Vanilla and Cinnamon Waffles

I remember where I ate my first waffle ever.  It was in Istanbul, in Bebek.  I am not sure if the place still exists but they used to make the world's best chocolate and banana waffles.  At least for me it was the best.  My cousin introduced me to that place at the time and I'm so happy that she did, because I have never forgotten those delicious waffles and their lovely smell.  That was long long time ago, and I have eaten many waffles since, but I guess none of them were that good.  Few months ago I was in search for a toaster, which can also make waffles and I found what I was looking for.  I have made waffles only twice since I bought it.  This recipe came out in the second trial and they were very good, so I wanted to share.  If you have a waffle maker then try this recipe. The waffles turn out so good, you can even eat them without putting anything on them.  This recipe made about 10 waffles for me.

Vanilla and Cinnamon Waffles

2 cups of flour

2 cups of milk

2 tablespoons of sugar

1/2 tablespoon of vanilla sugar

2 teaspoons of baking powder

1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon (use cinnamon that is freshly grounded, it still has to have some lovely cinnamon smell)

1/2 teaspoon of lemon zest

3/4 teaspoon of salt

2 tablespoon of butter (melted)

2 eggs

Start with whisking the eggs and the sugar in a bowl.  Add the milk, melted butter, lemon zest and vanilla sugar to this mixture.  In a separate bowl, mix the rest of the ingredients, flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.  Once the dry ingredients are mixed well enough, combine the two mixtures and whisk all together.  Use a ladle to put the mixture into your preheated waffle maker.  Try not to put too much, otherwise it will overflow.  Bake them until they have a nice golden brown color.  I put some maple syrup and banana slices on mine and sprinkled a little bit of icing sugar.  Next time I will be trying them with chocolate and bananas. 

Crepe with Mango and Apples

Although it was really difficult for me to understand at the beginning, at some point in the last 5 years, I learned how not to make a big meal for dinner.  Of course this is only valid during the week.  Weekends, on the other hand,  are a different story.  In my culture (the Mediterranean culture in general) dinner is a big deal.  Dinner is when we are really eating something good and enjoying a real meal with our family.  Where I live now, it seems that generally lunch is more important than dinner.  At least in the families I know of.   Now I got used to eating leftovers from lunch or some cheese and bread for dinner.  It's probably healthier anyway, but sometimes, I really don't feel like eating leftovers or even cheese, although I love cheese. Then I cook something light.  In the winter, a nice soup is normally what I go for, but yesterday I thought the winter was over, so I felt like making crepes or pancakes for dinner.  The kids love it and so do I.  I made this one with half spelt flour and half whole wheat flour because that was all I had.  It was a very healthy meal if you exclude the butter bit of course.  You can combine it with different fruits.  I used some mango and apples then I put some maple syrup on top to sweeten it.  Here I have given the amounts I have used,  but depending on the kind of flour or milk you use, your mixture can have a slightly different density than mine had, therefore I have given some tips below for this.
With the upcoming long weekend, this is a good option for breakfast or brunch.  Enjoy!

Crepe with Mango and Apples

(makes about 5 medium size crepes)

3 tablespoons of spelt flour
3 tablespoons of whole wheat flour

2 eggs

2 cups of milk (makes a little bit more than 400 ml)

1/2 teaspoon of salt

1/2 teaspoon of sugar

1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg

A pinch of cinnamon

Butter or oil to cook

For serving:

1/2 mango peeled and chopped

1 apple peeled and chopped

Maple syrup

Make your batter by whisking the eggs, flour, milk in a bowl.  Add in salt, sugar, nutmeg and cinnamon and whisk it for another minute or so until your mixture has a creamy texture.  If the batter is too thin, then add some more flour and if it's too thick, then add a little bit more milk and continue to whisk.  When ready, heat up a little bit of butter or oil in a non-stick small pan over medium-high heat.  When it's hot enough put about 1/2 ladle of the mixture in the pan.  This can slightly vary according to the size of the pan you use.  Just make sure the batter covers the surface of the pan.  Cook it for about two minutes until the bottom side is light golden brown.  Turn it over with the help of a spatula and cook the other side.  Serve it hot with the chopped fruits and some maple syrup on top.  Alternatively you can put the fruits and the syrup in it, then fold it before serving.