Waffles for Dinner = Winner

Let's be honest... one of the best things about being an adult is the fact that we get to eat whatever we want when we want it. And while usually my conscience tells me to throw something green into my dinner, I wanted nothing of the sort last night. I wanted breakfast. So I made breakfast. Like that logic?

I had originally been scouring through Lidia Bastianich's Lidia's Italy for a new recipe to try. But pretty much everything required me to go to the store. And while the spaghetti with clams beckoned, going to the store just wasn't in the cards. But hey, what's the next best thing to spaghetti with clams? Waffles... obviously. But without buttermilk in the fridge, I had to search for a new waffle recipe. Enter Google + search term, "best waffle recipe". Voila - best waffle recipes galore!

 
Good waffles are easy to come by. Great waffles aren't. The perfect waffle has a golden, crunchy exterior, but is soft and doughy in its interior. Crunchy waffles 101: Separating the eggs! Mix the yolks in with the rest of the wet ingredients, and then beat the whites until they're light but stiff. Then fold the whites into the full batter. Crunch perfection.

 A lil' extra cinnamon in the batter doesn't hurt.















I also felt the need to make something healthy... but still breakfasty. So I grabbed all the fruit in my fridge and blended up a pineapple/strawberry/banana smoothie. Delightful.

So here's to making adult decisions... breakfast for dinner.

The Best Waffle Recipe
adapted from Serious Eats

• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 3/4 cups milk
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 2 egg whites

Plug in the waffle iron so it's good and hot when you pour the batter in.

In a medium mixing bowl stir together flour, baking powder, and salt. Make a well in the center.

In another bowl beat egg yolks slightly. Stir in milk and oil.

Add egg yolk mixture all at once to the dry mixture. Stir just till moistened (should be lumpy).

In a small bowl beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. I recommend beating w/ an electric mixer if you don't want your hand to fall off in the process.

Gently fold egg whites into flour and egg yolk mixture. Do not overmix.

Spoon waffle batter into your waffle iron, making sure not to overfill it. 

Cheers!

 

Cake Madness

In the spirit of March Madness, I went a little mad myself. In honor of my alma mater, Butler University, dancing its way to the NCAA national title game (yeah Dawgs!), I attempted... The Cake Pop.

Cake pop, you ask? What in the world? It's this... or this... ooh or this. Cute little things, right? I thought so. However I learned very quickly that despite their delectable taste, they are evil. They suck up hours upon hours of your night, give you sugar-induced coma, and don't even come out remotely cute looking. I spent over 4 hours creating these little things and I didn't even bake the cake from scratch (blasphemy!). I quite literally laid on my kitchen floor at 11:30pm, with melted chocolate up to my elbows, cursing the cake pop name. My neighbors must have thought I was doing chemistry homework or something. But they tasted good. Delicious even. So... here's the recipe in case you are far more patient and artistic than I. 

 I guess they can't be all bad if this is how they start...

Which turns into this...

And then into this...

Which turns into these!

And eventually these!!




 

GO DAWGS!

Cake Pops
Adapted from everywhere on Google, but particularly Seakettle

50 lollipop sticks (or 25 for a half batch)
Cake mix of your choice
Frosting
Candy melts or chocolate bark (I used white chocolate chips... bad idea)
Tube of black gel icing or edible pen
Wax paper
Styrofoam block (I did not have one. I strongly recommend you use one)

Bake your cake according to the directions (I know, I know...)

Once the cake is cool, cut it into 4 large pieces and place in a very large mixing bowl or another cake pan. Mix in the tub of frosting until you get a smooth consistency. If you're using chocolate cake, the mixture should look like dirt. Mmm.

Line a cookie sheet with wax paper and roll the cake mixture into small balls. Voila - the cake ball!

Freeze for 30 minutes. In the meantime, melt your chocolate in a double boiler (or a makeshift double boiler). Stir until the chocolate is completely melted and smooth.

Dip a lollipop stick in the melted chocolate, then slide halfway into a cake ball. Dip the cake ball into the melted chocolate until it is mostly covered. Then insert into a styrofoam wreath of some sort. Highly recommended... I did not have one and I sorely regret it.

Let dry and decorate... hopefully your decorating skills > mine.

Let's go BU!