Banana Oatmeal Waffles

Last weekend, we decided to have a lazy Sunday morning and make waffles at home. Many are familiar with Dorie Greenspan's wonderful baking compendium Baking From My Home to Yours. Most people are probably not as familiar with a wonderful little book she authored in 1995, Waffles From Morning to Midnight. I previously made these delicious Pumpkin Pie Waffles from the same book in November. This time I had some bananas that I needed to use so I chose the Banana Oatmeal Waffles. The addition of the oats makes these a really hearty waffle. The only thing I would change next time is to cook them on the highest waffle iron setting and probably a bit longer than the setting goes. The addition of the bananas gave them a higher water content and caused them to be a little soggy. I think I will follow Dorie's serving suggestion and serve them with some strawberry butter next time.

Banana Oatmeal Waffles

Source: Dorie Greenspan’s Waffles From Morning to Midnight

4 T unsalted butter

1 cup old fashioned oats, (not instant)

1 cup all purpose flour

1 T double acting baking powder

½ tsp baking soda

¼ tsp ground cinnamon

Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

3 T firmly packed brown sugar, dark or light

1 ½ cups buttermilk

2 large eggs

2 medium size ripe bananas, thinly sliced crosswise

Maple syrup or honey for topping

Preheat your waffle iron. If you want to hold the finished waffles until serving time, preheat your oven to 200F.

Melt the butter; reserve. In a large bowl, whisk together the oats, flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices and brown sugar. In another bowl, beat together the buttermilk and eggs with the whisk until well blended. Pour the liquid ingredients over the dry ingredients and whisk until just combined. Mix in the banana slices and melted butter.

Lightly butter or spray the grids of your iron, if needed. Brush or spray the grids again only if subsequent waffles stick.

Spoon out a full ½ to 2/3 cup of batter (or a little more than the amount recommended by your waffler’s manufacturer) onto the grids. This batter is thick and lumpy, so push and spread it to the edge of the grids with a metal spatula or wooden spoon. Close the lid and bake until golden and crisp. (It may need a little longer than other waffles because the batter is thick.) Serve the waffles immediately or keep them, in a single layer, on a rack in the preheated oven while you make the rest of the batch. Stir the batter between waffles to redistribute the banana slices.

Makes about five 6 ½ inch round waffles.