Strawberry Compote Waffles

Ingredients & Instructions

WAFFLES:

• 2 cups all purpose flour 

• 2 tbsp sugar 

• 4 tsp baking powder 

• ½ tsp salt 

• 2 eggs 

• 1 1/2 cups milk (warmed) 

• 6 tbsp unsalted butter, melted 

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

STRAWBERRY COMPOTE:

• 1 pound Fresh hulled strawberries (or frozen strawberries see note*) 

• 2 tablespoons sugar 

• 3 tablespoons orange juice 

• 2 tablespoons cornstarch (if needed)

Substitutions for Orange Juice could include:  

• Red Wine 

• Balsamic Vinegar for a tangy and sweet-tart edge

• Lemon juice to tone down the sweetness of the berries

Optional ingredients for finishing touches:  

• 1/2 teaspoon of orange or lemon zest

• 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated ginger

• Small minced fresh chile

1. Rinse the strawberries, pat dry, and then hull the fruit. To do this, insert a knife at an angle under the leaf cap and then twist to cut out the leaves and white core underneath. Discard the tip and repeat the process with all the berries. Cut very large berries in half or quarters; leave smaller berries whole. 

2. Place the berries in a saucepan. Add the sugar and juice. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until the strawberries are all soft and just starting to fall apart and the liquid thickens, between 5 to 10 minutes. 

3. Taste, and add more sugar if necessary. The compote will thicken while it cools off, but if too thin, mix 1 tablespoon of water with 1 tablespoon of cornstarch and add it to the saucepan. If using frozen fruit*, you might need a little more cornstarch. Strawberries end up with lots of juice, so cornstarch is necessary to thicken. Stir well and remove from heat. 

4. Let the compote cool off completely. If preparing ahead of time, transfer to a clean pint jar and store in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. Compote may be served at room temperature or chilled.

5. Preheat waffle iron. 

6. In a large bowl combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Whisk to combine. 

7. Warm the milk up in the microwave for just 1 minute, or heat until slightly warm on the stove top. 

8. In a separate small bowl whisk the eggs and stir in the warm milk, melted butter and vanilla extract. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and whisk until blended. 

9. Allow the batter to sit for a few minutes. This resting time allows the batter to thicken and the gluten to relax so you get that really tender and fluffy waffle interior rather than chewy waffles. (I made the batter an hour earlier in the morning) 

10. Scoop the batter into the preheated waffle iron and cook until the waffles are golden brown and crisp according to your waffle iron directions. 

11. Serve immediately or lay on a cooling rack until cool and then store in freezer.

NOTE: Compote and jam are two different products made from similar ingredients. Compotes have bigger pieces of fruit in them, and smaller berries can be kept whole, whereas jam has smaller pieces of fruit, sometimes even pureed.

TIP: Fresh compote can be kept in the fridge in a glass jar or airtight container, covered, for up to 2 weeks. For a bigger batch, let the compote cool completely before placing it in freezer bags. Keep in the freezer for up to six months and thaw in the refrigerator overnight before using it. Heat up in a saucepan and add a teaspoon of water/juice if needed.

TIP: Do not stack waffles like pancakes. Since waffles are crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside, if you stack them while they’re hot, they are going to create steam and quickly lose that crispiness.

TIP: To reheat waffles, place a frozen waffle in toaster and cook until heated through and crisp on the outside. Waffles can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months.