Chocolate Waffles with Marmalade Cream & Fruit Sauce

Pretty decadent! These are dessert, really, rather than breakfast - although I suppose you could, if you wanted to really go for it. Valentine's brunch, anyone?

The good news about these is they are really no harder to make than any other waffle, and like all the waffles I've made so far they froze and toasted beautifully. That means these are very easy to serve at a fancy dinner to guests; sauces made ahead and standing by, the cream in the fridge and the fruit sauce not. I would heat up the sauce in the microwave, in fact, while the waffles toast. Not super hot, just warm. Apply cream and sauce to the hot toasted waffles, serve, aaand Wow!

p.s. Don't get that nasty gummy cream cheese in bars. Get the soft kind, in a tub. I wouldn't go too low fat either, because I'm not sure it would whip properly. Also, we ate 2 waffles each because we *did* eat them for breakfast, but one waffle is probably plenty for most people as dessert.

12 to 16 waffles
45 minutes prep time

Make the Waffles:
2 1/2 cups soft unbleached flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup Sucanat  OR dark brown sugar
1/4 cup unsalted butter
4 ounces (120 grams) unsweetened chocolate
2 cups buttermilk
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
mild vegetable oil to brush waffle iron

Measure the flour, baking powder, salt, and Sucanat into a large mixing bowl. Stir to blend.

Put the butter and chocolate, broken into pieces, into a heavy-bottomed pot, and heat over low heat until both are melted. This could also be done in the microwave in a glass bowl, heating in short bursts and stirring well between times.

Meanwhile, preheat the waffle iron. Have a little bowl of vegetable oil and a pastry brush standing by.

Measure the buttermilk and mix it in another mixing bowl, or right in the measuring cup, if it is big enough (hint!) with the eggs and the vanilla extract. Whisk well.

Mix about 2/3 of the buttermilk and egg mixture into the dry ingredients. Scrape in the slightly cooled melted butter and chocolate mixture, and mix it in. Add the rest of the buttermilk and egg mixture, and mix well.

Ladle into the heated, oil-brushed waffle iron so that the bottom is evenly covered in a slightly convex layer, and cook in batches; my waffle iron took about 7 minutes per set of waffles. Keep warm in a heated oven; or, if you are freezing them for later, let them cool quickly on a wire cooling rack.

Make the Marmalade Cream:
1/2 cup whipping cream
4 tablespoons soft cream cheese
2 to 4 tablespoons orange or ginger marmalade,
 - or strawberry or cherry jam to match sauce

Put the whipping cream in a cool glass or metal mixing bowl and beat it with an electric mixer until fairly but not completely stiff. Add half the cream cheese and marmalade, and beat them in; repeat with the rest. Beat until the cream is stiff.

Either dollop onto the waffles just before serving, or pass the cream in a nice bowl for people to apply their own.

Fruit Sauce:
2 cups frozen strawberries or pitted cherries
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon arrowroot or cornstarch

Thaw the strawberries or cherries, and put them in a pot with the remaining ingredients. Stir well to dissolve the starch. Heat over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until the sauce is clear and thickened; under 5 minutes.





Last year at this time I made Quick 'n' Dirty Pan-Braised Cabbage. 

Posted in: Ontario Food