Sunday's Are For Brunches

In the (almost) three years that Nate and I have been dating, I have never cooked for my in-laws. Weird, right? So this trip I decided to cook them brunch. But what should I make? I wanted to stay in the Southern realm due to my newfound residency (got my drivers license and registered to vote!) but I also wanted it to be easy to make and that everyone would enjoy. 

I consulted my Southern Living Feel Good Food cookbook that my Sissy bought for me as a housewarming gift (thank you, Sissy!) and found a recipe that was definitely brunch approved: Lemon Poppyseed Waffles with Blackberry (blueberry) Maple Syrup. 

Lemon Poppyseed Waffles 

2 C all-purpose baking mix 

1-2 Tbsp poppy seeds (I used 1 1/2 Tbsp but you can always use more. Or less.) 

1 Tbsp lemon zest 

4 Tbsp butter, melted

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 1/4 C cold club soda 

In a medium bowl, whisk together the baking mix, poppy seeds and zest. 

In a smaller bowl, mix together butter, egg and club soda. The club soda helps the batter to remain light and fluffy, resulting in light and fluffy (not to mention delicious) waffles. 

 

Mix dry with wet ingredients and let sit for 3 minutes. 

Heat your waffle iron according to factory instructions and grease with non-stick spray. Fill waffle wells with 1/4-1/2 C of batter and cook for 5-7 minutes. 

Blackberry (Blueberry) Maple Syrup 

1/2 C pure maple syrup 

12 oz blackberries (we used blueberries because the State Farmer's Market we shop at had fresh blueberries for super cheap but no blackberries in sight)

2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice 

1 Tbsp lemon zest 

This recipe is really simple: mix all ingredients in a bowl. Really, that's it. No other effort required. We put the leftover syrup in a mason jar in the fridge to infuse the syrup even further for future use.

These heavenly waffles were served with baked bacon, and fresh Brie cheese (also picked up at the State Farmer's Market)  with crackers. I truly enjoyed having my in-laws here this weekend (and showing off my culinary chops). Enjoy your first day of football, readers! I know my fantasy team could use a couple wins today!