Mollie Katzen

Chocolate Waffles with Raspberry Sauce

From Mollie Katzen's Sunlight Café
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Yield: 6 or 7 standard waffles; 3 Belgian waffles

Yes, it is legal to eat these for breakfast! Try them for dessert or afternoon tea as well.

To keep the waffles warm, transfer them to a rack on a baking tray, and place the tray in a 200°F oven until serving time. (The rack keeps them crisp.)
Canola oil can substitute for some or all of the butter.

1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 cup unprocessed wheat bran
1/4 teaspoon salt (rounded measure)
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
6 tablespoons sugar
1 1/4 cups milk
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Nonstick spray and/or butter for the waffle iron
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
Powdered sugar
Raspberry Sauce (recipe follows)

Preheat the waffle iron.
Combine the dry ingredients in a medium-sized bowl.
Measure 1 1/4 cups milk into a 4-cup liquid measure. Add the eggs and vanilla, and beat gently with a fork or a small whisk until smooth. Pour this mixture, along with the melted butter, into the dry ingredients. Stir until thoroughly blended, scraping from the bottom and sides of the bowl, but don't overmix. A few lumps are okay.
Pour this mixture, along with the melted butter, into the dry ingredients. Stir until thoroughly blended, scraping from the bottom and sides of the bowl, but don't overmix. A few lumps are okay.
Cook for about 2 to 3 minutes, depending on your waffle iron. Don't overbake–you want it crisp and brown, but not too dark. It is perfectly okay to peek.
Serve hot, sprinkled with chocolate chips and powdered sugar, and with Raspberry Sauce spooned around the sides.

RASPBERRY SAUCE

Preparation time: 2 minutes, after the berries are defrosted
Yield: About 1 cup

You will notice that this sauce uses frozen, unsweetened fruit. That is because frozen raspberries give off a generous amount of delicious juices as they defrost, making an almost-instant sauce. (And my feeling is, if you're lucky enough to have good fresh berries, for heaven's sake just eat them!)

10 ounces frozen, unsweeetened raspberries
1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon or more sweetening (sugar, apple juice concentrate, light honey)

Defrost the berries in the bowl you will be using to make the sauce.
When the berries are defrosted, add the lemon juice, and purée all or part of the mixture in a blender. Transfer back to the bowl, and sweeten to taste.

NOTE: Straining out the seeds is optional. I prefer to leave it textured, especially since this is a breakfast sauce and can be more informal and "down home" than if it were intended for a fancy dessert.