Chocolate Brownie Waffles
One would think that chocolate waffles would be relatively straightforward: take your favourite waffle recipe and add chocolate. Not so. Cocoa powder has a tendency to change the texture of baked goods, making them denser and more cake-like, as opposed to light and crispy (like a waffle *should* be).
Instead, I went about it from the other direction, taking my favourite fudgy chocolate brownie recipe and adapting it for the waffle iron. However, this too was not quite as simple as it sounds, namely the whole ‘getting it out of the waffle iron’ part, since brownies tend to crumble and fall apart easily while they are still warm.
Luckily, with the KitchenAid® Waffle Baker, the swivel mechanism becomes the perfect way to get the tender waffles out of the iron in one piece. Simply open the lid half-way, rotate the iron 90 degrees, and gently pull the waffle pieces out onto a plate.
Another helpful trick is to cook the waffles for just two minutes, then turn the machine off completely and let the rest of the cooking take place as the waffles cool. There is a fine balance between tender, fudgy brownie with crispy edges, and a hard, dry rock of chocolate. Overbaking will cause the latter, so while uber-crispy brownies might be a breeze to extract from the iron, they won’t be as enjoyable to eat. That is, of course, unless you are one of the edges-only brownie lovers. If you love crispy brownies you will adore these waffles.
So the next time a brownie craving has you running madly around the kitchen, don’t waste upwards of an hour to fulfill it. These double chocolate brownie waffles are just as rich and decadent, and ready in less than half the time. Serve warm, topped with fresh berries and a scoop of homemade vanilla ice cream.
Chocolate Brownie Waffles
Double Chocolate Brownie WafflesMakes 2 waffles, 8 servings
INGREDIENTS:
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher or fine sea salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup dark or dutch processed cocoa powder, sifted
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips or chunks
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat KitchenAid® Waffle Baker. In a bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt and set aside.
In a heat-proof bowl, microwave the butter for 45 to 60 seconds or until melted. Add sugar, brown sugar, and sifted cocoa powder and stir until it forms a thick, gritty paste. Whisk in eggs and vanilla extract until smooth. Fold in flour mixture until almost incorporated, then fold in chocolate chips. Do not overmix.
Scoop 1 cup of batter into the each side of waffle baker and set the timer for 2 minutes 30 seconds. When timer goes off, unplug or turn the machine off completely. Let the waffles cool in the machine for 4 to 6 minutes, on the longer end if you prefer extra crunchy waffles. Because of the fragile nature of these waffles (they are basically brownies in waffle form) they can be tricky to remove from the iron in one piece. Cooking them with the residual heat allows them to cool and crisp up slightly to make this process easier. To remove, open the top of the waffle baker part way, then rotate on its side. Slide a plate under the iron, and loosen waffle, one section at a time, letting it fall to the plate below. Flip and repeat with second waffle.
Serve warm, topped with fresh berries and a scoop of homemade vanilla ice cream. The waffles will get crunchier the longer they sit, so are best enjoyed immediately. Cooled waffles can also be frozen, sealed in an airtight zip-top bag, for up to 1 month.
