Easy like Sunday Morning - Yogurt, strawberry and granola topped waffles

Doesn't that look good?????

Mmmmmm...there's nothing like making your own Sunday brunch at home. And nothing says brunch like a big heaping helping of strawberries on top of homemade Belgian waffles. The topping i made was inspired by the Strawberry Granola Pancakes at Gus's BBQ in Pasadena. I almost got them but decided on the chicken and waffles instead because who doesn't love chicken and waffles???

Be sure to slice them thinly so they create more of their own juices. 

I ended up doing a tablespoon or two of sugar, a drizzle of local honey and lemon zest since I didn't have any oranges around the house. Normally I would do orange zest and half of an oranges juice. 

Then I added a shot of St.Germaine elderflower liqueur. This stuff is my favorite. It really helps being out the floral notes of the honey. 

And so does a drizzle of vanilla extract. Please only use and buy the real stuff and not that immitation crap. Hands down it's the biggest favor you can do yourself. 

Belgian waffle recipes call for the eggs to be separated and the whites to be whisked until stiff. I order to get the whites nice and stiff the whites need to be at room temperature. I leave them in shot glasses on the counter while I prep the strawberries and batter. The Belgian waffle recipe I used wasn't what I liked in a waffle, I prefer mine a little crisper and no matter how long I left them in I couldn't crisp them up without the risk of them burning. If you like softer waffles you might like the one I used. 

I always doubley, tripley, quardrupely check which leavening agent my recipe needs no matter how sure I am I read it right the first time. I have made it with the wrong one and I am no spring chicken when it comes to baking. even the best of us get it wrong. This recipe needed baking powder. I got it right. I love those small victories in life. 

As I said before, make sure your egg whites are beaten STIFF. that peak over there stood up and did not fall at all. thats the way it should be. If yours fall you need to keep on going until you get it to this consistency. If you add it while its still runny the batter will stay runny. The beaten eggs add that light fluffy texture and also some OOPMH. 

FOLD the batter over the small amount of egg to the mix. Don't just dump it all in. adding it in slowly and carefully helps keep the structure of the fluffy egg. What ever you do don't violently stir the batter and hope for the best. If you're just going to beat the crap out of the batter you might as well just open a box of premade batter. Seriously though, be gentle and give it some tender love. 

After you're done mixing it all together, follow the instructions on your waffle maker and get crackin'! This was my very first time making waffles so it took me 2 strangely made waffles to get it all right. So yes, if you're a decent home chef you can easily make waffles at home with some practice. 

For toppings I wanted something that resembled healthy so I mixed a little bit of honey with some Greek yogurt to cut the sour taste a bit. I think this by itself is a great snack or breakfast item on its own. But for today I used it as a healthier alternative to whipped topping.

I also had some low fat and low sugar granola at the standby. Bear Naked Fit makes a good one that only has like 3 grams of sugar which is amazing because most contain as much as a can of coke. 

First comes yogurt...

...then comes granola...

...then comes strawberries...

...then some more yogurt to make it look pretty. I almost didn't eat it because I thought it was too pretty. 

And how can you not have brunch without a champagne cocktail??? I just added some of the strawberries I made to the bottom of a glass and topped with some of my favorite bubbly. If it starts overflowing with foam take a butter knife to the top and slice the foam that is over flowing. I made a mess trying to figure out how to do it. 

Cheers lovelies!!! this had to be one of my favorite brunch meals I have made at home in awhile. I really can't wait to try some different waffle recipes and topping combos. 

We ended up on the couch being lazy after eating just watching Ice dancing and some curling. I'm still trying to figure that sport out. I don't think I ever will but that's fine by me. 

We fell asleep and took a nap and afterwards we went to my favorite cafe in Little Tokyo, Cafe Demitasse and we got the special coffee and dessert pairing. it was a shot of espresso, a spoonful of peanut butter topped with a little bit of coffee grounds, cinnamon graham crackers and chocolate with toasted marshmallows.  I felt it needed some steamed milk on the side to help wash it all down. It felt like someone's hipster granny made me coffee and dessert. Afterwards we ended up exploring Little Tokyo some more, went to a wine bar and ended the night with some relaxing massages. Now that's what I call an easy going Sunday. Hopefully your weekend was a nice relaxing one as well. 

And let me know of your favorite waffle recipes, please. I'm desperate!

XOX

Veritypretty