Easy Homemade Waffles

When I am working, breakfast time is generally crazy around our house. Getting three kids: awake, fed, dressed, hair done, teeth brushed, bags packed, and out the door before 7:00 a.m., is a nearly impossible task. However, I seem to manage to get everyone out on time, most days.

Being a teacher, I see how hunger affects my students ability to concentrate and learn. Therefore, making sure my own kids eat a good breakfast before school is of great importance to me.

My kids love to eat cereal. Thankfully, they don't really like cereals that are super sugary, so I don't feel too guilty about them eating it so often. But, I do feel better when I can give them a warm breakfast before we leave home.

That is why I really love the following waffle recipe. I can make the batter over the weekend, or even the night before (if time allows). I put the batter in the fridge, and when I am ready to use it, I just heat up my waffle maker.

Now, I don't always have time to make waffles in the morning, even when the batter is premade, so the best part of this recipe is that you can make your waffles over the weekend, and freeze them for future use. Then, when your kids want a waffle, all you have to do is pull them out of the freezer, and warm them up in your toaster!

If you do choose to freeze your waffles, the following tips will help you have. More successful experience:

1. Allow your waffles to completely cool on cookie cooling racks. This will help reduce the amount of condensation that collects on the waffles, and help to keep them from getting soggy.

2. Once the waffles have cooled completely, place them in gallon-sized freezer bags. You can stack two waffles on top of each other, just don't overfill the bags (or you will have squished waffles).

3. To freeze, lay your waffles on a flat surface in your freezer.

This recipe makes between 24-28 (5 inch) wafffles.

Ingredients:

3 1/2 cups All-Purpose Flour
2 tbsp. Baking Powder
4 tbsp. Sugar
3 1/2 cups Milk
2 Eggs
1/2 cup salted butter (melted)
1 tsp. Pure Vanilla Extract

Directions:

Preheat your waffle maker.

Melt butter in a small bowl, or sauce pan. Set aside.

In a large-sized bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and sugar. Mix thoroughly, and make a well in the center of the dry ingredients.

In another bowl, preferably a bowl with a spout, combine milk, eggs, melted butter, and vanilla. Mix gently until eggs are well incorporated.

Add the liquid mixture into the center of your dry ingredients. Carefully blend all ingredients until there are no large lumps. You will see bubbles begin to from when the mixture rests, this is when the batter is ready to pour.

Carefully fill each section of your preheated waffle maker. Do not overfill your waffle maker, or you will have a gooey mess on your hands. After a few rounds, you will know just how much batter makes the perfect sized waffle, in your machine.

Serve your waffles with syrup and a variety of toppings (e.g., fresh fruit, whipped cream, powdered sugar, chocolate chips, nuts, etc...).

Enjoy!