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Posts Tagged ‘dessert waffles’

  1. 30/30 WTF! #30: Sweet Potato Pie Waffle

    March 9, 2011 by Cas

    Bittersweet.

    Not the waffle. The waffle is just sweet sweet. Bittersweet is our final — the 30th of 30 — 30 Waffles in 30 Days recipe.

    This one is inspired by the fact that I have this can of yams in my cupboard that seems to be in the way every time I go for the cereal or almond butter. It’s like a clown doll in the closet: every time you turn around, it’s there, and it’s staring at you, and no matter where you move it to so you can avoid unnecessary encounters, it seems to move right back to where it wants to be the moment your back is turned. So I guess this recipe owes equal credit to the can of yams and the movie “Poltergeist”…

    Funny thing is, I made this from fresh sweet potato, because as much as I mock and deride, I actually prepare yams often enough that I like having that can on hand for when my family and friends say, “we know it’s April but we really want Thanksgiving dinner tonight.” So I feel I should always be prepared to accommodate request such as this, as well the frequent and proverbial wild hare up my ass to make sweet potato muffins, pancakes, or biscuits (which I promise we will cover in cocktail foods soon, because if you’ve never had them, sweet potato biscuits with sugar-baked ham are reason enough to throw a party).

    About the mashed sweet potato: either open your clown can, mash them up, and use as directed. Or cut a medium sweet potato (don’t bother to peel it), into chunks, cover with water in a saucepan, and boil for 10-15 minutes until tender. Remove from heat, let cool in the pot and the water, and when cool enough to handle simply pull the skins off, place in a bowl, and mash by hand with a fork or masher, or with a hand blender.

    Oh, and for the record, I really fucking love clowns.

    Waffle Iron Setting/Cook Time: MEDIUM HIGH

    1/2 Cup mashed sweet potato (THE RECIPE CALLS FOR 1 CUP TOTAL)
    1 Egg
    1/2 Cup milk

    1 Cup Bisquick
    1/4 Cup brown sugar
    1/2 tsp. Pumpkin pie spice (or an equal amount of ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and or clove, to taste)
    1/4 tsp. Salt

    2 Tbsp. flour
    1/4 Cup brown sugar
    1/4 tsp. Salt
    1/2 tsp. Cinnamon
    1 Tbsp. butter

    1/2 Cup  mashed sweet potato (yes, the OTHER half of the full cup)
    1/2 Cup brown sugar
    1 Tbsp. Butter
    Dash of salt

    Marshmallow Fluff, for garnish.

    Combine 1/2 Cup of sweet potato, egg and milk. In a separate bowl, mix the baking mix, brown sugar, salt and spice to combine; add wet ingredients and stir until mixed well. Set batter aside.

    In a separate bowl, combine flour, sugar, salt, cinnamon and butter until crumbly. Pack firmly, and transfer to a small hot skillet or sautee pan over medium heat. Pan-bake the crumb topping until it loosens and starts crisping, breaking into crumbs as you go. Remove from heat and transfer to a small bowl or plate to cool.

    To make sweet potato jam, place remaining sweet potato, brown sugar, butter and salt in skillet, and cook, stirring frequently, until mixture boils. Cook one additional minute stirring constantly, and remove from heat.

    Grease waffle iron with nonstick cooking spray and spoon waffle batter onto griddle, leaving room for spread. Cook to golden brown, and remove to individual serving plates.

    Spread each waffle with Marshmallow Fluff (or see garnish note, below); spoon sweet potato jam over marshmallow, and sprinkle generously with crumb topping.

    As an alternate to the fluff, you can top the waffle with miniature marshmallows and microwave to melt slightly; or if the jam is still piping hot, you can spoon it generously right over the minis and let it do the little bit it can do to help them melt.

    High Altitude Directions: Follow recipe as written, but don’t look down or you may get dizzy.
    Dan Quayle Directions: Follow recipe as written, adding an “e” to the end of every reference to “potato”.


  2. 30/30 WTF! #26: APPLE FRITTER WAFFLE

    March 5, 2011 by Cas

    I think as many times in my life as I’ve made apple fritters — and I’m going back to my childhood kitchen roots here — I’ve made them in that many different forms.

    I’ve done them like funnel cakes, like miniature cobblers, like mini muffins or like a tempura. But when you walk into a Big Chain Coffee House and see what THEY’RE offering up as apple fritters, the things are as big as your fucking head and so calorically dense that it’s no wonder America can’t zip its jeans without laying on the bed and using a pair of pliers.

    But lest I sound judgmental and insincere (have I been even remotely calorie-conscious in the past 25 of our 30 days?) I offer this: a middle-of the road, “yes it’s indulgent but it’s not going to kill you immediately” waffle version of the apple fritter.

    The key here in likening it to the variety served at the aforementioned, unmentionable chains, is the glaze. And once you try making and using this stuff you’ll realize it can be brushed onto anything for heightened visual and edible pleasure. Brush it on the tops of muffins, pound cakes, cookies, on your cat, your pastor, a Volkswagon — it really doesn’t matter; it’s versatile and delicious. It will set up more quickly on a cooled baked product (or pet, clergyman or automobile) than a warm one, but the warmth will soak up some of this sugar juice and become more moist and flavorful, so you really cannot go wrong.

    1/2 Cup sugar
    1/4 Cup water
    Dash salt

    1 Cup Bisquick
    1/4 Cup sugar
    1/2 Cup milk
    1 Egg
    1 Tbsp. butter, melted
    1/4 tsp. Cinnamon
    1 Large apple, any sweet and tasty baking variety, diced

    Waffle Iron Setting/Cook Time: HIGH

    Mix sugar, water and salt, and bring to a boil in microwave or saucepan. Once the sugar is fully dissolved, continue to boil for one minute. Set aside.

    Mix all remaining ingredients but the apple, beating until smooth. Add the apple and stir to incorporate.

    Grease the waffle iron with nonstick cooking spray. Spoon batter onto griddle leaving room for waffles to spread, and cook until deep golden brown.

    Open griddle, and with a pastry or basting brush, quickly coat the top of the waffles with the sugar glaze syrup. Remove from waffle iron, flipping glazed side down onto a plate, and glaze the other side. Set aside to cool and let the glaze absorb a bit and set up.

    The longer these sit with the more glaze applied (it sounds like we’re refinishing frigging furniture here instead of cooking, doesn’t it?) the more of a sugary “coat” will develop. And that ain’t a bad thing.

    Break ‘em apart, pop ‘em in your mouth, and lick the rest off your fingers.


  3. 30/30 WTF! #24: REUBEN SANDWICH WAFFLE

    March 3, 2011 by Cas

    Reuben, Reuben, I’ve been thinking…

    About how to turn your namesake sandwich into a delightful waffle. This is UBER delightful, and worthy of any delicatessen menu. Well, any delicatessen that features a long list of savory waffle creations on its menu.

    The final step can be a little tricky, melting cheese directly to the iron’s top. But I learned that if it sticks, it sticks, and it pulls off in a snap, and creates a lacy little garnish for the top of the waffle that tastes the same as the times it comes completely loose, but looks even cooler than normal.

    The batter is jazzed up a bit. You’d encounter this in the wild on rye bread, but I didn’t want to get everyone started on that whole task (I’ve got other things to bust your chops over) so I just made a really interesting bread base I think you’ll enjoy as a substitute.

    1-1/2 Cups Bisquick
    1/2 Cup instant mashed potato flakes (such as Hungry Jack)
    1/4 Cup whole wheat flour (or all purpose flour)
    1/4 tsp. salt
    1-1/2 Cups water
    1/4 Cup vegetable oil
    2 Tbsp. brown deli mustard

    1 Cup Sauerkraut, drained well
    8 oz. Cooked corned beef (or pastrami), shredded
    1 Cup shredded Swiss cheese

    Additional brown mustard OR
    prepared thousand island dressing

    Waffle Iron Setting/Cook Time: MEDIUM HIGH

    Mix Bisquick, potato flakes, flour and salt to combine. Add water, oil and mustard and mix thoroughly. Add kraut and shredded meat and stir to combine.

    Grease waffle iron with nonstick cooking spray, and spoon waffle mixture onto iron, leaving room at edges for spreading.

    When the waffle is golden brown, spread each section with a dab of additional mustard (if mustard is the preferred serving condiment).

    Top waffle sections with a portion of the shredded cheese, grease the top iron again, and close to melt cheese and brown it slightly.

    Open iron, and if cheese needs a bit of coaxing, do so carefully with a fork or some other pointy utensil, being very careful not to scratch the cooking surface.

    Transfer to serving platter, and serve with additional brown mustard, thousand island dressing, and of course… pickles.

    Half sour.


  4. 30/30 WTF! #23: NANA KITTY’S CHERRY WHITE CHOCOLATE BREAD PUDDING WAFFLE

    March 2, 2011 by Cas

    Food Daddy Foodie Shannon wrote from Colorado to say her mother — too young and hip to be a run-of-the-mill Granny, thus known as “Nana Kitty” — was very fond, having grown up in Cherry territory, of that local fruity favorite. I thought to incorporate cherries into something moist and sweet, and came up with this, pairing it here with white chocolate.

    Now… cherries are a problem, seasonally. You won’t be surprised to learn that the cherry trees on my rooftop just steps off Times Square hadn’t, in this cold and horrid February, bloomed yet. Likewise, you won’t be surprised to learn that I don’t actually keep fucking cherry trees on my roof in midtown Manhattan.

    The Food Emporium will have them in season; the fruit stores and the Farmers Market on Saturdays in Hell’s Kitchen will have them in a few months. But alas… not now.

    Not now.

    So here’s what you do: if you can get fresh, get fresh. And get ‘em ripe and sweet. Measure out your two cups and chop them up for this recipe. If you have to use canned, make sure they’re a brand that won’t be too limp and disappointing. Limp and disappointing… that reminds me I have to return a message from my ex-boyfriend…

    Or if you get dried — the tart Bing variety from Trader Joe’s did VERY nicely in my trials — cover about three quarters the amount you need in EXCRUCIATINGLY hot water to plump them to the two full cups.

    In either of the last two cases, be sure to DRAIN THE HELL OUT OF THEM before adding to the mix or they’ll make it too wet. And in the case of plumping the dried, rinse them in cold water and THEN drain lest you add hot fruit to a mix containing chocolate, and come up with a melted, gooey mess.

    These are really, really good. And I think served warm you’ll find these an ideal dessert.

    Waffle Iron Setting/Cook Time: HIGH

    8 Slices white bread
    2 Cups cherries, chopped
    2 Cups White chocolate (morsels, or bar form, chopped)

    1 Cup sugar
    2 Tbsp. flour
    1/2 tsp.  Salt
    1/4 tsp. Nutmeg

    1/2 Cup orange juice
    4 Large eggs

    Tear the the bread into chunks and place them in a mixing bowl. Add cherries and white chocolate.

    In a separate bowl, mix sugar, flour, salt and nutmeg. Add juice and eggs and mix thoroughly. Pour over bread mixture and toss to coat completely. Let soak 5 minutes.

    Grease waffle iron well with nonstick cooking spray. Scoop waffle mixture onto waffle iron sections or wedges, and close to cook. Check for doneness: waffles should be cooked through and dark golden brown on the outside. You should be able to remove them with minimal fuss; if there is fuss, don’t be a drama queen and just deal with it. A spatula will help and I’m sure you’ll be able to cope.

    I originally thought, “Hmm… powdered sugar for a garnish? Whipped cream? A glaze of some sort, or pastry icing?”

    And then I tasted these and said, “leave perfect alone.”

    To quote “Steel Magnolias”, though, you might consider a scoop of vanilla. In discussing a recipe, Clairee says of the decadent “Cuppa Cuppa Cuppa” dessert, “Sounds AWFULLY rich,” to which Miss Truvy responds, “It is! So I usually serve it with vanilla ice cream — to cut the sweetness.”

    Perfect idea, Truvy.


  5. 30/30 WTF! #21: S’MORES WAFFLE

    February 28, 2011 by Cas

    Food Daddy Foodie Joanne wrote to tell us how much she and her family loved the original Brownie Waffle. She and her niece, I was told, were hoping to find a S’mores Waffle in their future.

    Be careful what you wish for, Joanne…

    Herewith all the tastes — and heck, all the components — of a campfire S’more, held together for the waffle iron.

    This one took a bit of experimenting, and I went back to the Iron half a dozen times until I came back to my original recipe.

    Once again harking back to “the problem with cake” on a waffle iron, there are considerations of fat and sugar content, moisture of the batter, and blah blah blah. In any event, I wanted something for you gals and guys to try that would be delicious first and foremost, easy enough to make, and the right consistency to cook and hold together. I found that if you cook these until they are just set (there’s really little else to cook but the batter binding it) and turning golden, YOU’LL be golden. So the iron setting I’ve recommended is MEDIUM. And instead of making too delicate a crumb with the addition of fat, we add the fat after it cooks, by brushing on melted butter.

    Umm… YUM, gang.

    2 Sleeves (18 whole) Graham crackers
    1 Cup Bisquick
    1 Cup +2 Tbsp. milk
    1 Egg
    1/2 tsp. Salt
    3/4 Cup brown sugar
    2 Cups mini marshmallows
    1 Cup semi-sweet (or milk) chocolate morsels

    1/2 Stick (4 Tbsp.) butter, melted

    Additional mini marshmallows, or Marshmallow Fluff, ice cream, and chocolate syrup (for garnish, if desired)

    Waffle Iron Setting/Cook Time: MEDIUM

    Break up the graham crackers and set them in a large mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, combine Bisquick, milk, egg and salt just until combined. Add to graham crackers and toss to coat. Let the mixture sit for five minutes.

    Add the brown sugar, marshmallows and chocolate, and fold them into the mixture.

    Grease the waffle iron with nonstick cooking spray, and spoon batter into center of waffle segments or wedges, leaving room for the batter to spread slightly. Close iron and cook, checking at medium cook time or about 3 minutes.

    When waffle is set and golden and easily removable (add more cook time if you need), brush melted butter over each, and remove to serving plate.

    Add garnishes of your desire, or serve plain. With a glass of cold milk or hot chocolate. Throw a few pine cones around the living room and watch “Friday the 13th” and you’ll feel like you’re camping in the middle of the woods.

    And someone’s watching you. But throw one of these at him and he’ll be so distracted you’ll be able to make a clean getaway. I freakin’ didn’t see it coming that it could be sweet Betsy Palmer. Whoda thunk it.


  6. 30/30 WTF! #19: BANANAS FOSTER WAFFLE

    February 26, 2011 by Cas

    I just reread that. “Bananas Foster Waffle”.

    It reads like a WEEKLY WORLD NEWS headline, like some waffle was abandoned in a remote dumpster, and a family of overripe Chiquitas raised it as one of their own.

    Anyway, I had been toying with possible ways of crafting this: Do the bananas and the flavorings go INSIDE the waffle? Do they go ATOP a plain waffle as a syrupy garnish? The answer to both questions turned out to be:

    YES. Yes, indeed.

    The flavors carry through to the waffle itself and flow all over the top, making it not only delicious to eat but to look at. This is barely imaginable without a scoop of ice cream accompanying. It’s the difference between “merely awesome” and “truly awesome” and you should go for the latter. Truly.

    Liberties have been taken for purposes of taste and texture; there is also no flambe-ing, though flaming is completely up to the proclivities of the chef. Also, I’ve given a non-alcoholic option that worked out JUST fine in terms of taste, so don’t even sweat it if you care to go this route. I wanted this relatively easy, universally attainable, and overwhelmingly satisfying. And when I tried my luck and pulled the arm on the slot machine…

    Banana. Banana. Banana.

    Jackpot.

    2 Bananas
    1/2 Cup brown sugar
    1/4 Cup oatmeal (instant or old fashioned)
    1/4 Cup flour
    1/4 tsp. Salt
    1/4 tsp. Nutmeg

    1 Cup Bisquick
    1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
    1 Egg
    1/2 Cup milk
    1 tsp. Vanilla extract

    1/2 Cup plus 2 Tbsp. brown sugar
    1 Tbsp. corn starch
    1/4 tsp. Salt
    4 Tbsp. unsalted butter
    1/2 Cup rum OR 1-1/2 Tbsp. Rum Extract
    PLUS enough water to make 1/2 Cup

    Ice Cream for garnish, and whipped cream if you really wanna go to hell in a handbasket

    Waffle Iron Setting/Cook Time: MED HIGH

    Cut bananas in half; place one half of one banana in mixing bowl and set aside. Cut remaining bananas in half again, then cut those pieces in half lengthwise, and set aside.

    Mash the half-banana in the mixing bowl, and add the brown sugar, flour, oats, salt and nutmeg. Mix thoroughly and set aside.

    There’s a lot of setting aside in this recipe…

    In a separate bowl, mix Bisquick, oil, egg, milk and vanilla. Stir thoroughly to combine, and set aside. See? Told ya. Lot’s of setting aside.

    In a small saucepan or sautee pan, mix brown sugar, corn starch and salt to combine. Add butter, and melt to bubbling over a medium flame. Add rum flavoring and bring to a gentle boil, stirring frequently. Once the mixture bubbles and thickens, add reserved banana slices. Reduce heat and simmer for two minutes or until bananas are tender. Avoid stirring as much as possible so as not to fracture the bananas. They’re very fragile. They were just dumped and the guy who left them turned them to absolute mush. Don’t you help that state any.

    Grease the waffle iron with nonstick cooking spray. Fold the brown sugar/banana/oat mixture into the main batter, stirring just enough to combine (we want more of a ribbon of the banana mixture, versus mixing it into the waffle mixture). Spoon it in batches onto the waffle iron, leaving plenty of room for spread.

    Remove individual waffles or wedges to serving plates. Top with a scoop of ice cream (vanilla bean or dulce de leche being my favorites, though rum raisin here would not be ill advised); top each serving with a few of the sauteed bananas, and then spoon their syrup over the top.

    Oh. Em Gee.

    And no, I won’t be pat and say something about how your guests will go bananas for this. That would be so beneath me.

    And you know, in matters of scathing wit, that I don’t monkey around.


  7. 30/30 WTF! #17: COFFEE ROLL WAFFLE

    February 24, 2011 by Cas

    These are a good, plain, delicious, dip-em-in-your-milk-or-coffee treat.

    The ingredients are few, and though the process has a few stages they’re quick and none too taxing. A few minutes from start to finish is all you’re in for, and if you waffle up a big batch of these, they freeze and warm up really nicely for anytime enjoyment. That alone justifies turning on the kitchen light.

    But truth be told, these are so simple and sweet and basic that they’ll do fine in a jar on the countertop for whenever you feel a proper cup of tea requires a biscuit or some bread and jam. Only you won’t need the jam, because the sweet’s in there already. And I won’t tell a soul if you decide to add a schmear of butter to make it that much more decadent. It’ll be our little secret.

    2 Cups Bisquick
    1/2 Cup sugar
    1/4 tsp. Salt
    1/2 Cup milk
    1 Tbsp. vegetable oil

    1 Stick butter

    1 Can sweetened condensed (NOT evaporated) milk

    Waffle Iron Setting/Cook Time: MEDIUM HIGH

    Mix the dry ingredients to combine, then add milk and vegetable oil to form a smooth dough. Let dough rest in refrigerator.

    Melt the butter and let cool in a larger mixing bowl. Break off pieces of chilled dough with a teaspoon, dropping them into the melted butter, and tossing occassionally to coat after ever few additions.

    Pour sweetened condensed milk over the dough and butter mixture, and toss to combine completely, or until liquid is almost all absorbed.

    Grease waffle iron with nonstick cooking spray. Spoon the waffle mixture over the griddle leaving plenty (and dudes — I do mean PLENTY) of room for spread, and close the lid.

    Check for doneness when the waffle iron or instinct directs you to do so. The outside will have caramelized a bit and taken on a nice golden patina (I’m feeling foody AND poetic), and the waffles should hold together nicely, given a minute to rest in the iron before removing.

    Dunk away…


  8. 30/30 WTF! #15: PEACHES ‘N CREAM WAFFLE

    February 22, 2011 by Cas

    Creamy and smooth.

    That’s not how you’d describe my complexion (“Snow tire with white stubble” comes close).

    Sweet.

    Certainly not talking about my disposition.

    Fruity, with a hint of spice.

    OK. This could totally describe me.

    But what ALL of these describe is this waffle. It falls somewhere between a rich, custardy bread pudding, a country “pan betty” and a cobbler. However you slice it (or more accurately, however you shove it whole into your eager mouth) this is a delicious and satisfying dessert waffle all by itself or with any of the optional garnishes. Various textures play all at once, as do sweet versus a bit tart.

    This is just really, really nice.

    Again: so not describing me…

    2 Eggs
    1/2 Cup vanilla pudding
    1/2 Cup Bisquick
    1 Can (15.5 oz) Sliced Peaches in heavy syrup
    1/2 Cup sugar
    1/2 tsp. Nutmeg
    1/4 tsp. Salt
    2 Slices (8-10 oz. total) pound cake, broken into chunks

    OPTIONAL:
    Additional pudding, whipped topping, nutmeg and sliced peaches for garnish.

    Waffle Iron Setting/Cook Time: HIGH

    In a mixing bowl, beat together pudding and eggs until blended. Drain peaches, reserving liquid. Finely dice peaches, and set aside. Measure reserved peach liquid, and add water (if necessary) to make 1/2 Cup. Add to pudding mixture along with Bisquick, sugar, nutmeg and salt,  and mix thoroughly.

    Fold in peaches and pound cake until combined. Let sit 5 minutes.

    Grease waffle iron with nonstick spray. Spoon on batter, leaving room for rising. Close griddle and cook until golden.

    Allow cooked waffles to sit and steam off on hot iron for at least a minute, until they can be easily removed without breaking. Move to serving dish, top with more pudding, whipped topping, and a peach slice, plus a sprinkle of nutmeg (flare!) if desired. But honestly, these are so moist and rich it’s like eating a cobbler right out of the oven, and they do just fine all by their lonesome. Though once again, nothing doesn’t benefit from a scoop of ice cream…


  9. 30/30 WTF! #14: THE VonGRIDDLE WAFFLE

    February 21, 2011 by Cas

    Let’s call this an exercise in avoiding copyright infringement.

    If a certain clown-helmed fast food chain didn’t boast a surname rooted in the foothills of Scotland, or some Old guy’s farm that had a pig, (e-i-e-i-ohhhhh….) then perhaps on some alternate plane of retail food oligopoly a restaurant could exist with a DIFFERENT on-the-tongues-of-the-masses name — like “Von Tussel’s”.

    And I’m not just using that as an example because I have “Hairspray” blasting in the background. I’m also trying to stay out of jail.

    So when I say something like “this is inspired by the maple-infused breakfast sandwiches of your favorite fast food chain,” feel free to TOTALLY misinterpret that as my son — eyes wide with expectation, his brows high and bright with hope, like two golden arches — having come to me with an idea like… oh, I dunno… “Hey, Pop, how about knocking off the VonGriddle?”

    “Knock off” is such an ugly term. It’s like saying “blackmail” when what you really mean is “firm persuasion.”

    I prefer to think of it is taking inspiration from — and maybe even enhancing — a tried-and-true American favorite.

    An American favorite that is unfortunately highly protected under a staggering number of equally American laws that keep hacks like me from getting too close to its favor for our own gain.

    So remember: when it comes to such recipes here in our 30/30 WTF! Experiment, they have NOTHING to do with whatever established chain food restaurant you may have planted inextricably in your subconscious. We’re talking my own Pretend Restaurant. VonTussel’s. And it would be the farthest of intentions for me to ever consider stepping on anyone’s toes in my simple attempts to bring you hot, satisfying, delicious waffle creations you can enjoy in leisure or on the go.  Like the VonGriddle.

    Or the Egg VonMuffin. Or the Big Von…

    “Hold the Gherkins, hold the Romaine, ‘cuz our food won’t give you Ptomaine…”

    (Yes. I know. That the OTHER guy’s jingle. Burger Prince.)

    1/4 lb. Loose sausage (breakfast or link)
    2 Tbsp. Maple syrup (real, fake, really doesn’t matter for this)
    1 Cup Bisquick
    1/2 Cup milk
    1 Large egg
    1/4 Cup maple syrup
    1 Tbsp. sugar

    Waffle Iron/Cook Time: MEDIUM HIGH

    Fry and crumble the raw sausage. When it’s browned, add the 2 Tbsp. of maple syrup, and continue cooking until the syrup caramelizes over the meat, about 2 minutes or until the only liquid in the pan is the fat from the sausage. Set aside to cool.

    Mix remaining ingredients, stirring by hand for one minute to blend thoroughly. Add crumbled sausage mixture and mix thoroughly.

    Grease waffle iron with nonstick spray or butter. Divide batter into two batches, and cook waffles until golden brown. Remove to serving plate and serve warm with butter (and if desired, more maple).

    Or, like our restaurant chain’s spokesman — the beloved Mime, Russel VonTussel — would tell you to do (or indicate through highly skilled but silent gestures), let them cool, break into individual waffles or wedges, pop them in a ziplock and freeze. Take ‘em out and toast ‘em on hurried mornings when the cat’s coughing up a fur ball and you run out of mascara halfway through your second eye but still want something hot and tasty to eat on your way out the door. Which, over the course of a single day, was how the remainder of this batch disappeared…


  10. 30/30 WTF! #11: MUD PIE WAFFLE

    February 18, 2011 by Cas

    There’s not much to say about this, other than it takes its inspiration from bread pudding and all things moist, dense and gooey.

    This is probably the most sugar-laden creation I can imagine.

    If ever you find yourself on the battlefield facing a marauding tribe of diabetic huns, forget traditional weaponry and just arm yourself with these waffles. I promise you they will retreat with greater haste and fear than any spear or crossbow or musket could ever inspire. Which is just fine, because it leaves more of these waffles for you to enjoy and not share.

    8-10 oz. (2 thick slices) Chocolate pound cake, broken up
    16 Saltine crackers, crumbled
    1/2 Cup semi-sweet chocolate morsels
    12 Chewy caramel candies, chopped coarsely
    1/2 Cup walnuts, chopped

    2 Tbsp. corn starch
    2 Tbsp. water
    2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
    2 Tbsp. dark corn syrup
    1/4 tsp. Salt

    2 Eggs, lightly beaten

    FOR GARNISH:
    Chocolate Syrup
    Whipped topping

    Waffle Iron Setting/Cook Time: MEDIUM HIGH

    Combine cake, crackers, chocolate chips, caramel and nuts in mixing bowl.

    In a separate bowl, mix all the wet ingredients (except egg) and salt; add to cake mixture and toss to combine. Add beaten egg and stir to mix evenly. Let mixture sit for 5 minutes (it will resemble a wet, chocolate, bread stuffing).

    Grease waffle iron with nonstick cooking spray. Spread waffle mixture over griddle leaving plenty of room for at edges. Close and cook until top of waffle is set.

    Let the waffle sit on open hot griddle for up to two additional minutes, until it sets up enough to transfer easily. Loosen around edges and bottom and remove to serving plate.

    Immediately top with chocolate syrup, giving it a minute to sink into hot waffle. I use a basting brush to coat it evenly. Top with whipped topping and an additional squiggle of chocolate syrup, and serve.

    A scoop of vanilla or creme de leche ice cream on the side wouldn’t hurt. I’m just sayin’.