Batter Up

I remember fondly, summer mornings at my grandmother Anna’s house, eagerly anticipating the sizzle of the batter hitting the pan, sweetly scented steam rising from the sides. Sun streaming through the kitchen window, the seemingly endless wait from pan to plate.   The crisp crust meltingly yielding to a pillowy soft interior, slightly sweet and ready to hold whatever toppings you choose.  The salty contrast of the melted butter and sticky syrup pooling in the perfectly formed squares.  MMMMM......Waffles.  Need I say more?

I know with the convenience of prepackaged frozen foods, long ago favorites were lost to their significantly easier counterparts.  But, as is so often the case, upping the convenience factor causes a serious shrinkage in both the quality of the product and most significantly of all, the taste.  So when I do haul out the waffle iron, I make it worth my while, whipping  up a big ole batch, to stick in the freezer ready at any moment  for a brief bake in  the toaster oven.  This, I guess, is the original idea of a PlannedOver.  Making something in advance with plans to use it at a later time.  And I do that.  Often.  But one thing I really like to do is have things prepared in advance that I can find an alternate use for, kind of a second life, a dual purpose I suppose.  I imagine you could make chicken and waffles, which is so all of the rage right now, and I don’t really get it, and I don’t really fry chicken either.  Shocking, I know, me living in the south and whatnot.

Finding myself with sort of unexpected weeknight dinner guests I decided to create a play on the waffle ice cream cone.  I also found myself with a “non-edible” apple.  I love apples.  Let me restate that, I love good, flavorful, crisp, tasty, delicious, juicy apples.  Braeburn, Fuji, Pink Lady, Jazz, I’m not particular on the varietal, I am however incredibly particular that my apple should have at least some, if not all of the aforementioned attributes.  And if not ALL of them, it should at least be tasty, if not what is the point of eating it?  And on this day, in this particular case, this apple tasted like cold wet nothing.  So my last minute guests, PlannedOver waffles,  and a desire to allow this poor pitiful excuse for an apple achieve its destiny as a tasty morsel, Ied to the creation of Apple Pie Butter Seared Waffles with Caramel Sauce and Creme Anglaise aka, in my case, melted vanilla ice cream.

Apple peeled, cored and cubed

Cinnamon

Nutmeg

Butter

Sugar

Water

Dash of cornstarch

Combine all in a saucepan over low heat and allow the apple to soften and for the other ingredients to impart some much needed flavor to the sad tasteless apple.  You might have to add additional water until the apple is soft and you have a nice thick syrup.

Waffles - grab from the freezer and defrost first.

Melt butter in a saute pan - add waffle, saute until golden on each side.

To plate - spoon melted vanilla ice cream onto 4 plates, top with 1/4 of waffle and divide apple mixture atop each.

Drizzle with caramel sauce and serve.

It was a hit!  Enjoy!!!