Brownies for breakfast?

 

Ok, Ok, we really didn't have brownies for breakfast, what kind of mom do you think I am?  We did have chocolate chocolate chip waffles though and as I was eating them and receiving praise from all three of my kids I realized that I was feeding my family glorified brownies for breakfast.  At least it got me the title of "best cook ever" and "best mom ever".  I think that feeding my kids something that probably isn't that nutritious for breakfast once in while so that I can receive such praise is worth it.

It has been said that necessity is the mother of all invention and that is what it has felt like in my kitchen lately.  Every time I try to make a recipe lately I seem to be out of some key ingredient.  I set out to follow a recipe for Chocolate Waffles from Alton Brown and realized that I was an ounce short of cocoa powder, which is kind of an important ingredient in chocolate waffles.  I quickly looked through my pantry for a suitable substitution.  I found some unsweetened Baker's chocolate and decided that it would be a suitable substitution but that I would need something to counter balance the extra liquid and lack of dry ingredients.  I added a little cornstarch and some extra four and the waffles came out perfectly.  Now I can't vouch for how close they are to the original but these were definitely delicious.  I also served these waffles with a sweetened sour cream.  I  love to dip my strawberries in sweetened sour cream and so I thought that it would be suitable to put on top of the waffles with the strawberries to balance out the waffles.  It was delicious!

Here is the link to Alton's recipe, which I am sure is delicious!

Sweetened Sour Cream

1/4 Cup Sour Cream

1-2 Tbs. powdered sugar

1/4 tsp. vanilla

Mix all ingredients together, adding more or less sugar to taste.  Use to dip strawberries or top the waffles.

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Apple Cinnamon Stuffed Waffles

My friend Jen asked me the other day if I ever make things from a box. Of course I do, I'm a mom and there are lots of days when the best that I can do is a box of mac and cheese. And my kids love it all the same, but I also love to change up some of the box mixes to make them better. Today I will show you my from the mix waffles that I have jazzed up a bit. These are made with a basic pancake mix following the directions for waffles. I do make a few changes like adding in vanilla and almond extract and a few tablespoons of brown sugar. Here I also stuffed them with cinnamon sugar apples and then topped them with some more of the apples. I love the sweet ooey gooey things, they remind me of when I was a kid. My mom used to make them for us for a snack and we would eat them right up barely waiting for them to cool down. And then the house would have the left over scent of cinnamon. I haven't made them for awhile and was surprised by the nostalgia that I felt when eating them today.

Cinnamon Sugar Apple Stuffed Waffles

Pancake mix made following waffle directions
4 apples, (I used pink lady apples)
brown sugar
cinnamon
powdered sugar
chopped walnuts, optional

1. Mix up the pancake mix following the waffle directions, set aside.

2. Peel and chop up the apples into small bite sized pieces. Add to a saute pan that has a lid and add some water to cover the bottom of the pan. Cover with the lid and cook over medium heat for a few minutes until softened. Check to make sure there is still water in the bottom, you don't want the apples to burn. meanwhile, heat up your waffle iron.

3. When the apples are softened add a few Tablespoons of brown sugar (adjust depending on the sweetness of your apples) and a few shakes of cinnamon. Stir to combine. Make sure that there is still a little water in the pan and cover withthe lid and simmer for one more minute.

4. Grease the waffle iron and add a little bit of the batter. Top each section with a spoonfull of the apples and then cover with a little more of the waffle batter. Cook according to your waffle iron's instructions (it may take a little longer than normal because of the apples).

5. Remove waffles and butter. Dust with a little powdered sugar and top with another spoonfull of apples. I also like to top mine with a few chopped walnuts. Delicious!