Brown Butter BLUEBERRY WAFFLES

Whenever I hear “brown butter,” my mouth automatically begins to water. Before it became a trend in the food world, I wasn’t even aware that butter in its almost burnt state could taste so good. There have been many times when I’ve put butter in a very hot skillet to make pancakes or something and it ended up burning, which prompted me to drain the skillet and begin again. Who knew that burnt butter would be the newest rave? Well, it’s for good reason, and these waffles are a beautiful balance between nutty and sweet flavors.

Unbalanced

% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Step 1

1. Preheat a waffle iron. (If you have the option to choose the temperature, select medium-high—that works perfectly for me!) Preheat the oven to the lowest setting.

Step 2

2. Make the brown butter: Melt the butter in a medium-size saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring it occasionally and letting it cook until dark bits begin to form and the entire butter becomes fragrant and darker, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside to cool for a few minutes.

Step 3

3. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.4. Add the almond milk, eggs, maple syrup, vanilla extract, and brown butter to the dry ingredients and stir using a rubber spatula until just combined. Do not overmix. Fold in the blueberries.

Step 4

5. Grease the preheated waffle iron with butter, then spoon about ½ cup of the batter into the center of the iron. Close the lid and cook according to the manufacturer’s instructions until golden brown and crisp.

Step 5

6. Transfer the completed waffle to a baking sheet and place in the oven to keep warm. Repeat until all the batter is used.

Step 6

7. To serve, stack the waffles (whole or cut) and, if desired, top with whipped cream, blueberry compote, a drizzle of maple syrup, and/or some chopped walnuts.

Step 7

HOW TO MAKE BLUEBERRY COMPOTE:

Step 8

In a medium-size saucepan over medium-high heat, combine 2 cups of fresh blueberries, ¾ cup of cane sugar, ¼ cup of water, 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, and ½ teaspoon of vanilla extract. Once the mixture comes to a boil, reduce the heat to low and let simmer until the blueberries are soft and begin to burst, about 10 minutes. In a small bowl, stir together ½ teaspoon of arrowroot starch and 2 tablespoons of warm water until it becomes smooth and milky looking. Stir the starch mixture into the blueberry mixture and continue to simmer until the compote begins to thicken slightly. Remove the pan from the heat and let the compote cool for a few minutes before serving. Store any leftover compote in an airtight container or jar in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.