Friday Feast: Apple Waffles

Our version is vegan and you can let your imagination run wild when it comes to the toppings. It won’t be long before everyone in the family has decided on their favourite combo!
Suitable for vegans
MAKES 10 HEART-SHAPED WAFFLES

BATTER

• 600ml plant-based milk – we use almond milk
  
• 10g dried yeast
  
• 100ml maple syrup
  
• 500g spelt flour
  
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
  
• pinch of salt
  
• 150ml mild vegetable oil, plus extra for greasing
  
• 400g apples (about 3 apples), peeled and roughly grated toppings of choice, to serve (see tip, below)
  

1. Heat the milk in a pan until lukewarm, then remove from the hob. Dissolve the yeast and maple syrup in the warmed milk. Combine the flour, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl. Add the milk mixture and the oil and whisk briefly using an electric whisk until you have a smooth batter. Cover with a tea towel and leave to prove in a warm place for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
   
2. Fold the grated apples into the batter. Oil and preheat the waffle iron. For each waffle, put 2 tablespoons of the mixture onto the iron and cook until golden. Continue in this way until all the batter has been used. Serve with fresh fruit, yogurt, or other toppings of your choice (see tip, below).
   

TIP: Add one or more of the following toppings: blueberries; blackberries; fresh currants; raspberries; strawberries; apple; pear; damson; grapes; banana; frozen berries; (coconut) yogurt; fruit yogurt; fruit powder; maple syrup; honey; jam (70 per cent fruit content); coulis made from frozen raspberries; almonds; cashew nuts; hazelnuts; walnuts; pumpkin seeds; poppy seeds; popcorn; dark chocolate; cocoa nibs; coconut chips; nut butters (such as peanut); apple purée; edible flowers; mint, and so on.

READ Natural Baking by Carolin Strothe and Sebastian Keitel. DK, 7 March 2019, £12.99.