Last Sunday we celebrated Valentine's day in a casual, foodie kind of way. For a lovely start I made Crispy Waffles using the recipe from Crispy Waffle. Ethan and I had tasted some yeast raised waffles one day in a cooking class at the William Sonoma store. They were made with a mix from the Bouchon Bakery. We were smitten so we bought a can. I was amazed at how nice they were so we bought a can of mix. Once that was depleted I began searching for a recipe I could whip up at home without having to have the mix. The Crispy Waffle recipe is pretty close. It creates a lovely, light and crispy waffle. However, the Bouchon mix created waffles with the same texture and lightness, but also a slight bit of tanginess. My family loved them.
The gifts I gave were very individualized. Ellie got a hooded shirt from BillaBong that she wanted. Ethan got new drafting supplies that I had him pick out and Larr got a new movie.
We invited Grandma Gay and Grandpa Don to join us for dinner. I didn't want Don to be alone on his first Valentine's Day without Eleanor.
To make it special I served up Cheese Fondue with steamed broccoli, apple sausage and a nice, crusty bread. We also feasted on a nice salad. For dessert I made Chocolate Fondue which was paired with homemade pound cake, dried mango slices and fresh strawberries. They were all a hit.
Even Easier Crispy Waffles by Crispy Waffle
2 cups flour
1-1/2 tsp instant yeast
1 stick melted butter
2 cups warm milk (heated to about 110 degrees)
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
The night before:
Combine and whisk together the dry ingredients in a large bowl: flour, yeast, sugar and salt. Combine the melted butter and milk. Add the mixture to the dry ingredients. Whisk eggs and vanilla together in a separate small bowl. Add the egg-vanilla mixture to the other mixture, and whisk until well-combined. Cover with plastic wrap and stick in the fridge until tomorrow morning.
The next morning:
Prepare waffle iron as usual. Stir the batter to deflate it (it should be puffy and frothy). Add to waffle iron the same way you would other batter, keeping in mind that this batter will rise more than batters that use baking powder instead of yeast.
Note: Be sure to put the batter in a large container. I stored my in a Rubbermaid container that at least two or three inches of clearance from the batter to the top. I thought that was enough. However, in the morning I found that I had lost 1/3rd of my batter as it expanded, popped open the lid and made a mess on the shelf.
Classic Swiss Fondue
1 clove Garlic, halved
1 cup White Wine, dry
1 tea. Lemon Juice
2 cups Gruyere Cheese, shredded
2 cups Emmental Cheese, shredded (If you can't find this simply double the amount of Swiss or Gruyere cheese used)
2 tea. Cornstarch
(2 tea Kirsch - I did not use this)
Pinch of Nutmeg, fresh, grated
* If you do not like the wine flavor, or need to make it alcohol free, you can substitute Chicken broth for the wine.
Rub the inside of the fondue pot with the cut clove of garlic.
Place the wine and lemon juice in the top of a double broiler. Once the liquid reaches a gentle boil stir in the grated cheese using a wooden spoon. Add it gradually to prevent lumping. Stir frequently until the cheese has melted.
In a small bowl mix the cornstarch with the kirsch or 2 TBL. of water. Mix until it is smooth. Stir this into the cheese mixture a few minutes before serving. This will thicken the fondue just slightly. Be sure to not let the fondue mix boil. Season with freshly ground pepper and nutmeg.
Serve with dipping items such as bread cubes, steamed veggies and the like.
Classic Chocolate Fondue
9 oz. Chocolate (we like a mix of milk and dark chocolates)
2/3 cup Heavy Cream
Use a knife to cut the chocolate up into small pieces. (You can use chocolate chips if you like. However, nicer chocolate will yield a smoother fondue) Place the chocolate and heavy cream in a microwave proof bowl. I find that a glass bowl works nicely. Microwave it for about 2:00 then stir to mix. If the chocolate is not completely melted microwave it for another 30 seconds, followed by more mixing. Please note that it is very easy to burn the chocolate in the microwave. Stirring each time will help reduce the likelihood of burning it. Serve the fondue with fun dipping items such as pound cake, fresh strawberries, dried mango slices, dried banana slices, fresh pineapple, marshmallows, etc.
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