Grain Waffles with Warm Cherries

Poppy seed flecked and golden crusted, these waffles are light as a feather with a buttermilk tang. Barley flour gives lightness, rye give depth and oat and millet add further flavour interest. If you don’t have all these flours then just pick 2 instead – even plain wholemeal flour would work.

You will need a waffle maker – a stove top one will set you back about £15 and doesn’t take up as much cupboard space as the electric ones. Weekend breakfasts will never be the same.

MAKES 4 WAFFLES

50g barley flour
50g oat flour
50g rye flour
50g millet flour
2 tablespoons of light brown sugar
1 tablespoon of gluten free baking powder
2 tablespoons of poppy seeds
450ml buttermilk
3 eggs
50g butter, melted
zest of 1 lemon

for the cherries

500g of pitted fresh or frozen cherries
2 tablespoons of demerera sugar

to serve;

plain yoghurt or crème friache
more poppy seeds
good thick honey

Put your waffle maker on a low heat to warm up.

Put your cherries into a pan with the sugar and bring to a gentle simmer, cook for 10 minutes until just softened.

In a mixing bowl mix all your dry ingredients. In another bowl or jug whisk the eggs and buttermilk together with the lemon zest.

Pour the wet into the dry mix and whisk together until you have a mostly smooth good thick batter.

Ladle the mixture into your hot waffle maker and close the lid, leave it for a couple of minutes to crisp up without peeking. Each waffle should take between 4 and 5 minutes depending on your waffle maker. They are ready once they are an even golden brown.

Serve each waffle with a pile of warm cherries, a good sprinkling of poppy seeds, a spoonful of good honey and some yoghurt or crème fraiche.

This recipe was first published in Jamie Magazine.

Images: Martin Poole