I could not let a brunch potluck pass by without making waffles. Keen for something new, I flipped open Vegan Brunch and landed on the gingerbread waffles - not only did they sound excellent, they'd clear my soon-to-be-packed-up pantry of treacle. While they were made of the right stuff - brown sugar and said treacle, fresh ginger and a touch of cinnamon and cloves - they didn't conjure gingerbread quite as I'd hoped. The cooked unevenly, with odd little black patches that were not charmingly caramelised; I also wonder if I would have preferred dried ground ginger to the fresh stuff.
Still, they were waffles and they were abundant, cooked 14 hours in advance and served alongside a toaster for up-to-the-minute crispness and a bowl of stewed, ruby-hued fruits. A couple of crunchy rhubarb stalks aside these fruits were just what I intended, saturated with their own syrup and still holding their shape, pink sweetness spiked with almost-acid orange.
Ruby fruits
(an expansion of this recipe)
bunch of rhubarb
2 punnets strawberries
3 oranges
1/3 cup castor sugar
Wash and trim the rhubarb, then chop it into 5cm lengths. Wash and halve the strawberries. Peel and segment the oranges such that the pith and membrane are entirely removed (like this).
Place the rhubarb and sugar in a large saucepan. Stir them over medium heat until the rhubarb begins to soften around the edges. Stir in the strawberries. Continuing cooking, stirring occasionally, until the rhubarb is tender. Take the fruit off the heat and add the orange segments, and cool the fruits to room temperature.
Wowsers, I've never heard of ruby fruits until now. Would so LOVE to attend a potluck you're attending if you're bringing waffles. Bought a wafflemaker for my bro as a wedding gift keep thinking whether or not I should get a waffle maker/pan for myself too. Hope to get to try this recipe one day!
ReplyDeleteHi Winston! Ruby fruits is just my name for the rich red rhubarb and strawberries in this recipe. They're worth a go, even without waffles. ;-)
DeleteI loved these - the gingerbread spices and rhubarb are a sure way to my heart! Sylvia also seemed to gobble up her waffle though was surprisingly shy of the fruit. I just get a bit nervous when I see your toaster as I was a bit concerned that I had scuppered it but Michael turned it off and dug deep so I could eat my warm waffle :-)
ReplyDeleteBTW Hope you are settling into your new kitchen ok
Hi Johanna! We're doing nicely in the new kitchen, thanks. :-) Still a few boxes cramping our style but we've managed to cook one meal each in there so far.
Deletethese were unreal. I served with a dollop of Lisas chocolate quinoa pudding and coyo! UHMAZING....
ReplyDeleteThanks, Carla! How good was that pudding?! I hoovered up the last of it a day or too later, it was heaven.
DeleteCommenting as anonymous because I don't have any of those accounts!
ReplyDeleteThese sound delicious! I have been recently looking at buying a waffle maker but haven't been able to find one in Australia that make deep, square waffles! Would you mind me asking where you bought it from?
Thanks,
Zoe :)
Hiya Zoe! I actually got this waffle iron using my credit card points a couple of years ago. I think it's a Sunbeam, although I don't see an equivalent product on their website at the moment. :-/
DeleteOh darn! Well thanks anyway! :)
DeleteWaffles with your ruby fruits sound absolutely delicious! I've never eaten waffles before as I've only had the chance to try them with "chicken" or "bacon" which doesn't appeal to me. I'm sad I missed these as well as Michael's muffins!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Mel! I guess waffles are quite similar to pancakes, just crispier. :-)
DeleteIt's a shame they didn't turn out as well as you'd hoped, but they look delicious to me! I love the idea of making them in advance and toasting them to order. Might steal that idea for my next brunch/dinner party ;)
ReplyDeleteHi Sarah! My guests gobbled them down without complaints, but I shall have to perfect the recipe to my own satisfaction with some more batches. ;-)
DeleteIf your waffles fit neatly into your toaster, I can definitely recommend the prep-ahead approach.
Ok, I think it's time I finally gets me a waffle maker. And I love the idea of cooking them in advance then toasting before serving!
ReplyDeleteHi Lisa! A waffle iron is one of the less essential kitchen appliances, but it's a lot of fun. :-)
Delete