Banana, chocolate and walnut waffles

This month's theme for We Should Cocoa is bananas. Bananas and chocolate are one of my favourite combinations so my mind immediately went into overdive with ideas. I've baked cakes, cookies, muffins and cupcakes with this flavour combination. I wanted to do something a little different and my mind turned to breakfast or more specifically brunch. Weekend brunches are sacred in our house as we don't often have time to either be at home or sit and have a leisurely brunch. There are a few recipes that we always come back to for brunch and one of them is waffles. I have a waffle mould and I normally bake my waffles in the oven. However, I've always wanted to have a waffle maker but felt it was too indulgent.  We got married recently so I added it to our wedding gift list and was over the moon when one of J's friends bought it for us. I finally own a waffle maker and it was put to use the day after we received it! We had basic waffles with fruit and maple syrup and it was delicious. 

Waffles made with a waffle maker turn out light and crispy whereas the baked ones taste a little more cake like. This weekend we had time to have a leisurely brunch at home so I started experimenting with recipes and came up with this banana, chocolate and walnut waffles. The waffles were chocolatey with a hint of banana and the walnuts added crunch and texture. I served them with sliced bananas, chocolate chips and maple syrup. I debated about a chocolate sauce but decided that maple syrup would be better. The batter made 9 waffles so I have lots in the freezer to be toasted for breakfast during the week. 

I'm sending this to We Should Cocoa hosted by Choclette from Tin and Thyme. The theme this month is banana which of course has to be paired with chocolate. 

I'm also sending it to Brilliant Breakfasts hosted by Made with Pink. These make for a very filling breakfast especially with the bananas and walnuts. 

It's also going to Cook Blog Share hosted by Kirtsy from Hijacked by Twins. 

Finally to Bake of the week hosted by Helen from Casa Costello.

My new waffle maker! I sprinkled some chocolate chips on top of the batter before cooking. There's way too much batter in this as it was the first one but I learnt quickly after that! 

 Lovely chocolatey waffles with banana and walnuts baked in. 

 served with sliced banana, chocolate chips and maple syrup

Makes 9 large waffles in a waffle maker

240g plain flour

60g cocoa powder

2 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

2 bananas

2 eggs

90mls vegetable oil

150g sour cream

200 mls milk

80g walnuts

sprinkling of chocolate chips

To serve

Sliced banana

Chocolate chips

Maple syrup

• I used a food processor to get a nice, smooth batter.
• Place the eggs, vegetable oil, sour cream, milk and whole banana and whole walnuts and blitz gently.
• Add in the dry ingredients and mix until smooth. 
• Be careful not to overmix the batter.
• Allow to sit for a few minutes. 
• Pre heat the waffle maker. When ready, add the batter but be careful not to put too much or it will spill out. Sprinkle some chocolate chips on top.
• Cook as per manufacturer's instructions. Mine took about 5 minutes. 
• Serve warm with sliced banana, chocolate chips and maple syrup. 

Banana, pecan and chocolate waffles

We decided to treat ourselves to waffles over the bank holiday weekend. We usually have plain waffles with maple syrup and fruit and occasionally with bacon. This time I thought I'd bake something a little different as we are trying to eat healthier so it had to be loaded with fruit. I actually ended up forgetting to add the oil (maybe it was my subconscious working overtime) and surprisingly the waffles turned out fine. It's probably because they are baked in the oven so they have a slight cake like texture but it really did not detract from the taste. I was really worried that it would be dry and unpalatable but they were actually really delicious and filling. I'm guessing that it would taste better with the oil but I've not tried it yet. In any case, the bananas and buttermilk probably saved the day. 

The initial plan for the waffles was for banana and pecans but then I decided to add in some chocolate in the form of chocolate beads from Hans Sloane. Hans Sloane sent me some rich dark drinking chocolate beads to try. They are packaged in an attractive red box and the smell of chocolate when you open the bag is heavenly. Dark chocolate is my favourite kind of chocolate and these beads really pack a proper chocolate punch. I tried quite a few on their own and had to stop eating them otherwise I wouldn't have enough to bake with! They worked well in this recipe as it provided a rich, dark chocolate taste to the waffles. The beads did not melt completely so you get lovely chunks of chocolate. I've also tried it with milk as a hot chocolate drink and it's absolutely divine. I often find that powdered hot chocolate have an artificial taste and tends not to taste chocolatey at all. This is the complete opposite as it tastes like proper melted chocolate in warm milk. I loved the stuff so much that I baked another recipe with these chocolate beads which will be on the blog very soon. 

 Hans Sloane drinking chocolate beads which won the Taste Gold Awards in 2011 and was winner of the chocolatier taste test in 2012. 

 dry ingredients on the left and wet ingredients on the right (minus the oil!) 

 adding chopped pecan nuts to the mixture with the chocolate beads on the right 

 Look at the gorgeous chocolate beads - they are really shiny

 This is my silicone waffle tray

 I love how the chocolate gives it a speckled look 

 Topped with lots of fresh fruit and maple syrup which I bought from America 

 You can see the chocolate beads better in this picture 

Makes 8 waffles

375g flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

50g brown sugar

4 eggs 

250g buttermilk 

2 bananas, mashed

50g pecans, chopped

100g Hans Sloane chocolate beads 

80 mls vegetable oil (optional -see notes above) 

• Preheat the oven to 180C. 
• In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and brown sugar and set aside.
• In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, mashed bananas, buttermilk and vegetable oil (if using)
• Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients andmix gently until just mixed.
• Stir in the chopped nuts and chocolate beads.
• Pour the batter into a waffle mould and bake for approximately 25-30 minutes or until golden brown and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
• Serve with fresh fruit and maple syrup or as desired. 
• (The waffles freeze well and tastes great if you toast them in the toaster)

Disclaimer: I was sent some Hans Sloane drinking chocolate beads for review purposes to create a recipe. A positive review was not required and all opinions expressed are my own. This is not a sponsored post. 

Homemade Waffles with bacon, berries, poached egg and maple syrup

I've made this quite a few times now for brunch but have not gotten round to sharing it until now. It's a decadent and indulgent brunch perfect for lazy weekends. I don't have a waffle maker but I found a silicone waffle baking mould for a few quid at Aldi which works perfectly. It does take a while to cook compared to using a waffle iron but it does the job and it doesn't break the bank! I have found that it tastes even better if you pop it in the toaster on a low setting after it's cooked for added crispiness. The waffles also keep well overnight and you can re-heat them in a toaster. This particular waffle was served with crispy bacon, berries, maple syrup and a poached egg. 

I'm sending it to Calendar Cakes hosted by Rachel from Dolly Bakes. The theme is Bank Holiday Bakes and we are asked to share what we make to relax, share with friends or take on picnics. 

 selection of berries, milk, flour, sugar, eggs, bacon and maple syrup 

 making the waffle batter in my food processor

this is the silicone waffle mould which I sprayed with non stick spray

 1 recipe makes 7 waffles

 fresh from the oven

 with crispy bacon, berries and a drizzle of maple syrup 

 and a poached egg on top! 

Makes 7 waffles 

Recipe adapted very slightly from allrecipes.com

250g plain flour

400mls milk

100mls sunflower oil or vegetable oil

10g caster sugar

2 eggs 

4 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt 

To serve

Bacon - cooked

Berries

Maple Syrup 

Poached egg (optional) 

• Preheat oven to 180C. 
• Place all the ingredients for the waffle in a food processor - I used the liquidiser and blitz until smooth. Be careful not to overmix. Allow the mixture to rest for at least 30 minutes before using. You may refrigerate the mixture at this point if needed. 
• Cook bacon in a grill or frying pan and set aside.
• Poach an egg if using. 
• Pour the waffle batter into the waffle mould and bake for approximately 25-30 minutes until golden brown and fully cooked. 
• Place the waffles in a toaster on a low setting for about 30 seconds for extra crispiness. 
• Serve with crispy bacon, berries, maple syrup and a poached egg or fillings of your choice.