Valentine’s Day Breakfast: Malted Waffles with Strawberry Syrup

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Perhaps you’re looking for ideas for the perfect Valentine’s Day morning surprise… or maybe you should send this post to your significant other as a hint (*wink). 
In all seriousness, my husband absolutely loves malt powder (it doesn’t usually last long in our house), and I thought it would be fun to give these malted waffles a try.  I loved the subtle malt flavor—it was just enough to be noticeable but not so much that it was overwhelming.
They were great with strawberry syrup, but I dare say that they tasted pretty good naked… that is… without any toppings on them.  So, you may want to make a bunch of these and then freeze the extras.  As long as you freeze them flat, they’ll fit in your toaster, and you’ll have a quick, easy breakfast on the go. I’ll take these over Eggo any day!
Ingredients:

• 2 C. all-purpose flour
• 1 C. malt powder (Carnation, not Ovaltine)
• 2 TBSP. firmly packed light brown sugar
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 2 1/2 C. buttermilk
• 6 TBSP. butter, melted and cooled to room temperature

Strawberry Syrup:

• 1 pint strawberries
• 1/3 C. sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla

Other Toppings:

• whipped cream
• sliced strawberries
• malt powder for sprinkling

Directions:
1. First, break out a bag of conversation hearts to munch on while you are cooking.

2. Second, gather all your pink or red colored cooking utensils. It’s more festive.

3. Put on a sappy love song mix to listen to while you cook.
4. Mix together all the dry ingredients in a large pink bowl.

5. In a separate bowl, mix together the butter, eggs, and buttermilk. Make a large well in the dry ingredients and pour in the wet ingredients.
6. Fold in the dry ingredients gently until combined. There will be lumps. Over mixed waffle and pancake batter makes for dense waffles and pancakes.
7. Warm up the waffle iron and preheat the oven to 225 F. Depending on your waffle iron, pour 1/4 C. to 1/2 C. into the waffle iron. Cook until the waffles are golden brown. Transfer the waffles to a baking sheet and place in the warm oven to keep them warm and toasty while you finish cooking the rest so you can serve them all at the same time.
To make the Strawberry Syrup:
1. Wash, hull, and slice the strawberries on a hot pink cutting board.
2. Cook over medium heat in a pot with the sugar and vanilla. Stir with a hot pink whisk frequently and mash until the strawberries are soft and cooked and the sugar is dissolved.

3. Let the strawberry mixture cool. Pulse in a blender until smooth. You can also pour this over ice cream, oatmeal, or anything you want!

To top the waffles: Drizzle with strawberry syrup, dollop with whipped cream, decorate with fresh strawberries, and sprinkle with malt powder.

Waffle Recipe adapted from the wonderful cook book Baked Explorations
HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY!