Makeover Monday: Butter Pecan Waffles

I love butter pecan.  I love waffles.  I love maple syrup.  It really was only a matter of time before I put it all together for a breakfast I would absolutely adore.  I just can't believe it has taken me this long!  Butter pecan is one of my favorite ice cream flavors.  And I can only imagine what butter pecan ice cream would be like with the addition of maple flavor.  The combination was just meant to be!

When I found a recipe for butter pecan waffles, I knew I had to make it.  Finally, I could add maple to butter pecan in a socially acceptable manor.  And not only could I combine some of my favorite flavors, but I could adapt it to be healthier.  Because let's face it, no matter how delicious butter pecan ice cream drenched in maple syrup would be, it isn't exactly waistline friendly!

Makeover Monday: Cinnamon Roll Waffles

Do you ever watch infomercials and think, "Yeah, that will work when pigs fly?"  I love the ridiculousness of them and truly appreciate the cheesy lines and bad acting.  Last weekend I made an infomercial-worthy breakfast.  If I were to write an infomercial for these unbelievabley amazing cinnamon roll waffles it would read something like this:

"Want to make an amazing homemade breakfast that will wow all of your family and friends this holiday season and make you the talk of the town?  Then try the new, unbelievable, cinnamon roll waffle.  Regular waffles are okay, but they are loaded with refined flour and oil (insert image of supermodel looking disgustedly at a pile of overly greasy waffles).  Cinnamon rolls are delicious, but they take hours to make and don't always turn out.  Who has time for that?  (insert image of exasperated-looking woman, covered in flour, rolling out dough).  Introducing the whole grain, low fat, perfect solution to your breakfast problem--the cinnamon roll waffles.  Now you can enjoy the cinnamon roll taste everyone loves, in an easy to make, healthy waffle."

Makeover Monday: Whole Wheat Banana Waffles

A few weeks ago I shared my adventures in making the perfect waffle.  And while my blueberry buttermilk waffles were amazing, I couldn't help but feel a twinge of guilt as I scarfed down the crispy, fluffy, and fatty circles of breakfast goodness.  Yes, these were going to need a makeover to earn a spot in my Saturday morning breakfast rotation.

Thanks to whole wheat flour, applesauce, and bananas, I can now enjoy delicious waffles with a clear conscience.  And believe it or not, my husband actually said these were BETTER than the regular waffles I made previously.  They weren't quite as fluffy as the originals.  That could be due to the applesauce instead of oil, or it could be that the 2 litter bottle of seltzer water I used had been open for a week and had lost some of its carbonation.  Or maybe a combination of both!  But I think the 400 calorie savings are worth it!

I substituted mashed bananas for the sour cream which gave the waffles good texture and a nice banana flavor.  Since I was adding bananas to the mix, I thought some yummy complementary spices were in order.  So I added some cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves.  They were a great touch!  Of course, I added some whole wheat flour for a fiber bonus.  I used non-fat dried milk powder instead of the buttermilk powder to cut out some of the fat.  And I was back to my usual trick of applesauce instead of oil.  I even used just the white of the egg for even more extreme calorie savings.

Even with the healthy changes I made, these waffles are great!  I was so happy to have a tasty waffle with way less fat.  These are the perfect way to start a Saturday morning!

Chocolate Waffles (Two Ways!)

Well folks, I've done it again.  Chocolate for breakfast.  Isn't that the dream?  And what better way to start your Valentine's Day than with some chocolate waffles?  Trust me, the way to a man's heart is chocolate.  And waffles.  Hence, chocolate waffles!

The Belgian waffle maker I got for Christmas came with a few recipes.  I hadn't tried any of them yet, but I had my eye on a chocolate waffle recipe.  It's brilliant.  They suggested serving it as a dessert with ice cream.  I wanted it for breakfast.  So I used whole wheat and Splenda to make myself feel better about having chocolate for breakfast.

Now that I had decided I was going to make chocolate waffles for breakfast happen, I had some serious decisions to make.  What was I going to use as my topping?  I sometimes have donuts for breakfast.  I sometimes have coffee cake for breakfast.  But ice cream seemed like going a little too far.  I thought that for Valentine's Day, whipped topping and strawberries with strawberry syrup would be great.  But at the same time, peanut butter is chocolate's true valentine.  I remembered the peanut butter glaze I used on my Elvis cake and thought a thinned out version of that would be amazing on a chocolate waffle.  

Buttermilk Blueberry Waffles

I got a lot of great kitchen toys for Christmas.  One of my new gadgets is a Belgian waffle iron.  Score!  With their crispy exterior and soft, fluffy interior, Belgian waffles rule over all other waffles.  I have been madly in love with Belgian waffles since my freshman year of college.  Cue television time travel music...Ah, freshman year.  You're on your own for the first time.  You're meeting new people.  And the dorm dining center has Belgian waffle makers you can use to whip up your very own fresh waffles every morning.  What a magical time!

I tested out my new appliance the first weekend I had at home.  And for her maiden batch of waffles, I wanted to make sure I had the perfect waffle recipe.  And for the best recipes, I always turn to Cook's Illustrated.  Sure enough, in the May/June 2010 issue, I found a great recipe for buttermilk waffles.