WILD APPLE MAGAZINE’S GLUTEN-FREE WAFFLES

A couple of years ago, my father started talking incessantly about waffles, so for his birthday, I gave him the fanciest waffle maker on the market. Since then, pancakes have been replaced by waffles on holidays at his house. Mother’s Day is this Sunday, the perfect holiday to make this recipe for Gluten-Free Waffles with Strawberry and Thyme for someone special. It was shared with us by photographer Tara Donne and food stylist Liza Jernow and is a sneak preview of the caliber of recipes you’ll find in their forthcoming magazine, Wild Apple, which will focus on gluten-free cuisine. (You can check out their Kickstarter project here.) This recipe is also another great one using strawberries, which we seem to have a tradition of featuring on the blog each May! If you don’t have strawberries, don’t let it keep you from enjoying these waffles with any other topping you’d like! Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms out there! –Kristina

About Tara and Liza: Tara Donne is a freelance editorial and commercial photographer based in Brooklyn. Her work focuses on food, travel and lifestyle and has a fresh and approachable feel. Tara’s clients include Travel + Leisure, Condé Nast Traveler, Bon Appétit, Martha Stewart Living, Country Crock, Burger King and Nestlé. Find her on instagram at@taradonnephoto. Liza Jernow is a food stylist based in NYC. She is trained as a designer and a chef and started her food styling career in the Martha Stewart Living test kitchens. Following her strong independent streak, Liza now styles for clients such as The New York Times Magazine, Elle, Vogue, Town & Country, Bon Appétit, Nestlé, Crisco and Target. Find her on instagram at @lizajernow.

See Tara and Liza’s recipe after the jump!

Gluten-Free Waffles with Strawberry and Thyme
Serves 4

• 1    teaspoon whole flax seeds
• ½    teaspoon psyllium husk power
• ¼     teaspoon chia seeds
• 1½    cups gluten-free all purpose flour without added gums* (8 ounces)
• ½     cup almond flour (1.8 ounces)
• 2    teaspoons sugar
• 2    teaspoons baking powder
• ½    teaspoon baking soda
• ½      teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1½    cups buttermilk
• 2    tablespoons melted butter, plus extra for cooking
• 2    tablespoons sour cream or the cream from the top of a can of coconut milk

In a clean coffee grinder, grind flax, psyllium, and chia seeds into a powder, whisk to combine with flour, almond meal, sugar, baking powder, soda, and salt in a medium bowl.  Add buttermilk, butter, and sour cream and whisk until smooth. Let sit for 15 minutes to allow the liquid to absorb into the flour and to activate the binding qualities of the ground seeds.

Heat your waffle iron. Butter hot iron and drop batter onto it, leaving a border of ½ inch on all sides. Close the iron and cook until golden brown and crisp. Repeat until all the batter is gone, adding more butter to the iron as needed. Serve immediately with strawberry topping or hold on a sheet pan fitted with a wire cooling rack in a warm oven until ready to serve.

Strawberry Thyme Topping

• 1½  cups sliced fresh strawberries (6 ounces)
• ½   teaspoon orange zest
• 2    tablespoons sugar
• 1    teaspoon chopped thyme

Toss the strawberries with the orange zest, sugar and thyme in a bowl; allow to stand for 15 minutes.

*If using a gluten-free all purpose flour that contains gums, eliminate the psyllium, chia, and flax

Why Tara and Lisa love this recipe

We love this fluffy, crunchy waffle for so many reasons! First, we love breakfast in bed and Mother’s Day is the perfect holiday for that. This recipe is also easily adapted to be vegan. (Just use flax or coconut milk from the dairy section in place of buttermilk and coconut oil in place of butter.) Though strawberries are available year round, their true season is just starting, which means they are at the peak of their flavor. Tender new shoots of thyme are emerging too, giving a delicate herbal flavor to the sauce. (Portrait by Sidney Bensimon)