Oatmeal Waffles

I'm not a huge fan of traditional oatmeal. I've tried different brands, different cooking methods, different flavor add-ins to no avail. So while the rest of my family downs their morning bowls, I look for other ways for me to get the health benefits from this high fiber/protein/heart-healthy/B-vitamin/complex-carbohydrate grain. I've tried this and this and my personal favorite this. But when I saw Alton Brown dedicate two full episodes to oat goodness, I was happy to glean a few recipes. These oatmeal waffles are DELICIOUS and unlike most whole-grain waffles that can leave a heavy feeling in your belly, you'll want several plates of these. The recipe might seem a little more complicated than opening a bag of pancake mix, but so worth the effort.

*2 c. buttermilk, room temperature

*5.5 oz. old fashioned rolled oats

*4 oz. all-purpose flour

*3 TBSP. sugar

*1 tsp. baking powder

*1 tsp. Kosher salt

*1/2 tsp. baking soda

*3 large eggs, beaten

*2 oz. unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled

Heat a 10-inch saute pan over medium heat. Add the oats and cook, stirring, until toasted (about 3 min.). Cool the oats in the pan for 2-3 minutes. Grind the toasted oats in a food processor until they reach the consistency of whole-wheat flour.

Heat your waffle iron.

Whisk together the oat flour, AP flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda in a medium bowl. In another bowl, whisk together the eggs and melted butter; then add the buttermilk. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir until combined. Let rest 5 minutes. Ladle and cook according to waffle iron recommendations, until golden brown. Top as desired to eat immediately or keep warm in a 200 degree oven. This makes enough for about 4 people.

You can easily mix the dry ingredients the night before and put your buttermilk out on the counter overnight (Alton assures me that the buttermilk is so acidic that no bacteria can grow in it even if unrefrigerated for a night) which will make it a lot faster to prepare for breakfast.