breakfast | familystyle food

Gluten-Free Almond Waffles

Jan142008

A waffle for everyone

We invited some friends over for brunch over the weekend who are fish-eating vegetarians with a child who has Celiac disease and is on a gluten-free diet. My husband T doesn’t eat any dairy products, and my own kids want nothing but pancakes and bacon for breakfast on Sunday mornings.

What to do? Trying to find the perfect menu on occasions like this is challenging, to say the least.

But I take it on with relish (no, not the kind with pickles). Figuring out the right formula of foods that will please everyone can be like solving an intricate puzzle, kind of like completing the Sunday New York Times crossword. Not that I ever attempt crosswords; my own problem-solving skills come directly from the right side of my brain.

I felt satisfied with my choice to make Belgian waffles, because everyone likes them, but I needed to make them acceptable to those avoiding wheat and dairy.

Because I’m now in the business of cooking for people, (look at my new DinnerStyle website!) catering to each of their personal dietary needs, restrictions and desires is also my business. So I thought this would be a perfect opportunity to test a recipe for gluten-free, dairy-free waffles.

Fellow blogger Sheltie Girl at Gluten A Go Go recently posted a recipe for hazelnut waffles that looked delicious – I decided to give them a whirl.

I ended up playing with the recipe quite a bit (which always manages to drive T a little crazy – he’s a left-brained instruction-follower sort of guy), because I didn’t have exactly the ingredients that Sheltie Girl calls for in her recipe.

There was a spine-tingling moment just minutes before our guests arrived when I thought the experiment was a dud – I was this close to sending T out for bagels, but the batter came together and baked up into big, beautiful waffles with a crisp outside and tender inside. Success!

I served them with warm maple syrup and a big bowl of fresh fruit.

Gluten-Free Almond Waffles

Makes about 6 Belgian-style waffles

2 cups gluten-free all-purpose flour ( I used Bob’s Red Mill brand)
1/2 cup almond flour or meal
1 tablespoon flaxseed meal
4 teaspoons baking powder
2 tablespoons cane sugar
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
2 eggs, separated
1 3/4 cups unsweetened soy milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract

Heat waffle iron to medium-high and spray with nonstick spray if necessary.

Mix flours, flaxseed, baking powder, sugar and salt in a small bowl. Stir in the egg yolks, soy milk, oil and extracts and whisk until smooth. Let batter stand 5 minutes to allow flaxseed to gel.

Beat the egg whites with an electric mixer or with the whisk attachment of an immersion blender (my favorite method for beating small amounts of egg whites) until soft peaks form; fold egg whites evenly into batter.

Pour batter onto waffle iron and bake about 5 minutes, or until steaming stops. Remove waffle carefully and transfer to a baking sheet in a 200-degree oven to keep warm.

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12 Comments · Filed Under: pasta, grains & beans, The Recipes: · Tagged With: breakfast, brunch, gluten-free, Vegan, waffles

Whole Grain Pancakes with Roasted Pears

Dec122007

photo courtesy of Josh Monken

‘Tis the season to be jolly, right? To me, that means doing the rest of my holiday shopping on the internet (they deliver!), staying up past my bedtime with a glass of wine, and not getting up in the morning until I’ve read a chapter or two from my latest book. I wait until J finds his way next to my pillow, finally realizing he’s hungry for breakfast and nudging me out of the sack.

There’s no question that pancakes will be on the menu on holiday weekend mornings around here, so I dreamed up a few extra-special recipes.

The December issue of Sauce features my pancake story with more recipes – pick it up!

9 Comments · Filed Under: The Recipes: · Tagged With: breakfast, pancakes, pears, Whole Grains

Best Buttermilk Pancakes with Strawberry Sauce

Jul292007

Fluffy stack for Sunday morning

This recipe is without a doubt my tried-and-true favorite. I’ve made dozens of other pancakes over the years but they just don’t measure up to these big, puffed and tender cakes.

The only thing I’ve added to this perfect tangy ratio of butter, eggs, flour and buttermilk is a bit of wheat germ. It must be the mom in me, but somehow the extra fiber makes them seem more wholesome and less like a pile of carbs. Who am I kidding?

This time I made use of an overload of strawberries I had on hand to make a sweet sauce to pour over the stack instead of the usual maple syrup, which instantly transforms a favorite comfort food into a fresh and summery treat.

My kids ask me to make pancakes for breakfast every weekend, and I’ve been trained to mix them up in my sleep – which is what I’d rather be doing on most weekend mornings anyway.

Best Buttermilk Pancakes
adapted from The Joy of Cooking

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons wheat germ, raw or toasted
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, wheat germ, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

2. Melt the butter in a medium microwave-safe bowl on high power for 30 seconds. Stir in the buttermilk, eggs and extract until smooth.

3. Pour the buttermilk mixture over the dry ingredients and stir just until the flour is incorporated.

4. Pour 1/4 cup scoops of batter onto a greased, heated griddle set over medium heat. Flip the pancakes when bubbles start to appear on top, after about 3 minutes. Cook the other side until golden brown.

5. Serve right away with warm, buttered maple syrup or strawberry sauce.

Strawberry Sauce
Makes 1 1/2 cups

1 pint fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
1/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

Place all ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, stirring to dissolve sugar.

Cool slightly; puree in a blender or food processor and serve over pancakes, yogurt or ice cream.

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