My family has a tradition of making a big weekend breakfast. Some weekends we eat breakfast with my mom and dad and on other weekends my brother and sister-in-law might be down for a visit. And, still other weekends we might have the luxury of having my mother in law and father in law in town. I love nothing better than to fix a bounty of breakfast foods. It makes my heart sing when I know my family leaves my home with full bellies.
Some of my favorite things to fix are crepes, waffles, and pancakes. They are filling, you can make them a thousand different ways and they are easy to feed a crowd. Besides that, each guest can have them exactly the way they like them when you offer a variety of toppings or add-ins. And, of course, they are a hit with the littles – my son LOVES waffles, crepes, and pancakes!
Recently, I had the opportunity to review a new cookbook all about these delicious breakfast foods entitled, Waffles, Crepes, and Pancakes with Delicious Toppings and Fillings by Norma Miller (Skyhorse Publishing, Nov 2011). But all the recipes in this book aren’t just for breakfast – sweet and savory are both covered here, proving that your favorite breakfast foods can be eaten at any time of day with any meal (Think Beer Batter Pancakes with Steak or Waffles with Melon, Pomegranate, and Mint) or even as a snack!
My personal favorite recipe from the book is Vanilla Waffles with Raspberries and Hazelnut Cream and the author has been gracious enough to share this recipe with you via my blog!
:: Vanilla Waffles with Raspberries and Hazelnut Cream
Topping
12 oz raspberries, thawed if frozen
2 oz toasted hazelnuts
1 1/4 cups heavy cream
a drop of vanilla extract
Waffles
1 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
3 Tbsp sugar
2 medium eggs
2 Tbsp melted butter
a few drops of vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups of milk
If fresh, remove any stalks from the raspberries and chill. Finely chop the hazelnuts and lightly whip the cream. Stir half of the chopped nuts into the cream with the drop of vanilla extract and chill. Reserve the remaining nuts for decoration.
Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl and stir in the sugar. Make a well in the center, break in the eggs and pour in the melted butter and a few drops of vanilla extract. With a whisk, gently stir the flour mixture into the eggs, gradually adding enough of the milk to make a smooth batter the consistency of heavy cream.
Preheat the waffle maker to medium heat.
When at temperature, open the machine and pour a small ladleful of batter into the compartments, taking care not to overfill.
close the machine and cook for 4 to 6 minutes until golden brown. Keep warm.
Cook the remaining batter. Serve warm waffles topped with a spoonful of hazelnut cream, a few raspberries, and a sprinkling of chopped nuts.
Disclosure: I received a copy of this book for review purposes. The opinions I have given are mine and may differ from others but were not influenced by the company or the free product provided
