Whole Wheat Waffles

Thursday mornings around our house tend to be a little less rushed because it's my no running day (I look forward to Thursdays).  Most mornings, I feel like I'm rushing around taking bites of toast or spoonful’s of cereal in between spreading peanut butter and jam on pieces of bread for my boys lunches or telling Preston again and again (and again) to hurry and get ready for school.  Some mornings I wait until my boys have walked out the door to sit down at the table and eat my waffle while Stella watches Super Why.  Every once in awhile, it's nice to be able to enjoy every bite of a meal with few interruptions.  (A waffle my way is topped with bananas, toasted unsweetened coconut and pure maple syrup.  Mmmmmmmm!  It's perfectly delicious!)

Whole Wheat Waffles

1 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons aluminum-free baking powder (see note)
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar
1/3 cup butter, melted
1 1/4 cups lukewarm milk
1/2 cup lukewarm buttermilk
1 large egg
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Heat waffle iron on high heat.  In a medium sized bowl, combine the whole wheat flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar; set aside.  In another bowl, combine melted butter, milk, egg, orange juice and vanilla and whisk to combine.  Add wet ingredients to dry ingredient and stir until just combined.  Be careful not to over mix.  Add batter to preheated waffle iron and cook until golden brown (or until your waffle iron beeps to tell you that your waffle is done).  Remove cooked waffles from waffle iron and serve immediately.  (You can also keep the waffles warm in a preheated 250 degree oven.)

*The first time I made these waffles, I didn't have aluminum-free baking powder, but I quickly found out (thanks to Google) that you can make your own.  For one teaspoon of aluminum-free baking powder, combine 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar, 1/4 teaspoon baking soda, and 1/4 teaspoon cornstarch.  I actually like these waffles better, when I make my own aluminum-free baking powder.

*I also like these waffles better when I use a Belgian waffle iron.

Recipe slightly adapted from The Faux Martha