A tragedy occurred last month. Just as I was about to embark on my first adventure with The Global Vegan Waffle Cookbook my waffle maker decided to retire. With the batter already prepared for some Banana-Fofana-Walnut Waffles, I persevered and made pancakes. To my pleasant surprise, the recipe performed perfectly as pancakes, no alterations required!
I chose that particular recipe, as I was in the midst of my sugar-free challenge, and this option was sweetened only with bananas. That is what I love so much about The Global Vegan Waffle Cookbook, there are so many options …
Craving savory? Try the Caramelized Onion and Garlic Waffles. Need some wintertime comfort food? Whip up the Chai Spice Waffles. Is it time for an ice cream sundae? Those Dark Chocolate Cake Waffles can be ready in minutes. Are you a bread-baking fanatic? Don’t pass up the many yeast-raised waffle recipes, such as the Sweet Yeast-Raised Waffles (yes, read on my friends, read on …).
Oh, and you need gluten-free you say? Take your pick from the Crispy Maple-Cashew Waffles, Coconut-Date Waffles, Banana-Blueberry-Teff Waffles, etc., etc., etc …
Not only are there tons of gluten-free recipes to choose from in this cookbook, but the author, Dave Wheitner (founder of the global vegan waffle party movement – yeah, this guy knows his vegan waffles) has also created a separate ebook that is exclusively gluten-free.
Of course, what would a waffle cookbook be without some toppings? Dave covers everything, from your basic homemade Dark Chocolate Syrup to the adventurous Espresso-Maple-Walnut Syrup to dinner-worthy condiments like the Savory Cashew-Mushroom Sauce.
All in all, The Global Vegan Waffle Cookbook has more than 80 vegan waffle and topping recipes for a basic breakfast, lavish brunch, quick dinner, or even hosting your own vegan waffle parties.
As a special treat, Dave has offered up the recipe for those Sweet Yeast-Raised Waffles as a teaser, if you will. They are pictured here with a special topping, the Maple Supreme Syrup from p104 in The Global Vegan Waffle Cookbook (mmmm, this is the stuff!), and below the recipe dressed simply with fresh fruit. Enjoy!
Sweet Yeast-Raised Waffles
Recipe reprinted with permissions from The Global Vegan Waffle Cookbook: 82 Dairy-Free, Egg-Free Recipes for Waffles & Toppings, by Dave Wheitner.
"I love the texture and aroma of yeast-raised waffles. Because the dough needs time to rise, begin at least 3 hours in advance of baking the waffles or 1 1/2 hours in advance if you are using quick-rise yeast."
- 1-1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 1-1/2 cups warm water (see note below)
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup whole wheat flour
- 1-1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup canola oil
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1/4 cup soymilk or other nondairy milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
Dissolve the yeast in the water in a large non-metal bowl. Let stand for 5 minutes. Stir in the whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, and salt until well blended.
Cover the bowl and place it in a warm location until the flour mixture has almost doubled. You can use your oven to create a warm spot for the flour mixture to rise. Make sure the oven rack is low enough for the bowl to fit in the oven. Turn the oven on for 1 to 2 minutes at 200 degrees F. (It shouldn’t actually reach 200 degrees, but just warm up slightly.) Turn off the oven, place the covered bowl on the rack, and close the oven door to keep in the warmth. If you wish to let the batter stand overnight, strengthening the yeast flavor, covering the bowl and leaving it at room temperature will work fine.
After the flour mixture has risen, combine the brown sugar, oil, maple syrup, soymilk, vanilla extract, baking powder, and baking soda in a small bowl. Mix thoroughly, breaking up any clumps of baking powder or baking soda. Pour into the raised flour mixture and stir until well blended. Mixing with the handle end of a spoon or other thin item like chopsticks can make it easier to break up the long strands into smaller clumps. The batter does not need to be completely smooth, but you don’t want too many clumps larger than the last segment of your pinky finger.Let stand for 15 minutes.
Preheat the waffle iron for 3 to 5 minutes while the batter is standing. Spray both grids of the waffle iron with oil. Pour or ladle the batter into the center of the iron, covering no more than two-thirds of the iron’s surface for the first waffle. Adjust the amount as needed for subsequent waffles. Bake each waffle for 3 to 5 minutes, or until it can be removed easily.
Note: Use warm water between 105 and 115 degrees F. You can judge this by splashing a bit onto the sensitive skin of your inner wrist—it should feel warmer than lukewarm but not hot or painful.
Makes 4 (7-inch) round Belgian waffles
Photos and recipe by Dave Wheitner (I had to borrow them since my waffle maker broke!), but this is a third-party review by Alisa Fleming, founder of GoDairyFree.org, blogger at Alisa Cooks, and author of Go Dairy Free: The Guide and Cookbook for Milk Allergies, Lactose Intolerance, and Casein-Free Living. Alisa is also a freelance writer for several publications, with an emphasis on creating recipes for various types of special diets.
Visit Amazon to purchase The Global Vegan Waffle Cookbook: 82 Dairy-Free, Egg-Free Recipes for Waffles & Toppings.
