Banana Nutella Waffles

I've wanted a waffle iron for as long as I can remember. I don't know what I waited for, but I finally got one in November.   My first batch was lame.  They didn't rise and had no flavor.  But my friend Josie alerted me to the "Waffle of Insane Greatness".   Since I got my waffle iron right around the holidays, I was making mostly egg nog waffles.   Since egg nog season is over (and egg nog only adds to the calorie overload), I've been looking for a different way to infuse extra flavor into my waffles.

The "Waffle of Insane Greatness" is a very good recipe.  I like that it uses cornstarch in it, making a very light and spongy waffle inside that absorbs the syrup so nicely, and a perfectly crunchy outside.   It employs buttermilk in the liquids, which I really like.   But I felt like it was missing something so this past weekend, I started experimenting (which I rarely do).

First I ran out of buttermilk.  I only had a half a cup.  It is perfectly ok to use a half cup of buttermilk and a half cup of regular milk.   But I was thinking of how I'd been using egg nog instead of milk and decided to find something else to make up for that half cup I was missing that would bring big flavor.  That's when I decided to put the syrup in the waffles.

I am also a fan of fruit in my waffles and at the last minute threw in some mashed bananas.  I made my husbands first before I added bananas and they were very tasty with or without bananas.

And finally, because I put syrup in the waffles, I decided to make a nutella sauce to put on the waffles.   Bananas and nutella are as perfect as peanut butter and jelly (only better).  I was very happy this adaptation and will definitely make the syrup infused waffles again.  I am eager to experiment with different fruits and compotes as the summer fruits come into season.

Banana Nutella Waffles
Adapted from "The Waffle Of Insane Greatness"

3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup buttermilk (or whole milk)
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 banana, mashed (optional)

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda and salt; mix well.  Add the milk, syrup, vegetable oil, egg, sugar and vanilla and mix well.   Gently stir in mashed bananas if you are using them. Let the batter sit for 30 minutes.

Preheat a waffle iron.  Do not use non-stick spray on the iron; the oil in the batter will allow the waffle to release easily.  Follow the directions on your waffle iron to cook the waffle.  Serve immediately.

I heated some nutella until it was smooth enough to stir and pour and topped the the hot waffles with it just before serving.