"Yikes, it's looking empty in there."
That's what Matt said two weekends ago when he opened our refrigerator. To give you a visual, we had milk, eggs, butter, half of a bag of shredded coconut (so I can always make these cookies), and condiments. No leftovers, no vegetables, no cheese, and no meat.
Wait! We did have something else in the fridge: the Brita pitcher.
It was bleak times, my friends. Throw in the fact that Matt was coaching at a swim meet all weekend (read: had the car), which meant I couldn't get to the grocery store until late Sunday evening. I went out for lunch twice and dinner once - a "yippee!" and "yikes" kind of moment.
Lest you think I spent no time in the kitchen and depended on others to feed myself, I'm proud to report that I did make both breakfast and cookies. Breakfast and dessert, that's all the food anyone really needs, right?
While weekends are usually reserved for pancakes, I was in a waffle mood come Sunday morning. Something about those nooks and crannies called to me. They're just so empty, ready to be filled with butter and syrup and breakfast dreams come true.
I regularly make waffles but Matt is the primary beneficiary. I'll bake big batches and freeze them for later, making a quick weekday breakfast for him. He's even made egg sandwiches by folding a waffle in half. Note to self: try this.
Normally, I use flour for the waffles, but I wanted something more. (Try not to be surprised that I wanted to take a simple classic recipe and change things up.) I wanted something with more staying power, something that would keep me full through to lunch. There's nothing more distracting during church than a growling stomach... okay, maybe a ringing cell phone or a crying baby, but the stomach certainly makes the top 3.
Hearty oat waffles were my saving grace!
I tossed oats into a small food processor and gave them a whir, giving me homemade oat flour, which I substituted for all-purpose flour in my waffle recipe. Coupled with some ground cinnamon, the oats gave the waffle such a nutty and hearty taste.
These are so good that I cough nibbled almost an entire waffle plain cough. Hey, a girl's gotta eat, especially when she needs energy to cook.
As good as they are alone, they're even better topped with homemade honey cinnamon butter and warm maple syrup. Thankfully, Matt let me snag a bite of his for the sake of quality control. The man clearly knows who cooks his meals :)
Easy, fast, and oh so tasty. You'll never waste time with those cardboard-like store-bought waffles again!
Two years ago: Pasta with white beans & tomatoes
Three years ago: Romaine salad with white beans & crispy proscuitto
Four years ago: One bowl chocolate cupcakes
Oat Waffles
-makes 8-9 large Belgian waffles
2 cups old fashioned oats
2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 Tablespoon granulated sugar
4 generous teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1 3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup (1/4 stick) unsalted butter, melted (canola/vegetable oil works, too)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Honey cinnamon butter, for serving
Maple syrup, for drizzling
In the bowl of a food processor or chopper, blend dry ingredients until finely ground; transfer mixture to a large bowl. In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, melted butter and vanilla. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and whisk until combined. Place bowl in refrigerate to rest for 15 minutes.
Preheat waffle iron and coat with nonstick spray. Cook waffles according to manufacturer's instructions. For me, 1/3 cup batter and heat setting 4 worked best. Note that oats will cause waffles to brown faster than traditional flour.
Serve immediately with a pat of honey cinnamon butter and warm maple syrup. Enjoy!
Freezing instructions: Cool waffles completely on wire rack. Store between sheets of parchment paper in resealable gallon plastic bag for up to 3 months. Waffles can be reheated in toaster oven or under oven broiler.
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