That’s right, waffles for dessert that are a perfect finish for any meal from a week-end dinner with the family to fine dining entertaining.

While on a two week vacation to Grandma’s house, Hunter Hale, Junior Chef of ‘Hale’s Kitchen’ on Glutenfreeda.com, came up with three fabulous waffle dessert recipes that were so good I had to share them.  Here are three flavor variations of the same theme that you or your children can easily make and assemble:  Chocolate Chip Waffles with Vanilla Ice Cream & Chocolate Sauce, Peanut Butter Waffles with Vanilla Ice Cream and Caramel Pecan Sauce and Waffles with Vanilla Ice Cream and Roasted Strawberries with Wine & Balsamic Vinegar Sauce.

Start with the following waffle recipe then add chopped chocolate or peanut butter to create Hunter’s versions or add your own special ingredient to create a unique dessert waffle.  (By the way, without the decadent sauces, these are fabulous for breakfast too!)

While these desserts are easy to make, they are not just desserts for kids; the taste profiles are terrific and the presentations are beautiful.  These are desserts that are appropriate to serve after an elegant dinner to palate sophisticated guests.

Here’s how you do it:

Step 1:  Make the waffle
Step 2:  Scoop ice cream onto serving dishes
Step 3:  Cut waffle quarters in half, diagonally creating two triangles.  Lean two triangles against the ice cream scoops on opposite sides.  Drizzle with topping and serve!

Step 1.  The Waffle

Makes 6 servings

Ingredients

• 1 3/4 cups gluten-free flour mix, (we used Jule’s brand)
• 2 teaspoons baking powder 
• 1/2 teaspoon salt 
• 1 1/2 cups milk 
• 1 tablespoon butter, melted 
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 
• 1 large egg, separated
• 1 tablespoon sugar 

Options: 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate, chopped or 1/2 cup peanut butter

Directions

Preheat a non-stick waffle iron

Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl and set aside. Place milk, butter, vanilla, and egg yolk in a bowl and stir. Add wet mixture to flour mixture, stirring until blended.  In a separate bowl, beat egg white together with sugar with a mixer at high speed until stiff peaks form. Fold egg whites into flour mixture. Fold in chopped chocolate or peanut butter or your own ‘optional’ ingredient if desired.  Spread batter thinly onto hot waffle iron, spreading enough batter to just cover bottom of waffle iron. Cook until done; repeat procedure with remaining batter.

Chocolate Chip Waffles with Vanilla Ice Cream & Chocolate Sauce

Chocolate Chip Waffles with Vanilla Ice Cream & Chocolate Sauce

Prepare the waffles as directed above with the chopped chocolate option.  For the sauce, you can use a store-bought gluten-free chocolate sauce or make your own by melting chocolate in the top of a double boiler over simmering water.  When chocolate has melted, add 1/2 cup cream and whisk until completely blended.  Drizzle the sauce over the waffles and ice cream.

Peanut Butter Waffles with Vanilla Ice Cream & Caramel Pecan Sauce

Prepare the waffles as directed with the peanut butter option.  Directions are same as above for ice cream and sauce.  For the sauce, we purchased a store-bought gluten-free pecan caramel sauce, make sure to read the label or call the manufacturer to be sure that it is gluten-free.

Waffles with Vanilla Ice Cream and Roasted Strawberries with Wine & Balsamic Vinegar Sauce

Prepare the waffle without the additional options.

For Roasted Strawberries w/Wine & Balsamic Vinegar Sauce:

Ingredients:

• 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
  
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  
• 2 pints fresh strawberries, tops removed
  
• 2 Tablespoons brown sugar
  
• 3 Tablespoons dry red wine
  
• 1-1/2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  
• 1 Tablespoon unsalted butter, chilled

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400°F.
Add 2 Tablespoons butter to an oven-safe skillet and melt butter in oven. Add vanilla extract to butter and stir to combine.
Place strawberries, cut-sides down, in skillet and sprinkle with brown sugar. Bake at 400°F for 10 minutes or until berries are soft. Remove pan from oven.
With a slotted spoon, remove berries from pan and set aside to let cool.
Add wine and vinegar to skillet and simmer over medium heat until reduced slightly.
Remove from heat and whisk in chilled butter.Scoop ice cream on a serving dish, lean waffles against ice cream and top with roasted strawberries and sauce.

- Thank you Chef Hunter!

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