This delicious and unique breakfast recipe comes from Scarborough Fair B&B in Baltimore, Maryland. The innkeepers say they like it because it combines salty and sweet. The Georgian-style building is in the heart of the historic district of Federal Hill, which puts guests close to boutiques, bistros, and the Cross Street Market. The inn is also just four blocks from the convention centers and central business district, making it an ideal place for business travelers who are interested in something more unique than chain hotels.

Makes 6-8 waffles

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 3 1/2 tablespoons sugar
• 3/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 3 eggs separated, yolks beaten
• 2 ounces melted butter slightly cooled
• 1 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 16 ounces buttermilk at room temperature
• 7 ounces chocolate chips
• 1 pound crisp bacon, crumbled
• Cooking spray for waffle iron

Steps:

1. Preheat waffle iron according to the manufacturer's directions.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together dry ingredients.
3. In another bowl, beat together egg yolks, butter, vanilla and then add buttermilk.
4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir in the chocolate chips until just combined. Allow to rest for 5 minutes.
5. In a third bowl beat egg whites until fluffy and they form soft peaks.
6. Fold egg whites into the rest of the batter.
7. Spray top and bottom surfaces of waffle iron with cooking spray.
8. Ladle recommended amount of batter onto the center of the waffle iron and evenly sprinkle a palm full of crumbled bacon over the batter.
9. Close the iron and cook until both sides of the waffle are crispy and can easily be removed. Serve immediately or keep warm in a 200 degree F oven.

The Better Baltimore Bed and Breakfasts, an association of acclaimed bed & breakfasts and inns in Baltimore, was formed just a few months ago.  It aims to spread awareness that Baltimore is a haven for bed and breakfast connoisseurs. 

This year, the association has organized their First Annual Holiday House Tour to inspire guests, locals, and tourists alike.  Five member B&Bs and inns that are also BedandBreakfast.com members will open their doors to the paying public to share the yuletide cheer that is normally only available to overnight guests while also raising much needed funds for a local charity, Santa Claus Anonymous. 

The hour will be held on Sunday, December 12, 2010, from 2-7 p.m. Tickets start at $25 for general admission, or for $35, you can purchase a VIP ticket which grants you access to transportation via motor coach to each of the participating properties. Tickets are available here. Tickets are limited to ages 13 and up.

For this nominal fee, you will enjoy the intoxicating smells of homemade wassails, cookies, pastries and more, many which are baked by the innkeepers themselves.  Explore seasonal décor at its very best.  Experience the city’s optimum in hospitality as you meet the owners, hosts, and innkeepers themselves.

The tour includes 1840s Carrollton Inn, Celie’s Waterfront Inn, Inn at 2920, Rachael’s Dowry B&B, and Scarborough Fair Bed & Breakfast located through the city. All five lovely B&Bs are BedandBreakfast.com members.

“It’s time that bed & breakfasts and inns are a more visible part of what makes our city such a unique and unexpectedly warm, inviting and comfortably luxurious destination.  It is time that everyone know what our thousands of guests the world over have been keeping to themselves, that B&Bs and inns are among the very best way to stay when traveling to Baltimore,” owner of Scarborough Fair Bed & Breakfast, Barry Werner stated in a press release.  He went on, “There is almost no better way to share a morsel of that experience than by opening the doors of our homes and businesses to the public while raising funds for a very worthy charity, Santa Claus Anonymous, at this festive time of year.”

Conveniently located just 10 miles southwest of Baltimore and 20 miles north of Washington DC, The Inn at Peralynna Manor provides all the special qualities of a luxurious boutique hotel. Hospitable innkeepers and a warm, attentive staff go to extra measures to make sure each guest receives the ultimate in pampering and special services. The recipient of an impressive collection of accolades, The Inn at Peralynna is both a destination inn as well as an excellent choice for corporate travelers, meetings, weddings/receptions, and other special events.             

The accommodations at The Inn at Peralynna Manor are defined by such luxurious features as  elegant bathrooms (some featuring a both a double whirlpool tub and a separate steam shower), spacious guest rooms with Tempurpedic mattresses and luxurious imported bed linens. An attractive array of complimentary refreshments are offered each evening in the atrium where an equally amazing breakfast is served each morning. Wi-fi is available throughout the inn, and areas specifically designed for business travelers provide functional as well as attractive areas to conduct one's business while away from home and office. 

Looking through the third floor window of my suite, I felt as if I was in England as I watched a herd of sheep lazily grazing on a verdant hillside across the road. However, as much as I love Britain and the rolling hills of the English countryside, I never experienced lodging there which compares with the opulence one experiences at The Inn at Peralynna Manor.