I fell off the face of the planet for a while. In fact, I missed our blogiversary. (Gasp!) I feel a little bit like I owe someone some flowers and a box of chocolate. You forgive me, right? I just knew you would. You’re good like that. You understand that if I’ve been distant for awhile, it’s not because I don’t love you.

So, what the heck has been going on this month? Well, there was an absolutely insane two-week stint at work, several tomatillo recipes (yay!), a failed apple bagel attempt (wah wah), an awesome head cold that’s still lingering, the birth of baby Delia and then baby Ned, the newest additions to our extended Providence family, a waffle party for my lovely Heather’s 30th birthday, lots of relying on freezer staples, and another Cookbook Club potluck. I promise to share some of the successes of the month in the coming days/weeks, but for now, let’s talk about waffles.

Breakfast is pretty much my favorite meal ever. So, when Heather said she wanted to celebrate her 30th with a 5K road race and a brunch to follow, I was all over it. Since we’d be at the race before breakfast, we decided to keep it relatively simple: two kinds of waffles with lots of toppings, baked oatmeal, and some meaty and faux-meaty sides.

Heather won her age category just in the nick of time! (We celebrated her 30th a few days before the actual day.)

I had made lemon ricotta pancakes before, but never waffles. These turned out to be the hit of the party – they were flying off of the waffle irons! And unlike their pancake sisters, these little ones don’t require separating and whipping egg whites. Now we’re talking!

Disclaimer: I failed to take a single picture of the lemon ricotta waffles. All photos are of the whole wheat ones we also made.

Lemon Ricotta Waffles – via Joy the Baker

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon zest
• 1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 cup part-skim milk ricotta cheese
• 3/4 cup water or milk (I used water)

Method:

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar. Stir in the lemon zest and set aside.
2. In a bowl or large measuring cup, whisk together butter, eggs, vanilla, lemon juice, ricotta, and water until thoroughly combined.
3. Add the wet ingredients all at once to the dry ingredients and stir to combine. Try not to over mix the batter – if there are a few lumps, that’s okay.
4. Heat you waffle iron according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Dollop batter into the waffle iron and cook until golden brown. Serve immediately.

Since we were expecting about 30 guests, we quadrupled this recipe (and the whole wheat one) by making two double batches. We had four waffle irons going: the standard workhorse you probably grew up with, two fancy waffle irons that flip (like at the hotel continental breakfast bar!), and our small stovetop waffler that works like a charm (on which we like to make small tic-tac-toe board waffles). We had friends and family helping to cook at each station. It was fun to look around and see everyone pitching in, enjoying themselves, and celebrating Heather!

Heather and I had prepped the batter the night before and then covered the bowls with a damp paper towel and plastic wrap. Worked like a charm! All they needed was a good stir and to come to room temp and they were ready to go. We also wound up with about a dozen extra waffles, which we flash-froze on a cookie sheet and then put in freezer bags for easy weekday breakfasts. They heat up really nicely in the toaster oven.

Another great recipe to add to the books (or, err, blog)! I enjoyed mine with fresh strawberries and maple syrup, but they are wonderful all by themselves. Enjoy!