Holiday Waffles with Blueberry Jam

Finally, you wont have to hear me whinge about being tired and time poor all the time because, my dear readers, its holidays! And what better way to celebrate the holidays then with some waffles? When i’ve had a rare moment to unwind i’ve been spending my time reading up on the recipes at Food52 which is where I found a super easy waffle recipe that is perfect for a lazy Sunday morning. Just quietly though, I can’t believe how seriously the Americans take their waffles. The comments under the waffle recipes are insanely detailed and passionate! I also can’t believe how many of them are perfectly willing to use a batter that requires whipped egg whites and resting overnight. This waffle thing is clearly serious business.

Me, I like a good waffle, but we all know that they’re just a vehicle for the toppings. And baby, do I love a good waffle topping. I picked up this jar of Macabella Crunch at the supermarket when it was half price. I now desperately regret not having gone back  to load up my trolley with more jars. This stuff is delicious. It has a deep chocolate flavour and while it doesn’t have a very discernable taste of macadamias, the crunchy shards of nuts add nicely to the texture.

So I slathered that baby on my waffles and topped it all with a dollop of double cream and a smooshing of freshly made blueberry jam. Wait wait wait. I know you’re thinking “how did she make jam and waffles a the same time? Surely the whole jam-making thing is time consuming and tricky?” I’m going to share a secret small batch blueberry jam recipe that you can make in half an hour with pretty much no effort.

All it is is 2 cups of frozen blueberries, a little bit of water, lemon juice and sugar. Pop it on the stove, get it to a simmer and leave it to reduce. If you want a compote you can just take it off the stove after 8-10 minutes but if you want to get it thicker, just let it simmer for another 15-20 mins stirring regularly to make sure that it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan.

While you’re doing waiting for the jam to reduce you can get all sorts of things done, like the cooking of your waffles, or frying bacon…

What is the point of a lovely indulgent breakfast if it doesn’t include bacon? We bought this bacon from a stall at the Orange Grove Markets in Lilyfield and it was lovely and smoky. A delicious salty counterpoint to the sweet maple syrup that was inevitably topping it all off. So if you are wanting a luxurious breakfast but

1. cant be bothered to get out your pyjamas and go to a cafe

or

2. definitely didn’t have the foresight to make the waffle batter the night before

this is the breakfast for you. All you need is a bowl for your batter, a waffle maker and a saucepan for your jam. What could be wrong with that? So now, my lovelies, I will be off enjoying the first weekend of the holidays and making a list of all the goodies that I want to bake in the next two weeks. What are you doing to relax this weekend? And are you the kind of super organised person who can make waffle batter the night before? What is your secret?!

Aretha Frankenstein’s Waffles of Insane Greatness Recipe – From Food52

Ingredients

3/4 cup plain flour
1/4 cup cornflour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp bicarb soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup buttermilk (or you can definitely sub in normal whole milk. If you’re going skim… shame on you.)
1/3 cup vegetable oil or melted butter
1egg
1 1/2 tsp sugar
3/4 tsp vanilla extract

Method

1. Combine the flour, cornflour, baking powder, bicarb, and salt, and mix well
2. Add the milk, vegetable oil, egg, sugar and vanilla and mix well
3. Let the batter sit for 30 minutes
4. Heat up your waffle iron. Follow the directions on your waffle iron to cook the waffles
5. Serve immediately with as many toppings as your belly can take!

Note: You can freeze leftover waffles for toasting on a work morning where you need a treat but have no time. You’re welcome!

 

Easy Blueberry Jam Recipe

Ingredients

2 cups frozen blueberries
3 tbsp water
1/4 cup sugar (you can reduce this if you’re up for that)
2 tsp lemon juice

Method

1. Whack everything in a saucepan and bring to the boil over medium heat
2. Take off the heat after about 10 mins if you want a more syrupy compote
3. Take off the heat after another 20 if you want thick, delicious jam

Note: This will only make a small batch but any leftovers could be stored in an airtight container in your fridge for a couple of weeks