Chocolate Chip Waffles with a Salted Caramel Sauce

I was recently sent a lovely selection of the Nielsen Massey flavored extracts to use in my baking.  I have long been a fan of their Vanilla extract.  It's one of my favorites and it's been nice trying out some of the other flavours such as the Lemon, Peppermint, Almond and Chocolate!    I decided to make some waffles using the chocolate and vanilla flavors, along with a salted caramel sauce, also using the vanilla.



This is just my regular waffle recipe with a few additions.  One this lovely Nielsen Massey Chocolate extract, to give it a bit of chocolate ooomph!  And some pure chocolate chips.  I used my heart shaped waffle iron because I was making these for my sweetie pie and I do like to remind him of how much I love him every chance I get!



These are the perfect waffle.  Crisp and light, slightly moist.  The chocolate chips melted perfectly into them . . .  kind of making them taste like big crisp buttery chocolate chip cookies, except better . . . because they're waffles.



The salted caramel sauce was the perfect go with . . . sweet and a little bit salty and oh so caramel rich.  Chocolate and salted caramel . . .  the perfect combination.  



Just look at how it hugs all those crisp little waffle nooks and crannies . . .  crevices and corners . . . deliciously oozing over that buttery goodness . . .



The most difficult part was in trying to decide if these were breakfast or dessert???  With just the caramel sauce . . . breakfast . . .



A bit of squirty cream and they became dessert.   Breakfast or dessert . . .  hmmm . . .  the choice is yours!  I loved them both ways!  But then again . . .  I am somewhat of a glutton.  Good thing this is a once in a blue moon treat!



*Chocolate Chip Waffles with a Salted Caramel Sauce*

Serves 6

Printable Recipe

Breakfast or dessert?  You decide!

For the Waffles:

245g of plain flour (1 3/4 cup)

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

2 large free range egg yolks, beaten

405ml of milk (1 3/4 cup)

115ml of sunflower oil (1/2 cup)

2 large free range egg whites

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp chocolate extract

100g chocolate chips (9 TBS)

For the sauce:

200g soft light brown sugar (1 cup packed)

115 ml single cream (1/2 cup half and half)

4 TBS butter

1 TBS vanilla extract

1 1/2 tsp fleur de sel

You may also need:

icing sugar to dust

whipped cream to serve

Make the waffle batter.  Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt together in a bowl along with the chocolate chips.   Whisk the egg yolks, vanilla, chocolate extract, milk and oil together.  Add all at once to the dry mixture.  Stir just to combine.  It will be lumpy.  Whisk the egg whites until stiff peaks form.  Fold them into the batter, taking care not to over work it.  Some egg white streaks should remain.   

Whisk the brown sugar, cream and butter together in a heavy bottomed saucepan over medium low heat.  Whisk constantly for about six minutes, until the sugar and butter have melted and the mixture has thickened somewhat.  Whisk in the vanilla and salt.  Keep warm while you bake the waffles.

Heat your waffle iron according to the directions with your machine.  Spoon the batter onto the machine, taking care not to overfill and making sure there are some chocolate chips in each waffle.  Bake according to instructions with the machine.  Keep the waffles warm in a slow oven in a single layer while you bake them all.  (This helps to keep them crisp.  If you stack them they will become soggy.)    

Dust with icing sugar and serve with the salted caramel sauce and with or without whipped cream.  The choice is yours to make!  

 Nielsen Massey Extracts and Flavorings are enjoyed by restaurant and bakery chefs, manufacturers of premium foods, gourmet food shops and grocers and discriminating home consumers looking to enhance their fine cooking and baking.  Family owned and now being operated by a third generation  of Nielsens they are available at fine shops all over the UK and throughout the world. They use the finest ingredients and methods to produce what I think is an excellent and quality product.   I have long used their vanilla and am now a big fan of their other flavors as well.  Watch this space!

Many thanks to Joanna for sending me this lovely selection and to Nielsen Massey.

Follow them on Twitter
For more recipes and information check out their website.