Whole Wheat Maple-Vanilla Waffles.

how we waffle.

Whole Wheat Maple-Vanilla Waffles

+

45 Hours in Detroit.

syrup IN the waffles.

It's a beautiful city, Detroit.

One that feels like it's just coming back to life. 

Full of characters and character. 

I fell, rather unexpectedly, in love with it.

A quick run-down of the things I did in my all-too-brief time there--

Sat in a restaurant and ate a vegan sandwich a mere 45 minutes after arrival. 

A new personal best.

Slept on, and watched the most spectacular sunset from, the 58th floor of a hotel with floor to ceiling windows.

Had some vegan soul food.

Saw some local hip hop.

Met some interesting people. 

Gazed at some stunning architecture.

Drank beers around a fire pit in the back alley of a bar.

Giddily wandered around Eastern Market on a beautiful Saturday morning- 

had to restrain myself from buying everything.

Ate two vegan hot dogs.

MacGyver-ed my party dress together with a travel kit needle and thread 

like a proper grown-up.

Watched my friends get married in the Diego Rivera mural room at the 

Detroit Institute of Art (WHAT?).

Drank my body weight in dirty martinis, IN A MUSEUM.

Danced A LOT.

Photobooth-ed (it's a verb now).

Rode on a post-wedding party bus to a bar that also served pie.

Stayed up until 4.

Slept for an hour.

Went to the airport.

Boarded the plane home still a *little bit*  drunk from the night before.

Was sad to leave.

I also returned home with a bag of Michigan-milled whole wheat pastry flour.

Not a weird thing to bring home in your checked baggage, right?

Forget snowglobes; foodstuffs are the best souvenir.

I've been saving it for something special.

These waffles are it.

best souvenir.

Whole Wheat Maple-Vanilla Waffles

(serves 2-4)

1Tbsp ground flax seeds + 3Tbsp boiling water

2c whole wheat pastry flour

2tsp baking powder

1/2tsp ground sea salt

1/3c coconut oil, melted

1 1/2c non dairy milk (i prefer walnut or coconut)

2tsp apple cider vinegar

1Tbsp vanilla

2Tbsp maple syrup

Yeasted Whole Wheat-Vanilla Waffles with Coconut Whipped Cream + Record Shopping & Sky Gazing.

Yeasted Whole Wheat-Vanilla Waffles 

with

Coconut Whipped Cream

(+ Record Shopping & Sky Gazing).

waffle therapy.

Last week was kind of shitty. Lots of unanticipated stress and weirdness. Lots of scattered thoughts and interrupted sleep, lots of anxious heart pounding, lots of forgetting to eat for an entire day. Nothing earth shattering, just...disrupting. So the weekend called for some serious food therapy, hence waffles, and some serious soul therapy, hence flipping through bins of musty old records. 

Both helpful in their own ways, though one smells significantly better. 

A little riff on an old favorite because, as we all know, 

everything's better with coconut. 

Yeasted Whole Wheat-VanillaWaffles 

with Coconut Whipped Cream

(serves 4/ makes about 12 waffles)

2 14oz cans organic full fat coconut milk,

refrigerated (unopened) overnight

1/2c lukewarm water

1 1/2c whole wheat flour

1c all purpose flour

1/2c unrefined coconut oil

2 1/2tsp active dry yeast

1tsp raw sugar

1/2tsp ground sea salt

1tsp vanilla bean paste (extract will work, too)

2Tbsp ground flax seed + 6Tbsp boiling water

1tsp baking soda

additional 2-3tsp unrefined sugar + 1/2tsp vanilla paste for coconut cream

1c wild blueberries or other fresh fruit, for serving

nice nooks.

Vegan Yeasted Waffles

perfect every time:

Vegan Crispy Yeasted Waffles

Out of the waffle maker and ready to eat. 

Sometimes a simple pancake just won' t do. Sometimes I need my weekend breakfast to feel a little more polished, a little fancier if you will. This is my go to recipe on those days. Its an easy one, but it is sure to impress the hell out of you and anyone lucky enough to be part of your waffle party.
It still manages to impresses me every time I make it.

This is a yeasted batter, creating a waffle that is both incredibly light and at the same time crispy on the outside.  I use a mix of all purpose and whole wheat flours, adding flax which provides a slight nutty flavor. The best thing about these waffles? In addition to tasting amazing, they're pretty damn good for you. This batter can be made the night before and left covered to rise overnight, or can be made the morning of and placed in a warmed oven to rise for 60-90 minutes. If you're a planner, go for the night before. If you're a throwing-it-together-at-the-last-minute kind of cook (like me), the warm oven trick is for you. Each variation is quite easy, it all just comes down to scheduling; they come out perfectly either way.

A little tip: when preparing the waffles, keep your oven or toaster oven on the warm setting and place the finished waffles directly on the grate, in a single layer.
This will keep them crisp until you're ready to eat.

Crispy yeasted waffles with flax seeds.

Vegan Crispy Yeasted Waffles Recipe.
makes 8-10 waffles

1/2c warm water

2c non dairy milk (warmed)

3tsp active dry yeast

1/2tsp ground sea salt

1 1/2tsp organic vegan sugar

1 1/2c all purpose flour

1/2c whole wheat flour

1/2c melted vegan butter

Add to finished batter:

2 flax eggs (2tbsp ground flax seed mixed with 6tbsp hot water)
1tbsp of whole unground flax seeds

Pour the 1/2c of warm water into a medium or large mixing bowl.
Your batter will approximately double in volume during the fermentation process,
so make sure your bowl is big enough. 

Sprinkle the yeast over the surface of the water and
allow to sit for 10 minutes until slightly frothy.

While the yeast proofs, heat 2c of non-dairy milk, on stovetop or in the microwave. 

Melt 1/2c vegan butter.
Once yeast is proofed add milk and melted butter, whisk until combined.
Add in flours, sugar and salt, whisk until you see no lumps.

If letting sit overnight: 
Cover your bowl tightly with plastic wrap or a well fitting lid and
place in a warm, dry area.
Allow to rise for 8 hours.
Batter will increase in volume and appear bubbly when ready.

If preparing the day of:
*If using this method, make sure not to use plastic wrap to cover your bowl;
you don't want it heating in the oven.
Use either a tight fitting lid or aluminum foil with a heavy plate on top.

Pre heat your oven to 275 degrees and allow to warm for 5-8 minutes.
Turn off the oven, place your waffle batter on the middle shelf
Cover your bowl with a tight fitting lid and place inside the warmed oven.
Allow to rise for an hour to hour and a half, or until batter has increased in volume and appears bubbly.

Crispy golden deliciousness.

Once your batter is ready:
Prepare flax eggs by combining 2tbsp of ground flax seeds
with 6tbsp of freshly boiled water.
Whisk to combine and allow to sit for 5 minutes or until thickened and gelatinous.

Add flax egg mixture, whole flax seeds to batter.
Whisk to thoroughly combine.

Pre heat your waffle maker.
For my particular model, a single circular waffle maker,
a half cup of batter makes one waffle.
This recipe will make 8-10 waffles.
Measure out appropriate amount of batter for your waffle maker.

Once waffles are ready place single layered in a warm oven until ready to serve.

Top off with a little  butter and maple syrup and you're ready to go.

Also perfect for vegan chicken and waffles.
C'mon, you know you wanna.
Just add a few Gardein crispy chicken tenders and drizzle with maple syrup.
Done!

Vegan chicken and waffles? Yes, I believe I will.