Chocolate Waffles

I have had a serious chocolate craving lately. Not like a hershey kiss chocolate, but the really gooey warm chocolate craving. So I looked around online and found this amazing recipe for chocolate waffles. I made them this morning and they were fabulous! You have to try them. Yum.

I didn't have any berries or whipped cream so we just used melted butter (so much easier to spread on a waffle) and syrup. Still really good but I am excited to try the berries next time.

Oatmeal Pancake Mix to store

I got this recipe from a friend and I can't wait to try it. You whip up a big batch and just store it in your fridge. Then when you want some pancakes you pull it out, add the wet ingredients and you are good to go. I love the idea of having a quick and easy breakfast on hand.

*Makes 10 cups of dry mix
3 1/2 cups rolled (quick) oats
3 cups whole wheat flour (I made it with all whole wheat flour and no white flour – it was delish!)
2 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons baking powder
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon baking soda
1 cup vegetable oil

Mix all the dry ingredients together in a mixer with a paddle (or by hand). With mixer on slow speed (or gently by hand), drizzle the vegetable oil into the bowl slowly while the mixer is running. When all the oil has been added, stop the mixer and squeeze a clump of mix in your hand. If it stays together, it is just right. If it is still crumbly, add another tablespoon of oil at a time until the consistency is correct (I’ve never had to add additional oil). Store in an airtight container for up to two weeks at room temperature or indefinitely in the refrigerator or freezer.

To make the pancakes: whisk together 1 cup of mix, 1 cup buttermilk (I’ve tried milk and it’s just fine too), and 1 egg. The mixture may seem thin at first but the oats will soak up the milk as it stands while the griddle preheats. Heat a griddle and drop the batter onto it. When the edges look dry and bubbles come to the surface and don’t break, turn the pancake over to finish cooking on the second side. As a sidenote, buttermilk can be frozen indefinitely for future batches of pancakes, so it’s worth keeping it around!

*1 cup of mix will make about 6-7 4-inch pancakes.

Buttermilk substitute: Put 1 Tablespoon of lemon juice of white vinegar in a 1 cup measuring cup. Then fill the rest of the measuring cup with milk. Let stand for 5 minutes.

Christmas Morning French Toast Bundt

This is Devin's family's tradition and I am all for it. It tastes so good to have this hot sticky french toast for breakfast. Yum! You'll have to try it and maybe it can become a tradition of your own.

24 Rhodes dinner rolls or 15 TX rolls - thawed but still cold
2 egg whites
1/3 C. hazelnut coffee creamer
3 Tbsp melted butter
2 Tbsp sugar
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 Tbsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ginger
1/2 Tbsp vanilla

Cut rolls into 1/4's. Mix all other ingredients together in a bowl. Dip rolls in mix and place in large bundt pan with non-stick spray. Cover bundt and leftover mix with plastic wrap and chill overnight. The next morning, remove wrap and slowly pour the leftover mix over rolls. Cover again with wrap and rise at room temperature until rolls reach the top of pan. 2.5-3 hours. Remove wrap and bake 350 degrees for 35 minutes. To prevent bundt from falling over sides of pan, carefully press rolls inward with fingers during baking cycle. Remove pan immediately and invert onto serving platter. Wait 5 minutes. Drizzle with syrup and sprinkle with powdered sugar. Slice and serve. Add more syrup if desired.

Homemade Pop Tarts

This has been fun to try. If you are willing to go out on the edge then make these. So far I have only made the cinnamon/sugar and jam ones. But I think it would be fun to try cookie dough or chocolate chips and marshmellows. I also did as she suggested and put 1/2 c whole wheat flour in the dough. They turned out super yummy. Again sorry the recipe is really long so I am just going to put her link on here. I hope you don't mind.

Homemade Pop Tarts

Cinnamon Syrup

I got this recipe from a friend of mine. We had it over at their house on some waffles and it was amazing. It's super rich but super yummy.

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup milk
1 T karo syrup (I've done it without this and it turns out fine)

Melt in a saucepan and then add the following ingredients:

1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp cinnamon
splash of vanilla