chocoholic waffles with cacao nibs

Cacao nibs are the cleaned, roasted and crushed pods of the cacao bean. In other words--raw, unadulterated chocolate. Sure, they're costly, but a little goes a long way. Since no sugar is added, cacao nibs are earthily bitter. Use them whenever you want to impart a pleasant, nutty crunch.

Here, I’ve paired cacao nibs with Dutch process cocoa to create these decadent Sunday morning waffles. You can eat them as I did, with Earth Balance and maple syrup. Or toast the waffles and use them to make a sinful soy ice cream sandwich.




CHOCOHOLIC WAFFLES

1 cup flour [I used ½ white spelt & ½ whole wheat pastry flour]
3 T Dutch process cocoa
1 T sugar
1 heaping T soy flour
2 tsp baking powder
pinch salt
1¼ cup soy milk
1 tsp vanilla
2 T canola oil
3 T cacao nibs

Makes 4 large or 16 small waffles.

Mix dry ingredients, except for cacao nibs, in a medium bowl. Mix wet ingredients in a separate bowl and add to dry ingredients. Mix until just combined [Do not overmix. Batter should be a bit lumpy.] Stir in the cacao nibs just before making the waffles.

Drop batter onto waffle iron and cook according to manufacturer’s instructions. [1/4 cup is the usual measure.] Try not to peek until the light tells you they are done, or they will tear apart.