Waffles!

I don't know if there is much I enjoy more in life than hearty, whole-grain breakfast breads. There is something pleasantly carb-y about breakfast, and I just love filling the house with toasty whole wheat smells on weekend mornings. I recently made a vegan coconut orange muffin recipe that I absolutely loved, and since I had oranges and shredded coconut on hand, I decided to make orange-coconut-pecan waffles. Mmm....they were really delicious. Not as light as my mom's favorite waffle recipe (which requires beating and folding egg whites into the batter)...but very good, hearty, and fiber-rich.

Orange-Coconut-Pecan Waffles

In a large bowl, whisk together:
2 c. whole wheat pastry flour, 3 T. baking powder, 1/2 t. salt, and 1 t. cinnamon.

In a blender, puree the following until smooth:
1/2 c. orange juice, 1 c. soy milk, 1/2 c. applesauce, 1 t. orange zest, the segments from one orange (don't worry about the pith - just remove the peel and any seeds), 2 T. melted margarine, 1 heaping T. ground flax meal, 1/2 t. vanilla, 3 T. brown sugar (these are not very sweet - add more brown sugar if you like)

Add the blended ingredients to the dry ingredients in the bowl, and stir until just combined. Add 1/2 c. sweetened or unsweetened coconut (I used unsweetened) and 1/3 c. chopped pecans. If the mixture is too dry, add a touch of soy milk or applesauce. Cook on a waffle iron brushed with vegetable oil and serve warm topped with coconut, pecans and syrup!