CORNY WAFFLE VALENTINES

WHAT YOU'LL NEED: 

Waffle iron

Corn Meal                                                           Buttermilk or non-dairy milk & cider vinegar

Brown Rice Flour  or All Purpose Flour             Maple syrup

Baking Powder                                                    2 eggs

Baking Soda                                                        Butter or margarine (I use Earth Balance)

Salt                                                                       Lemon juice
Filling of choice: lemon whipped cream, berries, sorbet

2 mixing bowls.  Big one for dry ingredients, small one for the wet.

Measure out a cup of corn meal, a cup of flour (either Brown Rice Flour for gluten-free or All Purpose Flour otherwise), 2 t. baking powder, 1/2 t. baking soda and 1/2 t. salt. 

Whisk together thoroughly.  Now for the wet ingredients...so I get my small bowl...

and add 2 cups of buttermilk or 2 cups of a non dairy substitute and 2 t. cider vinegar if you're making them non-dairy.

!/4 cup maple syrup for the sweetener.

Now for separating eggs.  If it's a get-out-the-door-in-5-minutes kinda morning, then I skip this step and just crack two eggs into the wet ingredients.  But it's a special occasion and I want to really go all out, so I'm separating the egg yolks from the whites.  This egg separator makes it really easy.  The most important thing about separating egg is not to get any yolk into the whites or the whites won't stiffen into peaks.  

Add the yolks and 6 tablespoons of butter to the wet ingredients and whisk it real good.

Time to beat the egg whites.  Why do we do this?  Well for the extra air it gives us with using so much cornmeal and especially if using Brown Rice flour as well.  Since gluten-free flours don't rise like AP flour, remember corn meal is also a gluten-free grain, then aerating the egg whites is another method of leavening.  

The egg whites will start like this, then end up like...

this.  Stiff peaks, but not dried out.

We're gettin' close so this is where I fire up the waffle iron.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and give it a quick whisk...don't over mix.  

Fold in the egg whites.  Make sure not to work them over too much, we want to keep that fluffiness.  

A tablespoon or two of lemon juice.  Gently mix in.

Scoop enough batter so it comes to within a quarter of an inch of the edge on the first or second setting. one: for more soft, two: for more crunching.  This batter browns quickly on anything past two.  While it cooks I  think about fillings for the boys' waffle sandwiches...today whipped cream and strawberries and raspberry sorbet...  

Waffles are done!  Now for a woman's touch, because my house needs it.

  

First I cut them into quarters, then take out the little top center bit to make hearts.

Then with sliced strawberries and...

fresh whipped cream I layer whipped cream first (so the berries will stick) then the berries, whipped cream berries.  This morning I whipped a cup of heavy cream adding about three spoonfuls of sugar and a couple teaspoons of lemon juice before before whipping.   Orange juice would be fun to try instead of the lemon since orange goes so well with strawberry.  Ah, next time.

And for those who want a dairy-free option, add a scoop of your favorite berry sorbet for ice cream sandwiches!  It makes breakfast so special for the kids...

and mom and dad, too!

CORNY WAFFLE VALENTINES

(gluten-free option)

INGREDIENTS

1 cup     cornmeal

1 cup     brown rice or all purpose flour

2 t.         baking powder

1/2 t.      baking soda

1/2 t.       salt

2 c.        buttermilk or non-dairy milk with 2 t. cider vinegar

1/4 c.      maple syrup

6 T.        butter or margarine, melted

2             eggs, separated

1 T.        lemon juice

METHOD

1.  Measure out dry ingredients into a big mixing bowl.  Thoroughly whisk together and set aside.

2.  Separate egg yolks from whites.  Whip whites just until stiff peaks form.

3.  Preheat waffle iron on first or second setting.  Melt butter.

4.  Measure out buttermilk, syrup, butter and lemon juice.  Whisk together.  Whisk in egg yolks.  Then pour wet ingredients over dry and mix just until dry ingredients have all been incorporated.  Do not over mix.

5.  Fold in egg whites until just combined.

6.  Spoon enough batter onto the waffle iron to cover 3/4 of the iron.  Cook according to waffle iron's instructions.

7.  Split waffles into fourths and cut out a bit of the top center to form a heart.  Fill with sorbet or whipped cream and berries.