Gingerbread Waffles

I'll admit it... it's my second day back at work and I'm already missing the freedom of vacation. This feeling is of course deepened by the anxiety surrounding the impending interview for my dream job at the end of the month.  And with that, I'll reveal my secret... I'm interviewing for a tenure track Assistant Professor position in the Chemistry Department at Carnegie Mellon. I was not intending to apply this year, rather this was supposed to be my dreamy year of new beginnings (you know, like getting married, learning about biological research, bike racing, blogging, ect) Instead my future jumped up and demanded to be attended to immediately. Such is life! I'm very excited for this opportunity and hope that you will keep your fingers crossed for me!

Beyond that though, the vacation time was amazing. I attended my 10 year high school reunion, spent time with my family and new extended family, got many hilly rural miles in on the bike, and spent two uninterrupted weeks with the love of my life. My only regret? No one got me a cookbook for Christmas!!! Don't get my wrong, I got many beautiful gifts including a ninja blender (!!!), a springform cake pan, and an expensive black suit for the upcoming interview. But cookbooks are kinda the go to gift for me, you know, like candles or soap for most people. I guess because I've been making up so many recipes, my loved ones assumed that I no longer needed inspiration from a book. So upon my return, I dug up my cookbooks from the last couple of years and spent a lovely time going through them in the soft glow of my Christmas tree lights drinking a cup of hot ginger tea.

This recipe however, was not inspired by a cookbook. Instead, I've just been rather obsessed with gingerbread lately. Molasses and ginger are a truly winning combination and I just can't get enough! Molasses is a nutritional powerhouse, disguised as a sweetener.  To remind you, one tablespoon of good molasses has 20% of your daily value of iron, more potassium than a banana, and is a good source of vitamin B6, calcium, manganese and magnesium. Meanwhile, ginger has been valued for its anti-inflammatory properties for centuries. This recipe pairs the flavors with oats, which makes the recipe quite the keeper! If you do not have a waffle iron, you should buy this one or you can thin the batter with an additional ~1/2c water and cook them as pancakes. I served the waffles warm with walnuts, maple syrup, and a dusting of powdered sugar. I hope you enjoy them as much as we did!

Gingerbread Waffles

3c oats, measure then food process to a fine powder
2T cornstarch
1.5t baking powder
2T brown sugar
3 pieces candied ginger, ground in a coffee grinder or 1T powdered ginger
1T cinnamon
0.25c molasses
0.75c water
1c almond milk
1T oil (optional, recommended if your waffle iron is prone to sticking but unnecessary if you have a good non-stick coating)

Mix dry ingredients, then add the wet. Add batter to waffle maker and cook according to your appliance's direction. Serve warm with maple syrup. Alternatively, you can thin the batter with an additional ~1/2c water and cook them as pancakes!