Waffle iron amazingly versatile

Credit: DaytonDailyNews

The book: "Will It Waffle: 53 Irresistible and Unexpected Recipes to Make in a Waffle Iron" by Daniel Shumski; 212 pages, $14.95. Published by Workman, 2014.

What you get: This book proves that the humble waffle iron can take you through lunch, snacks and appetizers, and dinner with creative savory dishes as well delightful desserts. Recipes I'm interested in trying are Toasted Cheese Wavioli (Page 71); Waffled Tamale Pie (P. 114); Sweet-and-Sour Waffled Shrimp Wontons (P. 125); and Red Velvet Waffle Ice Cream Sandwiches (P. 169).

In her own words: "There's something about waffle geometry and the transformative power of the waffle iron that turns a recipe into an adventure." — Daniel Shumski

What we made:

WAFFLED OATMEAL CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES (P. 163)

½ cup unsalted butter, softened

½ cup firmly packed light brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

½ cup all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon salt

¾ cup old-fashioned rolled oats

¾ cup semisweet mini chocolate chips

Nonstick cooking spray

1. Preheat the waffle iron on medium.

2. In a large bowl, beat the butter and brown sugar with an electric hand mixer until mostly smooth.

3. Add the eggs and vanilla, then continue beating until they’re fully incorporated.

4. In a medium-size bowl, combine the flour, baking soda and salt. Add these dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until few streaks of flour remain.

5. Add the oats and chocolate chips and stir to combine.

6. Coat both sides of the waffle iron grid with nonstick spray.

7. Place a heaping tablespoon of dough onto each waffle section, allowing room for the cookies to spread. Close the lid and cook until the cookies are set and beginning to brown. This won’t take very long — 2 or 3 minutes, depending on the heat of your waffle iron. The cookies should be soft when you remove them and will firm up as they cool.

8. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool.

9. Repeat steps 6 through 8 until the remaining batter has been waffled.

Our assessment: I'm a believer; it really works! Waffling four at once, I could make a dozen in a little more than 6 minutes. They taste great, and I love the mini-size chips; in fact, I may forget my collection of chocolate chip cookie recipes and stick to this one.

Online: Watch me make these cookies on our website!

About the Author