Sunday and Childless...

It has been a few months since we have had no one in the house but Roger and I on a Sunday morning.  The last 3 weeks have been a flurry of chaos with the younger step sons visiting.  Prior to that, my mother moved here (with us) in May. 

The children have all gone home and my mother has been on an extended vacation to my younger brother's house in Indiana.  I have figured out that I love children but have an almost pathological aversion to the particulars of coexisting with them at my age!  Remember the raging wild-eyed germ-a-phobe clean freak thing??  LOL...kids are a walking germ factory and a mess waiting to happen!  I cleaned, washed, aired out and returned everything to it's rightful place and then had to sit and WOO-SAAAA for about an hour!  But it's all good.

Since Roger and I married 5 1/2 years ago, Sundays (when he isn't working) have always been our decompression days.  In a house with two Sagittarians, constant communication and togetherness is not really necessary or even appreciated.  It is a don't try to fix what is not broken kind of thing.  That one lazy day every few weeks seems to give us the recharge we need.

A typical Sunday morning lazy day breakfast doesn't happen till nearly noon but when it does, it is usually a production!  My husband is a total carbahaulic and asking what he wants for breakfast is about as redundant and unecessary as asking a child if he likes candy.  He loves crepes, pancakes, waffles and anything else that he can douse with syrup.

Lying in bed last night just befor dozing off, I had already decided that waffles would fit the bill today.  Not just any waffles though.  Something unique and totally indulgent.  The inspiration began with a marbled pound cake and ended up being a Chocolate Marbled Vegan Waffle with Strawberries, Whipped Coconut Cream and Dark Chocolate Chips...all drizzled with raw blue agave syrup.  It is served up with some strawberry jam glazed veggie sausage links.  I know; completely over the top right? I should be ashamed of myself...

This is a very simple batter that is made in one bowl and then divided, with rich dark organic cocoa powder and a bit of extra sweetener being added to one portion.  One tip that I have recently discovered about making vegan waffles is adding rice flour to the batter helps to create a nice crispy waffle.

The batter:

• 1 cup unbleached all purpose flour
• 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
• 1/2 cup white rice flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 3 tablespoons unbleached pure cane sugar
• 1 teaspoon butter flavored extract
• 2 1/2- 3 cups unsweetened almond milk
• 3 tablespoons melted coconut oil (more for brushing waffle iron)
• 1/3 cup organic dark cocoa powder
• 3-4 tablespoons raw blue organic agave (and extra for drizzling)

This simple batter is started by combining all three flours, baking powder, salt and sugar in a large bowl and whisking to combine.  Pour 2 1/2 cups of almond milk, melted coconut oil and the butter extract into the dry ingredients; whisk vigorously.  Add additonal almond milk as needed until batter is consistent with regular waffle batter (about the thickness of cold heavy cream).  Amount of milk will vary according to humidity.

Once batter is mixed, transfer half the mixture to another bowl and whisk in 1/3 cup cocoa powder and 2-3 tablespoons agave nectar.  Cocoa powder has natural fiber and will cause the chocolate batter to be thicker than the white batter.  Adding the agave serves two purposes; to thin the chocolate batter and sweeten it.  If the batter is sweetened to your liking but still to thick; thin with almond milk until it is about the same consistency as the white batter.

Heat waffle iron and brush with some melted coconut oil.  I put my two batters into squeeze type bottles and fill the wells simultaneously with both batters.  However, you can do them one at a time and just fill in the gaps with the second batter.  Close the waffle iron and allow waffles to bake at least 5-6 minutes.  Test by attempting to open the lid.  If you are met with resistence, they are not ready.  When done, the lid will lift easily.  They need a little longer cooking time than a plain waffle because the chocolate batter is denser.

To serve; I layer them onto a plate, top with slice strawberries, big dollops of whipped coconut cream, drizzle the whole with warmed agave and sprinkle with dark tropical source vegan chocolate chips.

For the Strawberry Jam Glazed Veggie Sausages:  Cook veggie sausages in a large non-stick pan until browned.  Add 2-3 tablespoons all fruit strawberry jam to the skillet (I used Crofters organic Strawberry Jam).  Toss over medium heat until the jam melts and coats all the sausages.  Serve with Chocolate Marbled Waffles.

(c)copyright Jill Anderson

The Homegrown Gourmet