Waffles To Share

Celebrating waffles today!

Hip, hip, hooray…it’s National Waffle Day today and it’s time to try something new!

Love waffles but always stick to the same variety and the same toppings?

Or have you never tried waffles before?! Now is the time to give it a go!

Believe it or not, waffles are not as modern as they seem. Well before the invention of the waffle iron, men of the Stone Age used to heat food between two hot stones and it wasn’t until the 13^th Century when the honeycomb effect of the waffle began to grow in popularity. Generally light and crispy, waffles can also have a chewy texture. They are usually disc shapes and have deep criss cross ‘honeycomb’ patterns on each side which creates a grid like appearance that holds different toppings really well.

There are many varieties of waffles including:

• American waffles
• Belgian waffles
• Waffle pies
• Pizzelles
• Malt waffles
• Stroopwafels (a waffle sandwich wafer biscuit)
• Potato waffles

…And many more!

Not just sweet, savory waffles too!

Due to the many varieties of waffle, it means that many people like to experiment with toppings. Waffles don’t just have to be sweet – they can be savory too. Waffles go beautifully with sautéed vegetables and either chicken or fish. Just make sure that if you are creating a savoury waffle recipe, either follow a recipe for savoury recipes or look for the unsweetened variety in your supermarkets.

For a healthy topping alternative, why not try mixed fruits? Sliced fruits and a variety of berries will not only taste great and keep you healthy; they will also add a great texture to a dish you are otherwise very familiar with! A dusting of cinnamon sugar also adds a lovely sweet yet spicy flavour to a waffle recipe.

And of course, we can’t forget the most popular waffle toppings – maple syrup and ice cream. A dollop of vanilla ice cream on top of a hot waffle allows all the vanilla flavour to seep into the delicious batter, and maple syrup has that unique spicy sweetness which goes so well on waffles. Try other types of syrups, fruit sauces, jams, and chocolate sauces too for that extra bit of indulgence.

So why not invite your friend round this National Waffle Day? Put on a buffet of waffle toppings, whip up some waffles in your waffle iron and you can all enjoy this delicious treat in your own unique style!

Find more recipes for waffles on Recipebridge.