Spelt waffles w/ blood orange & orange-blossom water syrup and pistachios

I’m not a big Sunday breakfast or brunch kind of person; I’d rather have a big Sunday lunch, which is the Greek way. Sit around the table for two-three hours eating and drinking until late afternoon, then have fruits and dessert followed by a cup of coffee. But once in a while I like to break up that routine and go out for brunch or prepare a breakfast feast at home to start the day right. One thing I never leave out in cases like these is waffles.

I don’t get the fascination with intricate waffle recipes and extravagant toppings, I believe simple is best. My go-to recipe for basic, classic waffles is the one I shared here on the blog back in 2011 and it is as simple as it can get and pretty damn tasty.

The past couple of years, however, I’ve been using more and more alternative flours —purely because I enjoy the flavor and texture they provide to baked goods— so I thought I’d start experimenting with waffle recipes incorporating said flours.

I’ve tried several ones using buckwheat flour and a couple of others using barley and kamut flour, but the one I absolutely love and come back to again and again is this one with spelt flour.

It is straightforward, quick, fuss-free and delicious with the spelt flour providing a subtle nutty flavor to the crispy waffles. I drizzled them with the bittersweet and slightly sharp blood orange and orange-blossom water syrup I made last week, scattered a few chopped pistachios on top for extra texture and they were transformed into a thing of beauty both visually and in terms of flavor.

Spelt waffles with blood orange & orange-blossom water syrup and pistachios

I use a non-stick waffle iron so I never add any oil to it before adding the batter. If yours isn’t non-stick or particularly reliable, add some sunflower oil (or other vegetable oil) when you heat it up. Also, reading the manufacturer’s instructions always helps.

Yield: 12-14 standard-sized waffles

Ingredients
325 g white spelt flour
2 tsp baking powder
A pinch of salt
65 g caster sugar
100 g unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2 large eggs
450 ml fresh whole milk
1 tsp pure vanilla extract

to serve
Blood orange and orange-blossom water syrup (recipe here)
A handful of pistachios, chopped

Special equipment: waffle iron


Preparation
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Create a well in the middle and add the sugar, eggs and melted butter. Mix with a whisk to break up the egss and then gradually add the milk while whisking together all the ingredients. When you have added all the milk, whisk vigorously to break up any lumps in the batter. You should have a slightly thick and smooth batter.

Preheat your waffle iron (and lightly oil it, if needed).

Whisk the batter and add a portion of it in the waffle iron. Portion depends on the size of your waffle iron. Ensure that the batter fills all the grooves and close the lid. Don’t open it for a couple of minutes because the waffles need time to set and create a skin. If you open the iron, the waffles may break up.
Cook them for 4 minutes or until they have taken on a golden color. Take them out with the help of a rubber spatula, place them on a wire rack to avoid getting soggy and continue cooking the rest.

Serve them immediately drizzled with the blood orange syrup and scatter a few chopped pistachios on top.

You can keep the batter in the refrigerator for a couple of days, covered very tightly with plastic wrap. Whisk well before using.