Cornmeal Rye Waffles

There is something about waffles - the homemade variety - that just screams "fancy-schmancy" to me.  What is ironic about it is that they are so much easier to make than pancakes.

• You can walk away from them for a minute while they're cooking.
• There is no awful first waffle, like there's always an awful first pancake.
• Cleanup is minimal.

What I like especially about these Cornmeal-Rye Waffles is that they have a little crunch.  It's totally a texture thing although the taste is pretty fantastic, too - a little less sweet than usual - perfect for soaking up that good maple syrup.  And then there's the smell while they cook - kindof a sweet cornbread smell.

I also like that these have lots of whole grains, protein, and other good stuff in them.  And that I feel like SuperMom for having made them.  One waffle will give you

• 161 calories
• 6 grams fat
• 5 grams protein
• 3 grams fiber
• and other good things like potassium, iron, calcium, and Vitamin A
• 23 whole grains

When I make waffles (or pancakes), I usually go ahead and make the batter as soon as I wake up, and then just let it sit until the boys wake up.  Then all I have to do is heat up the waffle iron and cook those babies.

This picture shows things right before it's showtime.  I have my waffle iron heating, my batter mixed and waiting, the plates handy, and a measuring cup and paper towel to set it on between times so I don't have waffle crud to scrape off the counter.

I used a 1/2 cup to pour the batter, and that seems about the right size for us.  It takes about 3-5 minutes to get the waffle good a crispy, and then I just pick it up carefully with my fingers and put it on the plate.

This recipe makes my favorite waffles.  They are light and fluffy yet crunchy from the cornmeal.  They are not too sweet, so we can all sweeten as we like with the syrup.  I used the Healthy Version on the right and just used regular sugar.  I always forget that this batter makes a TON, and the boys and I each have one waffle, so I have TONS of batter left.  I refrigerated what was left and will make waffles with sausage tomorrow night for dinner and will freeze any remaining waffles to toast some other time (though my boys won't eat toasted frozed homemade waffles, only toasted frozed boughten waffles.  Whatever.)

Even though today ended up being a snow day and I had all the time in the world to make breakfast, I had the batter made, waffles cooked, breakfast eaten, and myself showered all before 7:30.  The point being waffles are not nearly as time-consuming as you think they are.  And cleanup is quick, quick.  Try them out some weekend, time yourself, and then when you want waffles during the week, go for it!

Today's waffle special was served with some applesauce  on the side.  That just sounded like a really good go-with for these.