Quick & Easy Whole-Wheat Waffles

"I'm making waffles." - Donkey from Shrek

I love to make waffles. They satisfy the hankering for something sweet in the morning. They're great for dinner. And, you can make all sorts of variations with one basic recipe.

This recipe is adapted from Mark Bittman's cookbook How To Cook Everything: Simple Recipes for Great Food. This cookbook literally lives up to its title and is a must-have for any decent cook.

Oh, and they aren't entirely whole-wheat, so it's a great waffle recipe for those who dare to try a healthier flour. We have served these waffles to many a guest and not one guessed that it was made with whole-wheat flour. I think that even my brother-in-law (who has a very particular taste preference) wouldn't even know unless I told him.

Quick and Easy Waffles

• 1 cup whole-wheat flour
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Brush the waffle iron lightly with oil and preheat.
2. Combine the dry ingredients. Mix together the milk, eggs, and vanilla.
3. Stir the wet into the dry ingredients. If the mixture seems too thick to pour, add a little more milk.
4. Spread a ladleful (about 1/4 cup) or so of batter onto the waffle iron and bake until the waffle is done, usually 3-5 minutes, depending on your iron.

Here's where it gets fun. All the variations! Here are some of my faves:

• Blueberries and grated orange peel (lemon peel is actually the standard, but we prefer orange)
• Diced (or grated if you don't like chunks) apple and up to 2 teaspoons of cinnamon
• Pecans and dried cranberries
• Pineapple (drain this well) and shredded coconut
• Chocolate chips and raspberries

Other variations that we haven't tried but that sound good:

• Substitute one cup of cornmeal for one cup of flour
• Chopped bacon and shredded cheddar cheese
• Substitute 1/2 cup of molasses for 1/2 cup milk
• 2 teaspoons of freshly minced or ground ginger
• Serve with ice cream (SOLD!!!! gotta try this)

You could add any chopped nut or fresh fruit that is cut into 1/4 to 1/2-dice. I will often use what is on hand. This past week I had fresh blueberries but no lemons or oranges, so I used that.

Also, if you add a tart fruit you might want to increase the amount of sugar. I don't bother because the maple syrup I pour on top makes it sweet enough to me. Furthermore, when I first made this recipe it didn't seem sweet enough. But I was a sugar-a-holic when I first made it. I've been working on decreasing sugar in my diet, so I don't have as much of a sweet tooth. Now it seems just right, and sometimes (if I add chocolate) it is a little too sweet. I would recommend playing around with the recipe and adjusting the amount of sweetness to your own preference.

I want to try this recipe using honey instead of sugar. I'd also like to try out some healthier flours so I can get rid of all the refined products. I'll post the recipe again when I've found something that works.