Sweet Potato Walnut Waffles

In an effort to get some sort of fruit or vegetable into the kid's diets I have resorted to fruit or veggie filled pancakes, muffins, breads or waffles.  Having inherited the "I must have carbs each and every day" gene from me I can always count on the plate of baked good being kindly received and by adding a measure of whole grains, eggs, nuts and milk they are getting a few of their food group requirements met in a package that works on the run.

Waffles have always been a favorite of Liv's and these Sweet Potato Walnut Waffles are no exception.  As the UPS Man so kindly left us a new waffle maker (oh how I love seeing these boxes on the doorstep!) we had the perfect opportunity to try it out.  She's not a huge nut fan, but if I put just a few in the batter she no longer complains.  Walnuts, with their heart healthy omega-3 fatty acids and a measure of vitamin E have been shown to be exceptionally good for you in moderation.  Chopped and added to the waffle batter they not only provide a health benefit, but give a wonderfully welcome texture as well as their nutty flavor.  A few tablespoons of ground flax meal only increase the benefits.

Versatility is another benefit of this recipe as any sort of squash will work well in place of the sweet potato.  I happened to have sweet potato on hand and a few tablespoons of pumpkin left over from our recent Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls and mixing the two together gave an additional vitamin and fiber boost to the waffles.  Spiced with cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and a pinch of cloves your kitchen will be a haven of fall!

Sweet Potato Walnut Waffles

recipe by Kim Kelly - Liv Life

⅔ cup pureed sweet potato, pumpkin or other squash

1¼ cups all purpose flour

¼ cup whole wheat flour

2 Tbs ground flax meal

2½ tsp baking powder

2-4 Tbs finely chopped walnuts

¼ tsp salt

½ tsp cinnamon

¼ tsp ginger

⅛ tsp nutmeg

pinch cloves

1¼ cup milk

2 Tbs brown sugar

2 eggs

1½ Tbs vegetable oil

¾ tsp vanilla extract

Puree or mash left over sweet potato with a bit of water to obtain the consistency of canned pumpkin... I had left over baked sweet potatoes and mixed 1-2 Tbs Tbs of water during pureeing as mine were fairly dry.

Lightly spoon flours into measuring cups and level with a knife, pour into a medium mixing bowl with flax, baking powder, walnuts and spices.  In a smaller bowl combine the pureed sweet potato or pumpkin, milk, brown sugar, eggs, oil and vanilla, whisking until smooth.  Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix gently, just until combined.  Add additional milk or water if the mixture is too thick.

Ladle the batter into your waffle maker per your makers directions and cook for about 4 minutes, or per your makers directions, or until cooked through and lightly browned.

Serve with additional chopped walnuts, butter and syrup!