Blueberry Buttermilk Waffles with Fruit Compote

Waffles are one of my favorite breakfast foods. They are light and crispy outside and smooth and chewy inside. They have perfect squares to hold all of your syrup, or in this case, a nice berry compote.

I like to mix my waffle batter in a large measuring cup, that way it's easy to pour the batter directly onto the waffle iron. 

Fruit compote is one of the easiest things to make. You basically toss a few things in a small saucepan and cook them down to a sweet and tart sauce ready for any morning snack. 

Seriously, I will eat this by the spoonful if you let me...and my husband has been known to eat it next to a jar of peanut butter in the wee hours of the night.

Waffles need not be perfectly shaped, as long as they taste good!

The blueberries will burst in the waffle iron as they cook, which makes them extra delightful to bite into.

Didn't I tell you? Perfect morning plate. I like mine with eggs over easy and a link or two of veggie sausage...mmmmm.

Blueberry Buttermilk Waffles

1 C all-purpose flour

1/2 C cake flour

1/2 C whole wheat flour

2 T white sugar

1 1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 3/4 C buttermilk

2 eggs, separated

4 T butter, melted

1/2 tsp. vanilla

1/2 C fresh blueberries

In a bowl, combine flours, sugar, soda, salt and cinnamon. In a separate bowl or measuring glass, combine buttermilk, egg yolks, melted butter and vanilla. Meanwhile, beat the egg whites in a small bowl until peaks form, but still slightly soft. Beating the whites adds a lighter texture to the inside of the waffles and gives them the crispy outside that is so delicious. Make a well in the flour mixture and pour in the buttermilk. Begin to combine them, then fold in the egg whites and blueberries. Don't overmix the batter as it will get to heavy. Heat a waffle iron, pour about 1/2 C batter onto iron and cook according to your machine. 

Serve with maple syrup, or your favorite berry compote.

* A note on flours. I like to use part whole wheat flour, but it does make the waffles a bit heavier. This is why I added cake flour, to balance out the wheat. If you don't have either whole wheat or cake flour, using all a.p. flour will work fine.

Blackberry Blueberry Compote

1/2 C fresh or frozen blackberries

1/2 C fresh or frozen blueberries

2-3 T honey (depending on how sweet you like it)

2 T lemon juice

1/2 tsp. cornstarch

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

scoop of jam (optional)

In small saucepan over medium heat, combine berries, honey, lemon juice and cinnamon. Let the berries boil, they will begin to pop and break down. Using a fork, mash the berries as they get softer to break them up into smaller pieces. The mixture will begin to resemble a sauce. Place the cornstarch in a small bowl or cup with a scoop of the hot berry sauce and mix well. The cornstarch will dissolve easier and this will prevent lumps. Place the cornstarch/berry mix back into the sauce. Stir well and allow to cook for a minute or two more. The sauce will begin to thicken and be a bit more syrupy. If you would like, add a scoop of berry jam to bump up the flavor and texture of the sauce. Serve warm.