To Die For Chocolate Waffles

Warning:

Eating these for breakfast will spoil your appetite. Permanently.

The last time I made these waffles, I didn't have enough self control to snap a photo. If you want a hot crisp waffle, there is simply no time for photography. I planned to make them again for a late brunch this morning. But I forgot that it was Fast Sunday, the once monthly appointed day for abstaining from two meals and donating the saved money for needs in the community. It is very easy to fast when you planned to have a bowl of oatmeal for breakfast. It is very, very hard to fast when you planned to eat chocolate waffles. Plus, what about my responsibilities to my readers? Didn't I promise a full report, recipe, and pictures? I had two out of three, so I resorted to borrowing a photo off the Internet. Thank you, Colorado State Fair, for your lovely, artistic, and tempting photos.

I'm packing up this morning for a quick trip up to Provo, Utah to visit my little sister and her rosy, fat babies. You won't even know I'm gone, since I'll post from there. I have to post, since I have news that involves West, a jar of peanut butter, and national TV.
Ghiradelli Chocolate Waffles (Yields: 3 eight-inch waffles)

Estimated Cost: $4.00
For Waffles:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup Ghirardelli Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
1 tablespoon sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
2 eggs, separated
2 tablespoons canola oil
3/4 cup (1/2 bag) Ghirardelli Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips, optional
For Chocolate Sauce:
4 ounces (1 bar) Ghirardelli 70% Cacao Extra Bittersweet Baking Bar
1/2 cup heavy cream
Heat a waffle iron according to manufacturer’s directions. Sift flour, cocoa, sugar, baking powder and salt into mixing bowl. Whisk together milk, egg yolks and oil. Add to flour mixture and whisk gently just until combined. In clean, dry bowl, whisk egg whites with hand held beater until they form soft peaks. Fold into batter, with chocolate chips, if using. Ladle one-third of the batter onto the center of the waffle iron. Close top and cook until the waffle is crispy on both sides. Repeat to make 3 waffles. Serve immediately. To make chocolate sauce: In a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water, melt chocolate with cream, stirring occasionally until smooth. Keep warm, or reheat before using. Drizzle waffles with chocolate sauce and garnish with seasonal berries and whipped cream.

Up Next:

Peanut Butter and Jelly Thumprint Cookies

Honey Wheat Waffles for Future Olympians

Hey, become a follower by clicking on the link on the left hand side. I promise not to lead any followers astray, but instead will tempt you with hundreds of easy, money-saving recipes. Start clicking, and don't forget to tell your grandma, hair-dresser, and dog groomer. How bout those Olympics? My eyes have been glued to the set. Collectively, the four of us have had 8 bulging eyes glued to the set. Which means, of course, that no one goes to bed before 11 at night. It's no sweat when you're, ahem, 30 something, but what about my little charges? They nod off after 11 every night, full of flying tomato gold medal dreams. These are good times to be a homeschooler. So what if they sleep in a little the next day? As long as they get their work done, they can watch Lysacek best Plushenko even on a school night. And they can wake up to a lip-smacking breakfast of honey wheat waffles, with Canadian maple syrup, bien sur.
These truly are fantastic waffles. They aren't crisp, just soft, hearty and suprisingly tender, and perfect for soaking up puddles of melted butter and syrup. Plus they're round and golden, just like that certain Olympic medal that's dancing through the wee little heads of my sleepy children. Who knows? Maybe someday it'll be my Sailor the Olympic Curler, or my West the Olympic Hockey player. Oh dear, we'd better start practicing. But first, a breakfast for champions.....

Honey Wheat Waffles
Slightly Adapted from Joy of Cooking
Estimated Cost: $3.00 for six waffles
1 and 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 and 1/2 cups buttermilk
1/3 cup honey or maple syrup
7 tablespoons melted butter
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Combine flours, powder, soda and salt in large bowl. In separate bowl, combine buttermilk, honey, melted butter, eggs and vanilla. Pour over dry ingredients and whisk just until combined. Cook on preheated, greased waffle iron and serve with lots of butter and Canadian Maple Syrup.
Next Up:
Canadian Cheddar Cheese Soup-with a surprise twist

Springtime Strawberry Belgian Waffles

I hadn't really noticed that spring was springing up on me. Yesterday I took my two charges to the park, bundled up in hooded sweatshirts and thick wooly knee socks. It turned out to be 80 degrees. The other park children, the ones with sensible mothers, were running around in tshirts, shorts, and sockless flip flop feet, covered in a prudent layer of sunscreen. I wore a turquoise cardigan, jeans and my newish hot pink trench coat that I bought at tar-jay and just love to pieces. Not many minutes had passed before I was forced to strip down the layers, even my newish hot pink trench coat that I love to pieces, and put on my sunglasses, roll up my jeans, take off my shoes and socks. And it struck me that spring has really sprung. It's really official on Friday, the proper first day of spring. It makes me want to climb up an apple tree, fly a kite, plant some seeds, and roll around in the grass-or at the very least watch my charges do these things. Spring is the most lighthearted but fleeting of all the seasons, so why not celebrate its arrival with a happy-go-lucky breakfast of strawberry belgian waffles? And I'm not packing up my newish trench coat just yet; the weather is dipping back down on Sunday. All the more reason to enjoy the strawberry flavor of spring sunshine while it lasts!

Money Saving Tips: Skip going out for breakfast and save money by making this inexpensive breakfast at home. Waffles are made from inexpensive basics, like flour, eggs, and of course some butter for nice crispy edges. If you're short on time, you could always whip up a waffle mix and I'm sure no one will complain. Shop around for strawberries on sale. I paid 1.99 and it was worth every penny.

Strawberry Belgian Waffles

Estimated Cost: $6.00 for about 6 waffles and strawberries

Notes: It isn't absolutely necessary to separate the eggs and beat the whites, but the waffles will be extra light and crispy if you do.

1 and 3/4 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon soda

2 tablespoons sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 eggs

1/2 cup melted butter

1 and 1/2 cups buttermilk or milk

strawberries, maple or pancake syrup, whipped cream for serving

In a medium bowl. combine flour, powder, soda, sugar and salt. In a separage bowl, combine egg yolks, butter, and milk. Beat egg whites until stiff. Add butter mixture very gently to flour mixture, stirring just until combined. Add egg whites and very very very gently stir into mixture. (It's Ok to have a few white streaks in the batter.) Cook according to the directions on your waffle maker. Serve with strawberries, syrup and whipped cream.

Next Up:

Roasted Vegetable Lasagna