Waffles!

Two years ago, when I asked my toddler son what he wanted Santa to bring him for Christmas, his answer was priceless.

"Pancakes and Waffles".

Plain and simple, that's all my little guy wanted! And it made sense, since that was clearly his favorite breakfast. He loved both with fervor, especially with what he called "Dip Dip" or maple syrup. When we didn't have time to make a mix from scratch, I settled for store bought frozen. Often I would buy Kashi blueberry waffles, but our FAVORITE brand was Van's (http://www.vansfoods.com/our-products-waffles). We particularly like their flax and their apple cinnamon. However, when it's a staple food in your weekly menu, it gets pricey.

I tinkered around with a few different recipes and then I came across one I loved from a wonderful blog called Give Me Lemons (http://givemelemons.com/2013/08/23/cinnamon-waffles/). Their recipe called for applesauce, which cuts down the added sugar and we already had tons of homemade canned applesauce to use. I played around with it, until I got exactly what I was looking for. I now make a double batch that I can store in my freezer and have on hand whenever we need them!

Ingredients (This doubled recipe makes about 8-9 large Belgian waffles. I break them into individual "triangles", so you get even more)

4 eggs
2 cups of White Whole Wheat flour
2 cups of Spelt Flour
1 cup of applesauce (preferably a low sugar kind)
3 cups of milk
4 tbsp of sugar
2 tbsp of cinnamon (normally I use Ceylon, but I want a powerful cinnamon flavor)
2 tsp of vanilla
8 tsp of baking powder
1 tsp of salt
2 tbsp of ground flax
Spray for waffle iron

I chose to add flax, because I pretty much add it to every baked good these days. The health benefits for flax include; Omega-3 fatty acids, lower risk for certain diseases and great source of fiber among so much more! Spelt flour is fairly new to me. Spelt is in the wheat family, but it's a non-wheat flour. It contains a higher protein, lots of nutrients and quite frankly I get sick of using just one or two types of flours! I like to experiment to see what kind of texture each one lends to a dish.

Begin by whisking your eggs together until frothy in a large bowl.

Add in everything else.

Mix well to combine. Don't over mix. If there a few clumps here and there, just leave them alone. Mixed too much creates a tougher waffle.

Spray your waffle iron well (you'll want to do this frequently so they don't stick)

Once the iron is hot, add in about a couple small ladles full and let it do it's thing. Don't take them out until they peel (almost fall out) of the iron nicely. Nobody wants a soggy waffle!

These are so good, I sometimes don't put anything on them. Just give me a cup a coffee and I'm good.

But of course, if you absolutely MUST have syrup...live it up! I mean these pockets just call for syrup after all.

Behold, the Tower of Waffles.

Now that I've shared a truly beloved recipe with you, I'd love to hear from you! What recipes are your go-to in your home?

Oh..and totally make these waffles, you won't regret it!