I love lazy Sundays.   Who doesn’t?  For me that means, sleeping in a little later, strong coffee, jazz, the paper and these waffles.  These waffles are delicious and the best part about them is that the batter has to be made the night before so it is super easy to whip them up for a really quick breakfast.  If you have the time definitely make the caramelized walnuts. They are totally addictive.

Waffles with Caramelized Walnuts

Adapted from The Secrets of Success Cookbook Signature Recipes and Insider Tips from San Francisco’s Best Restaurants by Michael Bauer

½ cup warm water,

1 package active, dry yeast

2 cups of milk

2 cups of all purpose flour

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted

1 ½ tsp. vanilla extract

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. sugar

2 eggs

¼ tsp. baking soda

Caramelized Walnuts

2 cups walnuts

1 Tbsp. water

½ cup sugar

Waffle Batter

In a large bowl, combine the water and yeast.  Set aside until the yeast dissolves and the mixture is foamy, about 5 minutes.

Add the milk, flour, butter, vanilla, salt, vanilla extract and sugar to the yeast mixture. Stir to blend.  Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set aside overnight at room temperature.

Caramelized Walnuts

Oil a large baking sheet or line a baking sheet with a silpat. Combine the nuts, water and sugar in a large sauté pan over medium high heat.  Stir occasionally until the sugar caramelizes, about 5 minutes.  Pour the caramelized nuts onto the prepared baking tray. Allow the nuts to cool, then transfer to a storage container and store at room temperature.

In the morning:

The next morning, heat your waffle iron according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Just before cooking the waffles, whisk the eggs and baking soda into the yeast mixture. When the waffle iron is hot, pour about ½ cup of batter onto the waffle iron.  Cook according to the manufacturer’s instructions.  Most waffle irons have a timer—if yours does not, simply crack open and check to see if your waffle has an even golden brown color.  Serve with the caramelized nuts and maple syrup.  Whipped cream and berries would be a nice touch too!

Enjoy!