2 eggs, separate whites and yokes  •  1 1/2 C flour 
2 T sugar  •  2 tsp baking powder  •  1 tsp baking soda  •  salt, dash
2 C buttermilk  •  1/2 C canola oil  •  1 C chocolate chips, semi-sweet

Growing up, traditions have always been something important in my family, usually tied to a time of celebration and always including food! Now my husband and I have kids we wanted to start some fun and exciting traditions of our own. These heavenly chocolate chip birthday waffles happen to be a long awaited favorite for us all. As I though about how to start each of our birthdays in celebration I quickly knew I would make a sweet version of my grandmothers famous buttermilk waffles. I knew that the combination of the tangy buttermilk and the semi-sweet chocolate would create a brilliant birthday waffle of richness and fluff. My one rule about this dish is that I WILL NOT make these waffles for you unless it’s your birthday, so they are extra special. Don’t worry, we are all about sharing in this family so, even if it’s not your birthday, everyone’s enjoying a plate of their own. I encourage you to make a food tradition in your own kitchen, have fun with it and make enough to share. Oh, and thanks grandma for the great original recipe!

Preheat waffle iron to high
Carefully read through the instructions for your waffle iron before you use it. Each unit cooks a little differently.

Prep: Set egg whites aside, if yoke runs into the whites it is best to start over with new eggs. In a medium-size mixing bowl, combine egg yokes, buttermilk and canola oil and set aside. In a large mixing bowl combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar and a dash of salt. Mix dry ingredients and then beat in egg yoke mixture on medium speed, use rubber spatula to scrape edges and blend well. Mixture will be slightly runny and bubbly. In a separate medium-size bowl, beat egg whites on high until soft peaks have formed. At this point watch whites to make sure they don’t stiffen to quickly and fall. You want the egg whites to just peak on their own and then immediately stop your mixing. Gently fold egg whites into the waffle batter. The batter will now be light, airy and appear chunky, as the egg whites will still appear in clumps on top of the batter. Spray waffle iron well to coat before you add the batter. Using a 1-cup measuring cup, scoop the batter and place it in the center of the hot waffle iron. Sprinkle desired amount of chips on top of the batter, add more batter as necessary and close iron, allowing the batter to cook until the waffle iron gives you the okay to open it again.

Serves 4-6

notes: This basic waffle recipe has room to grow, you can be as creative as you want with it. Just make sure you whip the egg whites properly in order to get a nice peak, this will ensure your waffles to be light, fluffy and golden. Serve hot waffles with room temperature salted butter, warmed maple syrup and a few extra chocolate chips on top. Here’s a hint about when your waffles are ready in the iron: if the waffle iron has indicated that the waffles might be ready and you begin to lift the iron up but the iron seems stuck, go ahead and give it a little more time and try again. This may be because you didn’t spray the iron enough or it could be because the waffles just aren’t done!

buy it now: If you don’t have your own cooking oil sprayer I suggest using the Trader Joe’s Canola Oil cooking spray. I would suggest purchasing your own sprayer because it is cheaper in the long run and more healthy. I recommend using this oil sprayer.

… love and a happy birthday wish to my mom, this chocolate chip birthday waffle is for you! MMM, and it’s sooo good too. lol. Also, a happy birthday to my friend JJ in Albuquerque, NM.