Waffles & date chocolate sauce

Golden and crispy on the outside with a soft and fluffy centre, these griddled, healthy treats contain gluten-free buckwheat flour, supplying a multitude of vitamins and minerals. These provide a little sweet solace on wet and windy days and are sure to warm the hearts of family and friends.

Ingredients (Makes 3 to 4 (depending on the size of your waffle iron)

• 75 g buckwheat flour
• 75 g almond flour or ground almonds
• 2 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• 2 tbsp date syrup (or unrefined sugar)
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 275 ml almond milk
• 2 tbsp almond butter
• 2 tsp vanilla bean paste or extract

Date chocolate sauce

• 100 ml date syrup
• 75 g raw cacao powder
• 2 ½ tbsp maple syrup

To serve

• 200 g fresh red berries,
• such as raspberries,
• strawberries and redcurrants
• 25 g toasted flaked almonds

Method

Sift both flours, the baking powder and salt into a mixing bowl and stir to combine. Add the date syrup, egg, almond milk, almond butter and vanilla bean paste or extract, then mix well until combined. Leave the batter to rest for 5 minutes.

Make the date and chocolate sauce by heating all the ingredients together in a small pan over a gentle heat. Stir until combined and glossy, then set aside until needed.

Preheat a waffle iron, spraying both sides with oil spray (coconut oil for example).

Pour a large ladleful (about 150 millilitres) of batter in the centre of the iron and spread out towards the edges with a flat-bladed knife. Close the lid and allow to cook. Repeat until all the batter is used.

Serve the waffles with the fresh fruit, a drizzle of date chocolate sauce and the toasted almonds.

This recipe is an extract from The Goodness of Nuts & Seeds by Natalie Seldon. Published by Kyle Books and available at all good bookstores, $19.99.