I made two kinds of waffles this morning. I wouldn’t have bothered if we didn’t run out of mochi (a pounded sticky rice treat popular in Japan). It comes in very dense flat cakes that you can buy at most natural foods stores. It magically puffs up when it’s cooked. A few years back I started putting slices in the waffle maker. Sure enough it resulted in light, fluffy, cruchy, chewy, satifying waffles. They also happen to be vegan, wheat free, fat free, gluten free, and whole grain. The only ingredient of mochi is rice. I actually buy the cinnamon raisin kind, which makes especially tasty waffles. The other nice thing about them is that they’re pretty much instant. They don’t take too much longer than a toaster waffle. Sometimes I’ll even make them in the morning before I go to work. To make them, just cut 1/4 inch slices of the mochi and put them in the gaps between the waffle maker nubs (the waffle maker should be preheated and sprayed with cooking spray if it’s not well seasoned). Sometimes I press down on the maker to get things started. They’re done when steam stops coming out.
This morning, unfortunately, there was only enough mochi for one. I made some mochi waffles for C, and whipped up my quick vegan waffle recipe for myself. I never really measure when I’m making them, but I figure about 3/4 cup flour for a large belgan waffle. I put in a little sugar (it helps them crisp and brown), a pinch of salt, a scant teaspoon of baking powder, and a little cinnamon. This morning I tossed in a few flax seeds too. I mixed that up with about a tablespoon of melted earth balance (the fat is important for crispness), and enough soymilk and water to get a nice runny texture (it should flow between the waffle maker nubs so that it has room to expand).
It’s a simple recipe, but it turns out great. I’ve had many non-vegans say they’re the only waffles they like. Eggs tend to make waffles more dense and heavy. A light, hot, crispy vegan waffle with a coating of real maple syrup that sizzles as you take a bite can be a transcendent experience.
