Oat Waffles

I have a Crabtree and Evelyn cookbook that I've had since I was in high school and had romantic dreams about my life. The cookbook is arranged in menus for such special events like picnics where you have pasta salad with lobster and drink champagne. I have only made one recipe out of this book in all the years I've had it (until this morning). And that was not actually a recipe out of the book ... it was an adaptation. They have a recipe for summer fruit pudding (in the british sense) but also talk about a scandenavian dessert that I had while I lived in Denmark for a summer. I've made that dessert (once or twice).

Well, my sister and brother-in-law came to stay with us around Thanksgiving. Since Joe has Celiac Disease and can not eat anything with gluten I went searching for recipes I could make. Knowing Karen's love of waffles, I thought I could adapt the Oat Waffles in this book. The recipe does call for wheat flour but since it is in such a small quantity, I thought I could substitute in Oat flour. I thought that should go nicely with the oatmeal that is in the batter. Oats. Oats are not wheat. Right? Well, it turns out that is only partially correct. Oats are a "contaminated crop," I was told. So we couldn't have the waffles that weekend.

Well, they have been on my mind ever since then. Today, I decided to try them. I followed the recipe as written (i.e. with wheat flour). I made this decision since I was using up the last of the eggs and the last of my oats in the recipe so if it went poorly there would be no other options for breakfast. They were amazingly good! The oats gave them slightly more tooth than my normal waffle recipe that calls for seperated eggs where the whites are whipped to smooth peaks. I would like to try experimenting with other flours. So, I think I will try them on another day with the substitution of Oat flour.

Oat Waffles
(From Crabtree and Evelyn Cookbook: A book of light meals and small feasts)

3/4 c. rolled oats
3 Tbs. butter, cut into pieces
1 1/4 c. flour
1 Tbs. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2 large eggs
1 c. buttermilk

In a medium saucepan, combine oats with 1 1/4 c. water. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook, stiffing frequently, for 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir butter into hot oatmeal until melted.

Sift flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a mixing bowl. In another bowl, combine eggs and buttermilk and beat lightly. Stir oatmeal into egg-milk mixture. Add oatmeal mixture to dry ingredients and stir just until well blended; do not overbeat.

Preheat waffle iron until hot and cook waffles according to iron manufacturer's directions.