.
Chocolate buttermilk waffles
Necessary equipment:
- a measuring cup
- a large mixing bowl
- a dish towel or something else to cover the bowl
- a whisk OR a hand mixer
- a rubber scraper
- a waffle iron
- a pastry brush
- a ladle
Ingredients:
- 2 cups of buttermilk (how to make buttermilk here)
- 2 ½ cups of whole grain flour (hot to make sprouted flour here)
- 2 eggs, yolks and whites separated
- 4 T. of grass-fed butter, melted and cooled (how to make butter here)
- 2 T. of whole cane sugar
- 1 ½ t. of baking soda
- 1 t. of vanilla extract
- ½ t. of sea salt
- 1 cup of chocolate chips (how to make chocolate chips here)
- additional butter to brush the waffle iron with
Instructions:
- Combine flour and buttermilk in a large mixing bowl.
- Cover the bowl with a towel and leave to soak overnight in a warm place. At least 12 hours should pass.
- The next day, add sugar, baking soda, salt, egg yolks, melted butter, and vanilla extract. Stir until smooth.
- In a separate bowl beat the egg whites with a whisk or a hand mixer until you can see soft peaks forming.
- Gently fold the whipped egg whites into the batter.
- Add the chocolate chips and stir them in gently.
- Preheat the waffle iron and brush with melted butter.
- Pour one ladle of the batter into the iron and cook. For me, it takes about 4 minutes but this will depend on how powerful your waffle iron is and how well it has been preheated.
- Serve the waffles with toppings of your choice (butter, fruit, yogurt, maple syrup, whipped cream, nuts, anything is good!).
Enjoy your new favorite breakfast waffles! I will be enjoying mine with some organic grade B maple syrup and my homemade blackberry sauce!