Weekend breakfasts are my favourite. In theory I love going out for brunch but I generally leave feeling like I could’ve made the meal myself. Weekend breakfasts at home usually involve bacon & eggs, pancakes, or ackee and saltfish so if I go out for brunch I usually gravitate towards omelets, eggs Benedict etc. This past weekend I was craving something different and decided to dust off the old waffle-maker.
I bought a waffle-maker in my teens for some odd reason. That’s just how I roll. I think when I was like 8 I asked for a blender for Christmas and a food processor a few years later. So really, I was just working my way up to a waffle-maker. I went through a phase where I made waffles fairly regularly but the waffle-maker has been untouched for years. Luckily it still works so I decided to make me some waffles.
My favourite pancakes are cornmeal pancakes with blueberries and lemon zest and it’s the cornmeal that really makes them special. I thought it would be fun to do cornmeal pancakes. I happened to have a banana in the freezer so the idea of doing a banana cornmeal pancake was born. I did some searching and found this recipe on Epicurious. It was a good start but I wanted something a bit more. I used it as a starting point and added additional flavour by adding cinnamon and crystallized ginger. I also replaced the water with leftover whey from making ricotta. Since most people don’t have whey in their fridge I suggest using buttermilk or regular milk. I thought it was an odd choice that the recipe would use water instead of milk.
As for syrup, I only do maple syrup, but we didn’t have ANY in the fridge. Instead of buying syrup I decided that I was going to make a banana-nut topping. I found this recipe online and used it as a template. The recipe was for a Bananas Foster sauce which is kind of what I was after but not really. In my head I was thinking of a hybrid between Bananas Foster and this syrup that they serve with the waffles at Dos Caminos. I concocted a syrup using toasted walnuts, brown sugar, butter, rum and bananas.
The results were heavenly. The waffles on their own were fantastic. They were just banana-y enough and every once in a while you’d get the sharpness of the ginger. The banana-nut sauce was an even better accompaniment than maple syrup could have ever been. And who doesn’t like a hint of booze in their breakfast foods?
I think I’m going to give my waffle-maker some more work going forward. Waffles are so easy to make and even easier than pancakes since you don’t have to worry about flipping them! The leftover batter is going to be used to make dessert waffles with a scoop of Coconut Bliss’ Pineapple Coconut ice cream.
Banana Cornmeal Waffles
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup yellow cornmeal
1 tbsp sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 ripe medium banana
1/3 cup buttermilk or regular milk
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 tbsp crystallized ginger, finely chopped
Whisk together flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt in a small bowl.
In a medium-sized bowl mash the bananas and mix in buttermilk. Stir in eggs and butter until combined. Add flour mixture and stir until combined well. Quickly stir in crystallized ginger.
Heat the waffle iron until hot and brush with oil. Prepare waffles as per manufacturer’s instructions. Serve with syrup.
Banana-Nut Sauce
4 tbsp butter
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 banana, sliced
1/3 cup walnuts, chopped and toasted
1 tbsp rum
Melt butter in small saucepan. Add brown sugar and cinnamon on low heat and cook until sugar has dissolved.
Stir in vanilla, banana, walnuts and rum and cook for about 5-8 minutes or until bananas have softened and caramelized slightly.
Serve on top of waffles.
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it’s fate! i got a waffle maker for christmas! i definitely need recipes, since the waffles i made from the recipe book that came in the box were a tasteless excuse for breakfast.
[…] had breakfast yet? Why not make yourself some banana cornmeal waffles. [What's On My […]
I am going to try this, albeit with some modifications. I don’t make pancakes so much, but I do enjoy my johnny cakes for breakfast.
Do you know the trick to make your own buttermilk/sourmilk? Apple cider vinegar. About 1 Tbsp/cup. It gives you the higher leavening than a straight milk substitute.
oh yes, i’ve been on the the make my own buttermilk thing. i rarely buy buttermilk.
Do these waffles come out crispy due to the cornmeal? Most times my waffles are soggy
They definitely come out on the crispy side and there’s a bit more bite throughout.