Waffles for the Iron and Potato Waffles

Like last post, this post also contains two variations on the same recipe.

My grandparents helped TC and me get a nice waffle iron, "one that flips," as TC specified.

Previous waffle recipes I have made did not turn out well. There were mitigating factors: too much liquid, not enough liquid, the dynamics of small pans, the problems of converting traditional recipes to vegan and gluten-free. Also, the iron I had until I moved West was drenched with a peculiar sadness; it was never truly "mine."

Nevertheless, waffles, with all their nooks and crannies, hold memories. Ownie Mom made chocolate waffles on various occasions and gave us a bag of "chocolate waffle mix" for when my cousins and I went to the OBX with our grandparents. I remember my grandmother soldiering through making vegan waffles for me when I became vegan (the recipe isn't even listed here, it was that terrible and goopy of a recipe I pulled from some website).  My grandparents also introduced me to the concept of ice cream and waffles. When I visited my bro Jamz in Arlington in March 2011, we made "tofu and waffles." After I became gluten-free in May 2011, I often bought Nature's Path gluten-free waffles with the Whole Foods coupons during the summer of 2011. It was then I discovered the "waffle grilled cheeze" breakfast sammich with two waffles and Daiya in the middle.



 

I made a lot of waffle sandwiches, but made no waffles until I acquired a mini-waffle pan. Then I made mini-buckwheat waffles for fellowship at Arlington Metaphysical Chapel in September 2012. Though I baked non-waffle kale donuts in my waffle pan, I redeemed the waffle pans--at that point, round and stick waffles--with apocalyptic pignoli waffles for Solstice. In 2013, I made two batches of chocolate avocado waffles, but they weren't quite right (and I can't find the recipe now).



 

In February 2013, I made buckwheat mini waffles again for Neona's wake. Avocado strawberry waffles that summer fell apart at the seams in a new-to-me waffle iron. One Sunday, I remember cramming a leftover waffle in my face while running to my car after my shift at WFM so I could go to my friend's party. When I was in my last two weeks at WFM in September 2013, I bought four boxes of Nature's Path GF waffles--two for me and two for Gentile. I also bought cinnamon raisin mochi, which I saved until December 6, 2013 to make mochi waffles. However, on 30 November 2013, I sat on Gentile's bed and ate a frozen wildberry waffle (September leftover) as he packed, and that night, I met TC. Then I had mochi waffles a week later.



 

At the end of 2013, I ate the other mochi waffle and I made cinnamon sourdough waffles, which were too dry. And after that, I may have eaten some frozen waffles, and I introduced TC to Nature's Path waffles. Last year I made mini-waffles, perhaps donuts, at some point, but they weren't memorable--surprisingly! Finally, we have true waffle-age.

 

Yes, we have badass skully curtains here at Gothic Granola HQ.

This recipe makes a scant three deep Belgian waffles, but it's less than a fourth of total waffle surface lost to stretch the batter into three waffles. The sticky rice flour is back! I bought another five pounds (a dollar a box, why not?!) of sticky rice flour, then remembered how it makes everything...chewy. In waffles, though, I found the texture not unpleasant.



Waffles for Iron

• 1/2 cup sticky rice flour


• 1/3 cup sorghum flour


• 2/3 cup brown rice flour


• 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum


• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt


• 1 tablespoon baking powder


• dash cinnamon


• 1/4 cup water


• 1/4 cup canola oil


• 1 teaspoon vanilla


• 1/4 cup coconut sugar


• 1 cup full fat coconut milk

Preheat your waffle iron and grease according to manufacturer's instructions.

In a small bowl, sift then whisk together the flours, xanthan gum, salt, baking powder, and cinnamon.

In a large bowl, with a hand mixer, beat together the water, oil, vanilla, coconut sugar, and coconut milk until combined.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet in three additions, beating after each addition until the batter is combined and has trapped air.

Cook waffles on iron according to manufacturer's instructions.

 

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Pinterest doesn't have "shoestring potato waffles." True fact. Here it is!

This recipe makes 4-5 waffles, depending on the size of your iron.

 

Shoestring Potato Waffles

For the potatoes:

• 5 medium potatoes, scrubbed and peeled


• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt


• 2 teaspoons canola or coconut oil

For the waffles:

• 1 cup quinoa flour


• 1/2 cup potato starch (the dry stuff from the package, not the stuff that squeezes out of the taters)


• 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum


• pinch salt


• 1 tablespoon baking powder


• 3 teaspoons of various spices (I used thyme, nooch, and cumin)


• 1/4 cup canola oil (I used half melted Earth Balance and half oil)


• 1 cup coconut milk


• 1/4 of a medium onion


• 1 clove garlic

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and line a cookie sheet with parchment or a Silpat.

With either a spiralizer or mandolin, cut the potatoes into either shoestrings or long shreds.

Toss the cut potatoes in cold water and swirl around to release some starch.

Place the potatoes in a sieve or colander set over a bowl and stir in the 1/2 teaspoon salt to pull out more moisture.

Press out as much moisture as possible before tossing the potatoes with the oil.

Arrange the potatoes on the baking sheet and bake for 35-45 minutes, stirring occasionally, until potatoes have begun to brown on the edges and feel softened.

While the potatoes are cooking, sift then whisk together the flours, xanthan gum, salt, baking powder, and spices for the waffles in a large bowl.

In a blender or food processor, blitz together the oil, coconut milk, onion, and garlic until uniformly blended.

Add wet ingredients to dry and mix well.

Once the potatoes are done cooking, remove from the oven. If you used a spiralizer, use a pair of kitchen shears to snip the long potato strings into 1/2-inch bits.

Add the potatoes to the waffle batter.

Preheat your waffle iron and grease according to manufacturer's instructions.

For my waffle iron, it took almost 1 1/2 cups of batter to fill the iron, and the thick batter doesn't spread. I dolloped 3-tablespoon blobs of batter in each quadrant of the iron and spread it around before closing the lid.

Cooking according to manufacturer's instructions.

Serve with sour cream and catsup and spinach!

 

Apparently "Memory Lane" is paved with waffles. Thanks for joining me!

Listing of Gothic Granola Waffle Recipes:

• Avocado Strawberry Waffles


• Mini Buckwheat Waffles


• Apocalyptic Pignoli Waffles


• Cinnamon Sourdough Waffles