I love breakfast, especially if it involves something as delectable as the waffles and whipped cream featured in this post. The combination of fragrant lemon zest and nutty poppy seeds is such a satisfying addition to regular waffle batter - especially when you take things a step further and top it all off with fresh whipped cream flavored with pure maple syrup and vanilla extract. My husband gets the credit on this dish since it’s one of his many early morning specialties. The recipes are from “The Good Enough to Eat Breakfast Cookbook,” which is used so frequently in our kitchen that we’ve been tempted to laminate it!

Lemon-Poppy Seed Waffles with Fresh Maple Whipped Cream

Lemon-Poppy Seed Waffles
Ingredients: Makes 10 Waffles

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons wheat germ
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/4 cups whole or 2% milk
• 6 tablespoons melted butter (reserve 1 tbs to brush on waffle iron)
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 2 tablespoons poppy seeds

Note: If making the maple whipped cream put a medium metal or glass bowl in the freezer along with the attachments for a hand-held mixer.

Preheat the waffle iron (check the manufacturer’s setting and adjust according to how well done you like your waffles). Using a fork, cut the dry ingredients together thoroughly in a large bowl. Beat the eggs, milk and lemon zest together with a fork or whisk and pour into the dry ingredients. Mix together with the fork until there are no large clumps, but as with pancakes, don’t over mix! Cut in the 5 tablespoons of butter last.

When the iron is ready, brush some butter on the top and bottom of the iron. Ladle on just enough batter so that it won’t squirt over the edges when you close the iron. Sprinkle a dusting of poppy seeds over the surface of the batter and close the iron. When the waffle irons beeps or blinks (or when the waffles have been cooked to your liking), take your waffle out. Serve with maple syrup or maple-whipped cream, see below.

Note 2: The best way to re-heat waffles is in a toaster. Microwaving them makes them tough. In the oven they will dry out and if you wrap them in foil they’ll steam and get limp.

Maple Whipped Cream
Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup

Put a medium metal or glass bowl in the freezer along with the attachments for a hand-held mixer. Allow to cool for a least 15 minutes.

Put the heavy cream, vanilla and maple syrup into a your dry, cold bowl and whip with a hand-held mixer until the cream holds a soft peak. That’s it!

These recipes are from the “Good Enough to Eat Breakfast Cookbook” by Carrie Levin. We love this book and highly recommend adding it to your collection!