Carriage House Inn Blog

Chocolate Waffle with strawberries and whipped cream

Happy Valentines Day!  Chocolates and flowers are traditional gifts for Valentines day so if you really want to surprise that special someone give them a delicious chocolate waffle.  This recipe uses yeast so it takes a little longer to prepare than most of our other recipes, but the wait is worth it!

Step 1, The Starter

• 1/2 cup of lukewarm milk (between 100-110 degrees F)  Use whole milk or 2% milk.
• 1/4 cup of granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup of all purpose flour
• 1 package instant yeast (about 2 1/4 teaspoons)

Combine the starter ingredients in a medium sized bowl.  Make sure the milk is not to hot (the hot will kill the yeast) or too cold (they won’t do their job).   Put the bowl aside for at least 20-30 minutes while making the rest of the batter.

Step 2, The Batter

• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1/4 cup wheat germ
• 1/2 cup of chocolate mocha baking cocoa-can use all purpose cocoa if desired
• pinch of salt
• 1/4 cup of natural sugar (Turbinado)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
• 3 room temperature eggs
• 1 stick of unsalted butter (melted) that has cooled down, but not re-hardened
• 2/3 cup of mini chocolate chips.  If using regular chocolate chips coarsely chop them.  If available use dark chocolate chips.

In a separate bowl, mix the dry ingredients (flour, wheat germ, cocoa, salt and natural sugar).

After the starter has sat for 20-30 minutes add the ROOM TEMPERATURE eggs, melted butter and vanilla to the starter and gently mix.  Next, add the dry ingredients, the chocolate chips and natural sugar gently mixing until ingredients are combined.  Tightly cover bowl with plastic wrap and set aside for a couple hours.  This batter can be stored overnight in the refrigerator.

After batter has sat for a couple hours, lightly stir the batter and scoop the appropriate amount onto a hot waffle iron that has been sprayed with a non-stick spray.  NOTE:  If batter was refrigerated overnight, remove batter and let it come to room temperature (about 90 minutes on the kitchen counter).  Then lightly stir the batter and cook per the waffle iron’s instructions.

Hot waffles can be served with whipped cream, chocolate sauce, strawberries and/or raspberries.  This is also great with a strawberry or raspberry syrup.  Sprinkle a couple of chocolate chips on the plate as garnish.  Enjoy!

Your mother was right, breakfast is the most important meal of the day and when staying at The Carriage House Inn Bed and Breakfast, an award winning bed and breakfast in Lynchburg Virginia, we try to make your breakfasts memorable.

Cranberry Pancakes

November is the month for giving thanks and we have much to be thankful for.  As you gather for the traditional Thanksgiving dinner this year think of the cranberry.  What would Thanksgiving be like without turkey and of course the cranberry.  We took this little red berry and incorporated it into our November signature breakfast.  This month, guests of The Carriage House Inn Bed and Breakfast in Lynchburg Virginia,  have enjoyed our cranberry pancakes.  Of course you can enjoy this all year round, but buy your cranberries now and freeze them for use throughout the year.

• 2 cups of all purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons of sugar
• 1 teaspoon of baking powder
• 1 teaspoon of baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon of salt
• 2 large eggs
• 2 cups of buttermilk
• 2 Tablespoons of melted butter plus more for greasing
• 1/2 cup of fresh cranberries
• zest of one orange

Bring 2 inches of water to a boil in a small saucepan.  Add the cranberries and boil for about 2 minutes, or until they start to burst.  Drain, cool for 5 minutes.

In a large mixing bowl, mix the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt.  In a separate bowl mix the eggs, buttermilk, melted butter and orange zest.

Coarsely chop the cranberries, fold into milk mixture.  Gently stir the milk mixture into the dry ingredients, just until combined, stir too long or too strong and your pancakes will be tough.  Batter will be somewhat thick.

Coat a large griddle with butter heat over medium heat.  Using a 1/4 cup measure scoop (I use an ice cream scoop) batter for each pancake onto griddle.  Cook until bubbles dot the surface, 2-3 minutes.  Flip and continue cooking until browned, 1-2 minutes longer.  Repeat with remaining batter.

Serve with Cranberry butter (below) and garnish with fresh cranberries.

Cranberry Butter

• 1/2 cup butter, room temperature
• 1/4 cup chopped, dried cranberries

Combine butter and chopped cranberries until well mixed.  Place in refrigerator until cool.  Scoop tablespoon of butter onto top of pancakes and serve with warm pure maple syrup.

Serves 4-6.

Hint–preheat the oven to 200 and place the pancakes in the oven while cooking the rest of them so that all of them stay warm until served.