There's got to be a better way to make pancakes

[abbiroads]

Do you do oats? I make waffles that are just beans and oats, supper cheap, simple and filling.

[BlessedBlue]

Originally Posted by Blue-EyedLady

I've tried both sizes, actually. The small ones don't take any less time to cook. Large ones are harder to flip, so I try to make them smaller.

I may borrow my MIL's waffle iron and experiment with that. BlessedBlue - what flour mix are you using? Do you grease the iron before each waffle? What kind of fat do you use?

Part of the difference you and I have lies in the fact that I can use eggs, and you can't. So I've already got protein built in. My waffle iron has a non-stick coating, so as long as it is clean, it doesn't need any extra oiling. The mix I have is currently sweet rice flour, tapioca flour, amaranth, buckwheat and potato starch flours.

If you're using bean flours, that might take care of the protein issue.

I use olive oil in the batter.

[Blue-EyedLady]

Originally Posted by abbiroads

Do you do oats? I make waffles that are just beans and oats, supper cheap, simple and filling.

Recipe? GF oats aren't that cheap, but I'm willing to try out a new recipe if it's tested and approved.

[abbiroads]

http://www.plantea.com/oat-bean-waffles.htm
I mostly followed the reciepe the first time . I have never used dry beans, always cooked because that was what I had. Now I put the oats in a bowl, then the beans, cover with hot water for a bit, process in the food proccessor adding hot water to get a thick-ish batter, put it back in the bowl, add a bit of salt a bunch of cinamon and maybe some vanilla. They do take a while to bake in the waffle iron, but the reheat REALLY well in the toaster, even from frozen, and my biggest eater (the one who can eat 2 frozen pizzas and be confused about why we won't gie him more) has never eaten more than 4 at a meal. I have been making them for months and the kids still eat them freguently.

[hopeforchange]

i think a non-stick griddle is the key. i got rid of all my non-stick stuff b/c i know it's horrible to use. but when we moved in this house, the ppl who lived here before us left behind a HUGE, non-stick griddle. i resisted using it for a long time but finally gave in. i can cook a whole batch of pancakes in like half the time it used to take me.

[Blue-EyedLady]

Originally Posted by abbiroads

http://www.plantea.com/oat-bean-waffles.htm
I mostly followed the reciepe the first time . I have never used dry beans, always cooked because that was what I had. Now I put the oats in a bowl, then the beans, cover with hot water for a bit, process in the food proccessor adding hot water to get a thick-ish batter, put it back in the bowl, add a bit of salt a bunch of cinamon and maybe some vanilla. They do take a while to bake in the waffle iron, but the reheat REALLY well in the toaster, even from frozen, and my biggest eater (the one who can eat 2 frozen pizzas and be confused about why we won't gie him more) has never eaten more than 4 at a meal. I have been making them for months and the kids still eat them freguently.

I'm borrowing MIL's waffle iron and trying this tomorrow! I love the fact that there's no eggs in the recipe!

[teamommy]

I think the key must be including ingredients that fill you up more, or other things with breakfast. Pancakes do take a while here, but but my kids and I each have 2 medium sized ones each, but we top with things like nut butter, or sliced almonds with bananas (softened in the skillet), or have them with a glass of soy milk or a little bit of green smoothie. We use ground whole grains, usually oatmeal, and usually no eggs.

We have tried versions of this: http://www.suegregg.com/recipes/brea...erwafflesA.htm
Which are VERY filling. Some grain combinations were not too tasty; you'd want to experiment a little bit.

I'm definitely trying Abbiroads' waffle recipe.

[Blue-EyedLady]

So I started experimenting with the waffle iron tonight while I'm in a low-pressure environment. I'm not sure waffles are for me. It took me over a half-hour to make 2 waffles. They were burned on the outside, gooey on the inside, and had to be pried from the waffle iron one square at a time, both top and bottom, despite liberal application of olive oil.

I'm going to try the oat-bean waffles tomorrow. Hopefully there's some magic there that will make my efforts edible.

[BlessedBlue]

Is it a non-stick iron? DON'T oil it - clean it.

[Blue-EyedLady]

I think it's non-stick. It's a $2 thrift store find that looks like it's from the 70's or 80's. How do you clean a hot waffle iron if you can't oil it?

FWIW, BIL made "regular" pancakes yesterday, and burned them, too, using the exact same settings I use on the stove. So maybe it's not just me.

Maybe I should just give up and feed the child cereal every morning. I mean, it has no protein, it's expensive, but it's easy. DH and I both grew up on daily cereal and we managed to grow up. I'd say we're fine, but alas, I'm sure we're not.

[BlessedBlue]

Clean the iron when it is cool. As you cook the waffles, they should release when they're done. Too soon, and they will stick and be gooey. Though, if it's scratched up, there's really no hope for it.

I'm sorry this is such an issue for you.

[Blue-EyedLady]

The waffle iron isn't scratched, but the first waffle didn't release. Maybe I didn't let it cook long enough? I had to dig it out and it left little stuck bits behind. That's when I oiled the iron, and the second one just burned to a crisp. I finally unplugged it, poured a bunch of water in it, and left it to soak. Then I took a wooden chopstick and dug out all the stuck parts. What a mess. It took forever.

Also, I can't get the waffle iron open after the waffle is cooked - I literally had to get DH to open it both times. Is that normal?

[BlessedBlue]

I've had that problem. I've never figured out how to fix it in the moment.

I do know that oiling the iron is a recipe for disaster.

I do know that too much sugar in the batter will burn it before it's fully cooked.

I know that trying to open the iron before the waffle is ready is asking for trouble.

Making anything gf is going to take trial and error. It just is. Add in the altitude problems and you're going to have to really rock your T4 and tweak and improve your system until it's right.

I've discovered that a little less sugar, and a little longer wait time helps. If the iron has an adjustable temperature knob, you want it a little less than maximum heat. Otherwise, watch the steam. When the steam slows down to a tiny stream that's when you open the iron. You don't want to wait until there is no steam (like you would with wheat) because then you can't chew the darn thing.

I've also found that they get soggy if you put them on a plate right away. Try a cookie cooling rack.

I am certain that gf waffles are even better when you re-toast them the next day, but E-Bug can't agree with that. The boys don't care. If they get their waffles (or as Goggle says, "faffle") they're good to go.

[Blue-EyedLady]

Ha! you're better than anything Google came up with tonight!

No temp knob on the iron.

[abbiroads]

The oat bean waffles take a bit of trial and error too, but it might mean adding a little more water to the batter or cooking longer.