Chocolate Waffles with Chunky Strawberry Sauce & Whipped Cream

Strawberries and chocolate are almost mandatory ingredients to help celebrate Valentine’s Day. Chocolate has an historical reputation as an aphrodisiac. Because it contains small amounts of caffeine and plenty of sugar, chocolate certainly helps get your blood pumping. The strawberry itself was a symbol of Venus, the goddess of love, in ancient Rome.

Whatever their magical qualities, you can be sure everyone adores the combined flavors of these romantic treats. Here’s a delightful Valentine’s Day dessert fit for Venus herself. Serve one chocolate waffle piled with strawberry sauce and whipped cream as dessert to share from a single plate, or divide the sections and serve one to each person on a tiny plate. You’ll have plenty leftover to serve up romance for breakfast the next day.

Chocolate Waffles with Chunky Strawberry Sauce

Ingredients:
4 cups chopped strawberries
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon corn starch
¼ cup water
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup oat bran
1/3 cup almond meal
1/3 cup Dutch cocoa powder
1/3 cup whole wheat flour
1/3 cup sugar
½ cup chopped walnuts
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon instant coffee grounds
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
4 eggs
1 ½ cups buttermilk
¼ cup canola oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup heavy organic whipping cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons sugar

Farm fresh: strawberries, walnuts, almond meal (grind whole almonds in a food processor), eggs
Locally-sourced from California: buttermilk, cream
Grocery-store (non-local): sugar, corn starch, flour, cocoa powder, cinnamon, coffee, baking powder & soda, salt, canola oil, vanilla extract, oat bran

Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Plug in and preheat waffle iron. Place a medium, metal mixing bowl in the freezer (you’ll use this later to make whipped cream).

In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, combine strawberries, sugar, cornstarch, and water. Stir occasionally, bringing mixture to a boil. Turn heat down to low and cook another two minutes. Turn off heat and set aside to cool. It will thicken as it cools.

In a large mixing bowl combine all dry ingredients (beginning with the flour and ending with the salt). Whisk together.

In a medium mixing bowl, combine the eggs, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla extract. Add this to the dry ingredients and mix until combined. Pour about 2/3 cup waffle batter onto waffle iron and bake according to the instructions in your waffle iron. When each waffle is done, set it directly on the oven rack. Do not overlap the waffles, or they will become soggy.

Make the whipped cream: Remove metal bowl from freezer. Pour heavy whipping cream into the bowl. Using an electric mixer beat the cream on medium speed for about 30 seconds. Add the vanilla extract and sugar. Resume beating on medium speed until firm (not stiff) peaks form.

Serve waffles with strawberry sauce and a big scoop of whipped cream and love!

Makes about 8 waffles.