Looking for an easy meal? Waffles lend themselves as a base for every meal of the day. Breakfast? Dessert? Lunch? Even dinner. In our version, we’ve covered breakfast, lunch, and dessert, serving this recipe with dried fruit compote. But there are also savoury toppings and more ideas to dress up a waffle. Make a big batch and freeze; they’re easy to heat up for any meal.
Waffles and winter fruit spiced compote
Ingredients
- 2 cups (500 mL) mixed dried fruit such as apricots, prunes, figs, and dates
- Finely grated zest from 1 orange
- 1 cup (250 mL) water
- 1/2 cup (125 mL) concentrated orange juice
- 2 Tbsp (30 mL) maple syrup
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 star anise
- 1/4 tsp (1 mL) black peppercorns
- 2 Tbsp (30 mL) ground flax meal
- 1 cup (250 mL) unflavoured oat milk
- 1 tsp (5 mL) lemon juice
- 1/3 cup (80 mL) camelina oil or extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra
- 2 Tbsp (30 mL) coconut or raw sugar (optional)
- 2 cups (500 mL) gluten-free flour
- 2 tsp (10 mL) baking powder
- 1/8 tsp (0.5 mL) sea salt
- Plain coconut yogurt (optional)
Nutrition
Per serving:
- calories522
- protein10g
- fat13g
- saturated fat2g
- trans fat0g
- carbohydrates83g
- sugars31g
- fibre8g
- sodium92mg
Directions
01
In medium-sized saucepan, place dried fruit, orange zest, water, orange juice, maple syrup, and cinnamon stick. Tie star anise and peppercorns in small muslin bag and add to saucepan. Bring everything to a gentle boil. Reduce heat; cover, with lid ajar; and simmer for about an hour, or until flavours have amalgamated. Add a little more water if needed. Remove from heat and set aside to cool. Remove cinnamon stick and muslin bag with other spices. Place compote in container and once cooled, cover and refrigerate. It can be refrigerated for up to 2 weeks.
In small bowl, combine flax meal and 1/4 cup (60mL) of water. After 5 minutes, add milk and lemon juice. Set aside for 3 minutes. Then whisk in oil and sugar.
In large bowl, combine flours, baking powder, and sea salt. Stir to blend. Then slowly stir in liquid ingredients and whisk until blended into a smooth batter. Set aside to rest and thicken for several minutes.
Line cookie sheet with parchment paper and set aside. Heat waffle iron and brush with oil. Pour in enough batter to fill the heated waffle maker and cook according to waffle maker instructions. Turn waffle out onto lined cookie sheet. Repeat with batter, brushing waffle iron with oil as needed. Layer cooked waffles between sheets of parchment as they are done.
To serve, place a waffle or two on serving plate. Spoon Spiced Compote overtop and dollop with coconut yogurt, if you wish. Garnish as desired.
Alternatively, cool waffles completely. Then store in an airtight container, with sheets of parchment in between, and freeze. To serve, simply place waffles on baking sheet in 350 F (180 C) oven for 8 to 10 minutes until piping hot and slightly crisped.
TIP! To serve savoury waffles for supper, eliminate sugar or syrup from the batter. Top waffles with vegan cream cheese, sliced cherry tomatoes, and seasonings. Another option: hummus and shaved cucumber and tomatoes. Dot with capers. Drizzle with a fruity extra-virgin olive oil. Yummy!
Irene McGuinness is a writer, recipe developer, food stylist for numerous magazines and corporations, and alumna of the Writer’s Studio at Simon Fraser University
