Chocolate Waffles

Chocolate Waffles

• Prep10 min
• Cook20 min
• Total30 min
• Makes4 round waffles (18 cm)
• LevelEasy

You'll need

Waffle maker · 2 mixing bowls · Whisk · Sieve · Pastry brush · Wire rack

Ingredients

For the batter

• 1 1/2 cups (190 g) maida (all-purpose flour)
• 1/3 cup (28 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/3 cup (65 g) sugar, powdered in a mixer if coarse
• 2 tsp (8 g) baking powder
• 1/4 tsp (1.5 g) salt
• 1 large egg, at room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups (360 ml) milk, at room temperature, plus 2 to 3 tbsp if needed
• 6 tbsp (85 g) butter, melted and cooled until just warm, or 6 tbsp (90 ml) oil
• 1 tsp (5 ml) vanilla essence
• 1/2 cup (85 g) mini chocolate chips or finely chopped dark chocolate (optional)

For the waffle maker

• 1 to 2 tsp (5 to 10 ml) oil, for brushing the plates

To serve (pick a few)

• Warm chocolate sauce or chocolate hazelnut spread
• Vanilla ice cream or whipped cream
• Sliced banana or strawberries
• Crushed chocolate sandwich biscuits, chopped chocolate bars or toasted nuts
• Melted white chocolate, for drizzling

Method

1. Preheat the waffle maker. Switch on the waffle maker so it heats fully while you mix the batter. If it has a temperature dial, set it to medium-high.
2. Mix the dry ingredients. Sieve the maida and cocoa powder into a large bowl, then whisk in the sugar, baking powder and salt. Sieving matters here, because lumps of cocoa do not dissolve once the milk goes in.
3. Whisk the wet ingredients. In a second bowl, whisk the egg until smooth, then whisk in the milk and vanilla, and finally the melted butter in a thin stream.
4. Combine and add the chips. Pour the wet mix into the dry and stir with a whisk just until no dry streaks remain. The batter should be thick but pourable, about like idli batter; cocoa thickens it, so add milk 1 tbsp at a time if it is stiff. Fold in the chocolate chips, if using.
5. Grease the plates. Brush the hot plates well with oil. Sugar, cocoa and melted chocolate all stick more than plain batter, so do this even on non-stick plates.
6. Pour the batter. Pour about 3/4 cup (180 ml) of batter into the centre of an 18 cm round waffle maker and spread it to about 2 cm from the edges. For a smaller or square machine, fill each grid about three-quarters full.
7. Cook until the steam stops. Close the lid and cook for 4 to 5 minutes without opening it. You cannot judge a dark waffle by colour, so watch the steam: it is done when the steam has almost stopped and the surface looks dry, with crisp edges. Do not leave it much longer, as cocoa and sugar turn bitter when overcooked.
8. Cool briefly and repeat. Lift the waffle onto a wire rack for a minute so the crust firms up. Brush away any stuck bits of chocolate from the plates with a dry pastry brush, re-grease, and repeat with the remaining batter.
9. Top and serve. Serve warm, adding toppings just before eating: chocolate sauce and a scoop of vanilla ice cream, sliced banana or strawberries, crushed chocolate biscuits, or a drizzle of melted white chocolate for a dark-and-white finish.