Lemon Poppy Seed Waffles

When I was 12 years old, I spent a week or so one summer helping my Dad bring a friends yacht down through the waters of the Puget Sound to its home port near Seattle. I loved the time we spent on the water and even at that age, I was pretty comfortable in the kitchen. I spent much of the time in the ships galley preparing food and even managed to whip up some cinnamon rolls with some yeast I found in the back of one of the cupboards. The months after that trip were spent dreaming of ways that I could spend a life on the water and even today I think it would be great sometime to retire to a nice boat and just travel around the world.

The Quantell

For now though I'll have to live vicariously through others that do it and fortunately there are plenty of them. One in particular is Annie Mahle, the chef and co-owner of the J.& E. Riggin, a beautiful schooner out of Rockland Maine. I received a copy of her latest cookbook. Sugar &Salt, where she details month by month her recipes that she uses both on land at while at sea aboard her boat. It's a great collection of recipes and a fun way to see how life on the water changes the way you think about cooking!

Recipe
The last recipe in her book is for waffles and then there are six variations that you can try. The one that caught my eye was the Lemon Poppy Seed. They were light and fluffy with lemon scented throughout and then the light crunch from the blue poppy seeds. Topped with strawberries and freshly whipped cream, how could you possibly go wrong?

Lemon Poppy Seed Waffles

Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons poppy seeds
3 eggs, separated
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 3/4 cups buttermilk
2 teaspoons lemon zest
6 tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons lemon extract

Directions
Preheat the waffle iron. In a large mixing bowl, sift all the dry ingredients. Add the poppy seeds. Mix the egg yolks, butter, buttermilk, lemon zest, juice and extract in a medium bowl. Combine with the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl - one that is clean and dry - beat the egg whites until they form stiff peaks. Fold into the batter, then follow the directions for your waffle iron.

Shelby from Diabetic Foodie did a great interview with Annie and also has some links to others in the Virtual Potluck group that made recipes from her new book. Go check it out here!

Giveaway

I've also got a copy of her book to give away. Leave a comment below telling me which recipe from the roundup you'd want to try first!

For an extra entry, like Thyme In Our Kitchen on facebook, and leave an extra comment here telling me that you do!

The contest will run through Tuesday, September 4, 2012. The winner will be chosen at random on Wednesday, September 5, 2012.

 

*Disclaimer: I received a copy of Sugar & Salt as well as one to give away. All opinions are my own.