Gluten Free Belgian Waffles
A hint of orange, a bit of rum whipped cream and good warm maple syrup. During COVID-19, mandatory quarantine kept many of us isolated in our homes. Awakening the senses became a daily goal: growing flowers for their beauty to enjoy with our eyes, and making foods to excite us with texture, flavor and temperature. Filling our home inside with joy to push away the fear lurking outside. Some days I based cooking on a single small kitchen appliances. On this particular day, it was a Belgian waffle maker I dug out from that cabinet that looks similar to a cluttered junk yard. Eventhough its almost thirty years old – a Christmas gift from my husband from when we were first married, it looked almost brand new. I had asked for it to try to recreate the waffles at the downtown Hilton Sunday Brunch – they were crispy on the outside, served with whipped cream and warm maple syrup. A true feast for the eyes as we watched them being made before us. A perfect choice since I had a bottle of High West Slopeside Maple Syrup from a recent trip with high school best friends to Park City.
- 2cup (9 oz) flour ( Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free All-Purpose baking flour)
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- zest of one orange
- 2 eggs – whites separated
- 2 cup whole milk
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 TBS sugar
- 1 stick (1/2 cup) butter – melted
- vegetable or canola spray
Sift together flour, baking powder and salt.
Beat egg yolks and add milk, vanilla and orange zest.
Blend with flour mixture.
In a stand mixer, beat egg whites and sugar until stiff. Fold into batter.
Spray a preheated waffle iron with Pam. Spoon in 1/2 cup batter into each square until just full (don’t over fill). Cook until golden (steam will begin to pour from the sides of the waffle maker). Remove and place in 200 degree oven on a rack for 5 minutes. Serve with warm maple syrup, rum whipped cream, orange supremes and a dusting of confectioner’s sugar.
Orange Supremes
Trim the ends of the orange, and cut off the peel and pith from the zested orange. Cut just inside the membranes to release each segment then squeeze out the juice.
Vanilla Rum Whipped Cream
With a mixer, whip 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream, a dash of rum and a dash of vanilla extract and a tsp of confectioners sugar. Mix until stiff peaks form.
I planted a garden for the first time this year, COVID project, inspired by Lauri Kranz’s beautiful book, A Garden Can Be Anywhere. I have lots of perennials in the yard, but wanted a cutting garden of annuals. Not sure there’s enough sun, but if it’s successful, curious who’ll reap the most benefit – us or the deer, chipmunks, foxes, squirrels, and groundhogs. So far, the dahlias are happy but it’s the groundhog, not my tomatoes, growing plump. I do however have some nice zucchini and peppers, and gorgeous dahlias for the table. Next year may require a garden house.
