on the menu: banana coconut waffles

The waffle experimentation continues here chez sphinx. Going strong with my All-Clad Belgian waffle iron.

banana coconut waffles

This time I substituted all of the oil for coconut oil and about 1/4 of the flour for coconut flour, then say 1/2 c of moisture for mashed banana. Buttermilk over milk every time. I also added sparkling water, which, in conjunction with the baking soda/vinegar (from the buttermilk) mix, makes the batter bizarrely fluffy, and the waffles deliciously fluffy (want to try it with sparkling wine later…). I adapted the buttermilk waffles recipe from the Cook’s Illustrated cookbook, which is often too elaborate for my taste but which is full of good techniques. I didn’t use buttermilk powder, for example, as the recipe suggests, I just used buttermilk.

1 1/2 c all purpose flour
1/2 c coconut flour
1 T coconut sugar
3/4 t table salt
1/2 t baking soda
1/4 t nutmeg
1/2 c milk (to sit with 2 T cider vinegar for a few minutes*)
1/2 c mashed ripe banana
2 large eggs
1/4 t vanilla extract
1/4 c coconut oil
1 1/4 c unflavored seltzer water

*The standard buttermilk recipe is 1 c milk to 1 T lemon juice or vinegar but I love vinegar, so my ratio is more like 1 c of milk to 4 T vinegar…still doesn’t read as vinegar in the final product.

Whisk dry ingredients, mix wet ingredients excepting seltzer, gently add seltzer to wet ingredients, stir wet into dry being careful not to overmix (batter should be lumpy). Can add berries or chocolate chips at this point, or any other debris. Iron away.

banana coconut waffles

Jars Ceramics plate

It’s increasingly rare that waffles go wrong for me.

banana coconut waffles

Now if I could only work out pancakes, with which I find experimentation a risky proposition.

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on the menu: buttermilk waffles

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I finally broke out the waffle iron. Why did I not sooner? It didn’t take nearly as long as I was imagining to get a waffle going. This is a buttermilk waffle recipe from Cook’s Illustrated (here it is featured on a cooking blog), which calls for seltzer water to add fluffiness. Works like a charm. Want to try a recipe with yeast next, then something with multiple grains, something savory…it’s only a matter of time. Only a matter of time and waffles.

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I invested in a nice All-Clad waffle iron and am so pleased with it. I rarely had waffles growing up and they haven’t lost their air of specialness. Like, if I make you waffles, I must really like you.* It must be a special day (or is henceforth destined to be a special day, on account of the waffles). The people I like aren’t usually around at breakfast, but I hope this is not always the case. It’s hard to imagine a better expression of affection than a gift of homemade waffles. Especially those accompanied by blueberries and proper maple syrup.

* If you make me waffles, you must really like me. If I will not make you waffles, I must not like you quite enough, etc. An unexpectedly effective barometer.