For Mother’s Day this year I made my mom a waffle breakfast, complete with whipped cream, strawberries and Van Morrison (her fave). Because it was a special day I bought some real maple syrup. I didn’t feel like myself buying it. Maple syrup has always seemed out of my league. Perhaps I was feeling a bit flashy because it was my first mother’s day. Perhaps it was a date with destiny, a precursor the great waffle comeback…
When my siblings and I were children (5 in total) our house was never a place where any sort of treat lasted long. The reigning philosophy was to consume as much as you could as quickly as possible. Anyone who wished to savour something nice would just miss out unless he or she hid it quite well. We were a crafty and insatiable crew.
With this in mind that Mother’s Day morning, I put my small $12 bottle of maple syrup on the table hesitantly, feeling greedy and nervous that my teenage brothers would drown their waffles in my liquid gold. Part of me wanted to say, “Get your free-loading hands off this maple syrup, I bought it with my OWN money, and it is only for mothers.” and then ration them their syrup for each waffle. They’d be all like “What? That’s not enough! Look how much you gave yourself!” and I’d say “It’s not BROTHER’S day” and kick them under the table.
If I were to succumb to this urge another Mother’s Day would have been wrecked by our petty disagreements. Had we ever succeeded at this Mother’s Day test? Might we finally, now that I, the eldest, was 25 and had a bun in the oven myself? Was the maple syrup so important? I was really feeling like it was. I was ready to grab it as soon as someone reached for it.
To my surprise none of my siblings wanted the maple syrup. They chose the maple and butter-flavoured syrup. Pancake syrup. Sometimes I feel like my teenage siblings are crazy (they spend hours watching funny cat videos on YouTube). But I’m not complaining. I said nothing and passed the maple syrup to my parents quietly, maturely you might even say. There was no bickering.
The whole experience got me back on the waffle train in a big way. Obviously waffles are a great excuse for eating maple syrup. In the weeks leading up to my due date I experimented with lots of different waffle recipes. I abandoned the method of whipping the egg whites and folding them in to achieve that waffle fluff. As far as I’m concerned the texture is not so superior to the baking powder waffle recipes as to warrant the extra effort. This is the recipe I eventually worked out. I like it better than all the rest, except for an apple butter waffle recipe that I will share when I have apple butter again, which will be soon, because its apple season!
I don’t go 100% whole wheat, but you easily could. They’d just be a bit heavier. Sometimes I use a mixture of whole wheat, white and barley flour. The barley flour is the only thing that gives waffles (or pancakes for that matter) a density that makes them filling enough for RRTT to consider them a legitimate meal. I find this recipe totally sufficient. I made tons of them, froze them, and then cooked them in the toaster once I had my baby and needed something quick and mapley at random times of the day or night.
Whole Wheat Waffles
1 c whole wheat flour
3/4 c all-purpose flour
2 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp sea salt
2 farm eggs
1 3/4 c milk
1/2 c melted butter
2 tsp vanilla
Mix wet.
Beat eggs and milk together.
Add melted butter.
Add vanilla and mix.
Mix dry.
Combine flours, baking soda, sugar and salt. Mix ’em or sift ’em.
Mix wet and dry together.
Mix.
Mix mix.
Pour batter onto greased waffle griddle.
I put about 1/2 c of batter onto mine.
Cook until golden and crispy.
Like this.
Top with butter and maple sizzurp and enjoy!!
Top with a decoratively sliced plum (optional).
bender
RRTT
DO IT YOURSLEF! 