Chocolate-Nut Belgian Waffles

These are really healthy as well as delicious!

If you've never ever made waffles before, even from a mix, and don't have someone in the house to help you, do try a more specific recipe for waffles first, because as you'll see I just add milk until the batter looks right. Someday maybe I'll actually measure and remove this warning!

Note that I don't think "normal" "flatter" waffle irons will work well for this; I have one of those thick Belgian waffle makers.

If you want these for breakfast and want to make it super easy while you're still sleepy, the night before mix the dry ingredients and wet ingredients and the cocoa-nut mixture separately. Of course refrigerate the wet ingredients. I love a new plastic covered huge mixing cup I got from Germany for the dry ingredients that has a pouring place; I use it for the major mixing bowl and for pouring onto the waffle iron.

Mix dry ingredients:
about 3 tablespoons sugar
1-1/2 cups whole wheat flour (if yours is really heavy substitute some white flour for part of this)
1/4 tsp baking soda

Mix wet ingredients separately:
2 eggs, beaten a bit until the yolk and white are mixed
bit less than 1/2 cup olive oil
2/3 cup milk (you'll add more later)
1 tablespoon white or rice wine vinegar 

Mix separately:
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa (I used a mild one from England but I think any would be delicious)
1/3 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

When you're ready to cook, start heating the waffle iron. (Because I use only baking soda and vinegar, you have to use the batter soon after mixing it.) Pour the wet ingredients into the flour mixture and stir just a bit; stir in more milk to make it the consistency you want. When it looks right, just swirl through the cocoa-walnut mixture (you don't want it completely mixed in).

Bake on a waffle iron (or with thinner batter make pancakes).

Serve with a little bit of mild honey, fresh fruit, and a tiny sprinkling of coarse-grained sugar if you like.

Very adapted from a recipe for a delicious but not-half-as-healthy coffee cake (Cocoa Ripple Ring) in the 1981 Better Homes & Gardens New Cook Book!


(from this site's predecessor)