Waffles always seem like one of the fanciest breakfasts to me. It’s probably because in order to make them, you have to have a waffle iron. Plus, they have the perfect nooks and crannies to hold syrup or berries. Though the ingredients are almost identical to pancakes, you usually need to dirty one more dish to whip the egg whites. Usually I prefer to dirty as few dishes as possible, but this additional bowl seems to add to this labor of love.

I doubt anyone needs another reason to love waffles, since they are already perfect and delicious. Since it's Mother’s Day I thought it might be nice to take them one step further—by making chocolate waffles!

This recipe comes from the Stonewall Kitchen Breakfast cookbook. Besides the waffles being chocolate, this recipe gilds the lily by adding chocolate maple syrup. The syrup is actually my favorite part of this recipe. It is quite versatile and could be drizzled over pancakes, scones, or bread pudding; it also tastes divine, like maple ganache.

These waffles are dense and not very sweet, which is good since I drenched mine with an obscene amount of chocolate-maple syrup. I made a few tweaks, adapting the recipe to use chocolate chips, the microwave, and by adding a dash of vanilla, which I noted in the recipe below. The next time I make these I will try whipping two egg whites to stiff peaks and folding them into the batter at the end, to see if they could be a smidge fluffier and crisper. You might also try adding some brewed coffee to bump up the chocolate flavor and thin out the batter.

Are you planning on making your mom breakfast for Mother’s Day? I’d love to hear about it! Leave a comment below and let me know what you’re planning to whip up.

Chocolate Waffles with Chocolate-Maple Syrup
From the Stonewall Kitchen Breakfast cookbook

Chocolate-maple syrup:
2 ounces dark chocolate (64% cacao) (I used a heaping 1/3 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips)
1/2 cup maple syrup

Waffle batter:
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 ounces dark chocolate (64% cocoa) (I used a heaping 1/3 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips)
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk
1 large egg

Optional toppings:
Mixed fresh berries (blueberries, raspberries, and thinly sliced strawberries)
Sour cream or creme fraiche
Powdered sugar

DIRECTIONS:
Chocolate maple-syrup: In a microwave safe bowl, add the maple syrup and microwave for 45 second. Add the chocolate chips and stir to mix until smooth. Microwave together if the chips aren’t thoroughly melted and combined.

Waffle batter: In a microwave safe medium sized bowl, combine butter and chocolate and microwave for 30 seconds, mix until smooth. If the chips haven’t melted, microwave an additional 15 seconds and stir to combine, repeating as necessary.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

Add the buttermilk, egg, and vanilla to the butter/chocolate mixture and whisk until smooth. Add the dry ingredients and gently incorporate just until the batter is smooth. (You can make the batter several hours ahead of time.)

Heat a waffle iron until hot. Lightly grease the iron with the vegetable oil by using a pastry brush or a cooking spray.

Add a heaping 1/3 cup batter to the hot waffle iron, close the lid, and cook for about 1 minute, or until golden. Remove the waffle from the iron and serve hot with the Chocolate-Maple Sauce and the berries and sour cream.

Photos by Exit Flag Photography

Tired of the same old pancakes, eggs, and bacon? Mix things up in your kitchen with these unusual breakfast recipes from our member inns. Your family (or guests) will love you for it!

• 

  Artichoke Mushroom Flan from C.W. Worth House Bed and Breakfast in Wilmington, NC

• Blueberry Breakfast Polenta from Four Kachinas Inn in Santa Fe, NM

• Mary’s Tater Tot Breakfast Quiche from Bear Grove Cabins in Mulberry Grove, IL

• Crab and Grits from The Essex Inn in Tappahannock, VA

• Fig and Walnut Pancakes from Fig Tree Inn in Jacksonville Beach, FL

• Carrot Cake Waffles from Hattie May Inn in Fort Worth, TX

• Alabama Wild Shrimp Quiche Lorraine from Columbus Street Inn in Fayette, AL

• Double Chocolate Bacon Waffles from Scarborough Fair B&B in Baltimore, MD

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.