So if everyone else jumped off a bridge would you? Well, no of course not but this isn't jumping off a bridge, this is just joining the blogger fads and welcoming a GUEST BLOGGER!!!! Who you ask is the very first guest blogger of 8050 place? Introducing, the one, the only Emily! But seriously. . . today my good friend Emily is joining me. She had a fun idea that I wanted her to share. You have to try it. And, as you will see, we've worked out all the kinks for you. Also for a shameless plug, Emily and her husband have a blog you need to check out, The Entire Gospel. So now without further ado . . .
What’s a girl to do with her super trendy waffle iron received at her wedding shower (one of four she received) and used only once the previous year? Make brownies of course.
In the name of convenience and cuteness, three friends and I set out to copy a sensational dessert we were sure would sweep toddler birthday parties and girls-only movie nights…brownie batter waffle sundaes. Who doesn’t have a dusty brownie mix in the pantry that could use a pick-me-up? Wendy and I (rather pleased with our secret dessert plans) dined at a local Asian bistro with two other friends and talked over spring rolls about how stunned they would be with our sweet ending (we have something of a reputation for making great desserts). Not to disappoint, the ingredients and iron were kept in a Whole Foods grocery bag until the unveiling after dinner at home. Needless to say, after pulling out the waffle maker and mix (complete with a ‘ta-dah!’), our friends were confused after such talk of raising the bar with our recipe but were quickly converted when we told them our plan.
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With the quiet confidence of the Barefoot Contessa herself, we set out mixing the brownie batter according to package directions (maybe it was at this point someone should have asked if we had done this before or if we were following a recipe). The waffle irons were hot and liberally sprayed with Pam. Wendy delicately plated sensational toppings for our waffle sundaes: almonds, blueberries, sprinkles, colored sugars and syrups to name a few. Carefully, the batter was poured with a soft sizzle and spread evenly with a spatula. We only were left to wait for our creation to cook.
The smell of chocolate and char filled the kitchen; when we checked the waffles, they were still a rich brown color…no burning to speak of. Soft to the touch, we left them in the iron (probably eight minutes at this point). We tried to pull the first one and only fluffy brownie chunks came out. Since this was the deep, rounded waffle iron, we tried the batter in waffle iron #2 (small, square and cheap) in hopes of a quicker cooking time and better results. So we poured and we let it be. About 11 minutes later, with shouts of rejoicing, we extracted a full waffle! As the minutes ticked, we noticed it became harder and harder and inedible at best. A quick internet check revealed a few mistakes:
1. Leave the water out of the recipe, even though the box calls for it.
2. Cook short, cool long: turning the waffle iron off and letting it cool before removing it is key to a tasty (not rocky) waffle.
We had just enough batter to implement our new strategy (minus the water issue…too little too late). The winning batch cooked for about 4-6 minutes with a cooling and setting time almost the same. After pulling our successful brownie waffles, making them into sundaes was a reward worth the effort. With an evening of technique-refining behind us, we eagerly decorated and ate and made plans for an even better brownie waffle sundae event.
Figuring it out truly is half the fun. Anyone can buy a packaged cheesecake or settle for plain brownies. The innovative use of a somewhat neglected kitchen appliance gave us a night and dessert we will not soon forget…not a bad way to top off sushi!
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