whole grain Archives | Page 21 of 28

One of my favorite school day breakfasts as a kid was waffles topped with applesauce. I don’t really remember when or how it started but I couldn’t get enough of that combo. Sure I liked apple cinnamon cheerios and berry berry kix, but put a waffle topped with applesauce in front of me and I was completely content. I actually still like this combo, though now it’s with a gluten free waffle and some silky homemade applesauce. Until recently I didn’t have access to a waffle maker so I would buy a frozen gluten free variety. They weren’t as bad as an eggo, but they weren’t exactly awesome either. Since having the proper equipment, I’ve probably made waffles at least 4 or 5 times. I guess I’m making up for the time I didn’t have one.

The idea for this waffle popped into my head last week after messing around with Ashlae’s buckwheat waffle recipe. Since my adoration for all things pumpkin is not a secret, and since it IS fall now, I wanted to do a pumpkin waffle. I also wanted to spike it with a bit of turmeric in addition to the usual cinnamon and cardamom that I use a lot. Why turmeric? Used in Ayurvedic medicine, this golden hued herb aids in digestion and treats fevers, inflammation, and infections. It’s most commonly available in dried and ground form, but if you’re lucky, you can sometimes find fresh turmeric root at well stocked grocery stores.

So, at this point I ask you why not turmeric?! If you’re like me you’ll start finding yourself using it a lot more. I reach for it in the mornings when I want to help my digestive system along, or when I might be feeling under the weather. In this case it pairs well with the cinnamon and cardamom without dominating the flavor of the waffle. I tend to be heavy handed with it so I used a half teaspoon but if you don’t want the flavor quite as strong you can scale it back to a quarter teaspoon. Since I was feeling generous, I’ve provided both volume and weight measurements below. This makes one large waffle, but you can easily multiply up to suit the number of waffles you want to make. They freeze well and can be reheated in the toaster. I enjoyed mine with some maple syrup, sliced seckel pears, and toasted hazelnuts so that is reflected below in the recipe. Happy Fall!

Turmeric Pumpkin Waffle for One
notes: I’ve been messing around with different flour combinations and am confident you can use a half a cup of your favorite gluten free blend here if you prefer. I also tested it with 7 tbsp buckwheat flour and 1 tbsp arrowroot and it worked just as well. And, if you don’t like pumpkin, you can use more almond milk or unsweetened applesauce in its place.

50g (5 tbsp) millet flour
15g (1 tbsp) arrowroot
20g (2 tbsp) almond meal
2 tsp coconut sugar
pinch of salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 to 1/2 tsp turmeric (this depends on your tastes)
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp cardamom
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
60g (3 tbsp) pumpkin puree
90g (6 tbsp) almond milk (or other milk of your choice)

toasted hazelnuts, sliced pear, & maple syrup to serve

Combine all of the dry ingredients in a small bowl and mix well. Make a well in the center and add the vanilla, pumpkin, and almond milk. Mix until a thick batter forms. Prepare and heat up your waffle maker (I tend to put mine at a higher setting and spray a bit of coconut oil on it). Add the batter to the waffle maker and follow the manufacturer’s instructions. When the waffle is ready, carefully remove it and add the toppings as you like. Makes 1 large waffle. Enjoy! 🙂

Do you ever get odd cravings? Since giving up gluten, I’ll get cravings every now and then for bread-y baked goods. The most recent one was for a buttery biscuit. I wanted a slightly warm biscuit that was good enough on its own or slathered with a bit of homemade jam. I wanted a biscuit that had just the slightest crispness on the bottom and lovely, buttery layers. The craving immediately made me think of Saturday morning breakfasts when I was growing up. My father traveled overseas frequently for his job, but when he was home on the weekend, we were treated to an awesome breakfast spread that almost always included his famous biscuits.

I’m not sure why the biscuits were so good, but it was the kind of situation where you ate one and then immediately wanted to eat the entire tray full. They were in no way gluten free or vegan, but they were darn delicious. Perhaps another reason they were so good is that my dad was home for once and able to share a nice breakfast with us. It’s always been interesting to me the specific memories we attach to certain foods.

So these biscuits aren’t like my father’s at all. I think the only similarity is the name “biscuit”. They are most similar to a buttermilk biscuit with a slight tang from the apple cider vinegar. The buckwheat flour lends a nice nutty, wholegrain flavor and puts a healthier spin on the traditional biscuit. They pair really well with all of the fresh summer berries that are available this time of year. And, in case you were curious, I ended up testing a batch with shortening but ultimately preferred the vegan butter both for taste and texture. You can use what you prefer. And, because I love using it, the biscuits photographed had a bit of fleur de sel sprinkled on top so you can go that route if you choose 🙂

Buckwheat “Buttermilk” Biscuits

notes: the texture of these biscuits relies on fat so don’t skimp on the butter or the coconut milk. The biscuits are best the day they are made but can last a couple of days if kept in an airtight container or bread box. This recipe is for a smaller batch so feel free to double or triple it to make a large amount.

55 grams arrowroot flour

55 grams brown rice flour

35 grams sweet rice flour

35 grams buckwheat flour

2 tsp baking powder

sea salt to taste (omit if your butter contains salt)

60 grams cold vegan butter, cut into small cubes

90 grams full fat coconut milk (you can use regular coconut milk but the biscuits will be a touch crumbly/dry)

1 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar

1 1/2 tsp psyllium husk

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees and lightly grease a baking sheet. This will ensure that the bottoms of the biscuits turn golden. Combine the flours, baking powder, and salt if using it in a bowl. Whisk the dry ingredients together until they are well combined. Add the butter to the dry ingredients and cut it in with a fork or a pastry blender until it looks crumbly/sandy and the butter is the size of small peas. Place this mixture in the freezer to chill for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, combine the coconut milk, apple cider vinegar, and psyllium husk in a small bowl and whisk it all together. After 5 minutes, remove the flour mixture from the freezer and add the coconut milk mixture. Stir the wet and dry ingredients together until a somewhat shaggy biscuit dough forms. It will be soft but it won’t be sticky. At this point you can either hand-form the dough into rounds or gently roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface and cut it into biscuits. If you go the route of rolling them out, make sure not to add too much more flour or the biscuits will bake up too dry. Place the biscuits on the prepared baking sheet and bake them for 12-13 minutes until the bottoms are golden. Makes 6-8 biscuits depending on how large you make them.

Turmeric Pumpkin Waffle For One

“Buttermilk” Buckwheat Biscuits