Good question!

Spotted in the Dearborn Meijer circa 12:30 AM:



Also at Meijer, while scoping out the waffle iron collection (naturally), we* were disgusted to find "Babycakes," a pink cupcake maker that claims it can produce 8 cupcakes in a matter of minutes. What? WHY?! Humans, we** can do better.

* I keep saying "we" in these posts and feel I should specify that, most of the time, it means Laura + me.
** Except this time. This time I mean all of us.

Pear & Passionfruit Waffles

So what did we do with our first batch of vegan yeasted waffles? Why, just what any person who had impulse-bought a strange array of fruit during a late-night supermarket run would do: top them with thinly sliced pears and impossibly delicious passionfruit! And then a nice little drizzle of maple syrup, of course.

Laura was kind enough to photograph the process & results:

Recommended serving: with a hot mug of tea, on the makeshift "bed"/blanket nest on which you have just had a very lovely sleepover.

Passionfruit is my new...well, passion (sorry), and has been since I visited Costa Rica in March. The passionfruit there is big, maybe mango-sized, with yellow-orange skin. During our one supermarket trip, our host suggested we scoop up every last passionfruit in the place. "There's no way we'll eat that many," I said, stupidly, "I don't even like them." This statement was based on my one previous experience, during which a friend and I had appreciated the incomparable flavor but been put off by the bizarre texture and vomit-like appearance of the fruit we'd purchased (it was years ago but looking back on it I think we simply got a bad fruit). So, tragically, we did not buy out the passionfruit supply in that little market in Lanas, and I regretted it deeply for the rest of the trip, because that fruit turned out to be everyone's favorite snack. Sweet but tangy, the juice ran down our chins as we crunched the seeds and delighted in the strange little pockets of flesh surrounding them. I can't imagine I'll ever taste that again without feeling like I'm right back in the jungle, lying in a hammock & laughing.

Of course, the passionfruit I bought on a late-night supermarket run here in Michigan last night is not quite the same. From New Zealand, it is much smaller, maybe the size of a typical lime, and purple on the outside. I would not ordinarily buy produce from the other side of the planet, but the hope of tasting a little bit of Costa Rica here at home was too strong to deny. Indeed, the flavor is reminiscent of the fruits I enjoyed there, though the texture is not as enjoyable -- it is quite apparent that these specimens were bred to be shipped around the world and stored, not for superior flavor and mouthfeel.

Of all the delectable tropical fruits I adore, passionfruit may just be my favorite. If you see it around it's worth picking up -- the flavor certainly deserves to be experienced. If you can't find the fruits where you live I do recommend the Haagen-Dazs passionfruit ice cream or the incredible CocoaBella passionfruit chocolates. These are the things tiding me over until I can return to Costa Rica.

It's working!

Yesterday I told some new friends about my conviction that waffles are the new cupcakes. A bit later in our conversation:

Me: Well I need to make this batch of cupcakes for my class--
D: Why aren't you making waffles for your class?
R: Yeah, when you said that I was like, "wait...does she really mean waffles?"

Excellent.

Viva el gofre: The life of waffles in a changing world

The social implications of eating waffles have been seriously overlooked in our society. It is a social norm to eat waffles, but how often do people really think about the deeper issues involved in the process? Our society lacks appreciation of the work that goes into choosing the right ingredients, picking out a durable and efficient waffle maker, putting together the right combination of toppings, as well as the very environment in which waffles are eaten. Even more so overlooked is the historical significance of waffle, particularly the origins in Belgium. How often do people think about the rich history of eating waffles? So few realize that the act of eating a waffle, in and of itself, has the power to connect us to people internationally. We are in a pan-waffle time, where eating waffles is no longer a Belgium thing, although there is much to learn from the Belgians. We need to begin the process of understanding what the waffle is, in history, and in current times. As development and globalization contribute to the breaking down of culture and sustainability, we have to ensure the waffle has a safe, healthy, and meaningful future despite everything it is up against. If we enjoy eating waffles, we have a social responsibility to make sure future generations can also enjoy the waffle and understand where it comes from. We do not live in a vacuum and waffles don't either!! Long live the waffle! Viva el gofre!

The waffle, and the problem of freedom

The waffle is a slave as long as it refuses to acknowledge the reality of its existence as a food product and rebels against this. It has been suggested that if the waffle identifies itself with this reality, and accepts it, the waffle can achieve freedom. Although, as long as the end result of being eaten is viewed as an end in itself, and is met with negative feeling, this identification is only mere submissiveness or cowardice. Such a fate is not desired by the lover of reason or excitement. However, if the waffle anticipates the result of its eventual consumption, as a means of happiness and contentment in waffle enthusiasts everywhere, and identifies itself with this potential; it acts freely, voluntarily. When the waffle uses foresight to redefine its own existence, freedom is actualized.

Yeasted Vegan Waffles

We made these not so much because we are vegans as because we didn't have eggs or enough butter or any cow's milk (we are sometimes not so good at grocery shopping, and by "we" I prety much mean "I"). They turned out delicious nonetheless -- they may in fact be the best waffles I have ever personally made! They've certainly set the bar high for future posts here at the waffle blawg.

The recipe is adapted from Carmen Cooks, where it is hyped as producing amazingly crispy and light waffles. Our iteration of it, even with all the changes we made, lived up very well to the description. I will undoubtedly use this recipe again & again, and I can't wait to expand on it with sweet and savory varieties.

Vegan Yeasted Waffles

• 1/2 cup warm water
• 2 1/4 teaspoons dry yeast
• 2 cups oat milk (or non-dairy milk of choice), warmed
• 1/2 cup non-hydrogenated vegetable shortening (we used Earth Balance), melted
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 2 cups whole wheat flour
• scant 1/2 cup flax egg replacer*, or other equivalent of 2 large eggs
  
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda

The night before serving your waffles, in a large mixing bowl, stir the yeast into the water and let dissolve for about 5 minutes.

Next, add the oat milk, shortening, salt, sugar, and flour to the yeast mixture. Beat until smooth. Cover loosely and let rise overnight at room temperature.

In the morning, admire the risen batter and then add your egg replacer and baking soda. Fire up the waffle iron, grease it thoroughly, and go to town. Top with your favorite things and enjoy.

Leftovers, if you somehow have any, seem to toast up well -- freeze them after a day or so in the fridge.

* See here and here for ideas on how to make this. Our procedure was...spontaneous and confused, to say the least (not to mention unmeasured), and it's kind of miraculous that it worked at all. Once you make some of this it will keep in the fridge for maybe a couple weeks, and you will have an easy, cholesterol-free and omega-3-rich egg replacer on hand for baking!

Pretty waffle photo taken by Laura.

Waffle existence precedes waffle essence

We live in a world that is dominated by a pervasive belief that waffles, are in fact, a breakfast food and serve no other purpose. Although we have topped waffles with any number of fruits, whipped dairy product, even chocolate, we have denied waffles any other identity than the one we impose upon them. Waffles, as individuals, can in fact realize a different potential for themselves. The fact that we designate waffles as breakfast is an arbitrary designation. In order for waffles to realize their full potential, they must come to realize their intrinsic value. They have to shove aside the belief system we have been imparting on them since time immemorial. Waffles have to realize their own free waffle will! We are dedicated to the belief that the waffle can only be fully realized through its actions, and not just its intentions. A waffle is not a wafflewich just because it can be one. A waffle must become a wafflewich through a dedicated struggle against the dominant ideology (breakfastology, if you will). Waffles have to take personal responsibility and become a savory dish, enjoyed with all varieties of vegetables, gravies and cheeses, sandwiched between their numerous tiny squares.

Waffle time!!!

Stay tuned for the latest waffle innovations, from waffle sandwiches to waffle s'mores! Wafflez yo.