Waffles with Peaches and Cream

Waffles, Peaches and Cream: "Is this heaven?" "No, it's Connecticut."

For those of you who are movie fans you'll get the pun that is intended.

It's not corn and it's not Iowa.

Having a few fresh peaches in my fruit bin and some canned whipped cream inspired me to create a breakfast meal. Why not make some waffles and serve them up with some fresh peaches that have been brushed with butter, sprinkled with some brown sugar and caramelized in a skillet or on a grill pan? All I have to say is: yummy. My mouth is watering just thinking about it.

The good thing is, you can make the waffles from a box mix you may already have on your shelf or use the from scratch method and make the recipe below. Most of the ingredients for producing them from scratch are probably in your pantry and refrigerator as well. Either way, it is a budget meal that you can serve for breakfast, put on a brunch table or have for an inexpensive evening meal.

Dry ingredients:

• 1 cup flour (all purpose)
• 1 tbsp. light brown sugar
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/8 tsp. salt (if you are using salted butter) If you are using unsalted butter use 1/4 teaspoon.

In a bowl combine all of the dry ingredients together.

Wet ingredients:

• 1 1/4 cups of milk
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 1/2 tbsp. of melted butter or margarine

In another bowl, combine the milk, egg and melted butter.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients using a spoon or a whisk. Don't over mix, the batter can be slightly lumpy.

Spray your waffle iron with a non stick cooking spray. Preheat the waffle iron and when ready, spoon or ladle in the mixture.  You can use a wooden spoon or a spatula to smooth out the batter if need be. Cook the waffles for approximately 4 minutes until they have a slightly crispy casing. Should serve at least 4.

If you are using a box mix, follow the manufacturer's directions.

The peaches:

• Peaches - halved and pit removed
• Light brown sugar
• Butter - melted

Brush some melted butter over each peach half and sprinkle with brown sugar as much or as little as you like. Over medium heat, in a frying pan cook the peaches until they start to caramelize. Remove from the pan, slice the halves in wedges and serve on top of the waffles. Add a nice dollop of freshly whipped cream or a spray from canned whipped cream.

Your family and friends will love this and so will you. You'll feel like you're at a fancy brunch or at a good breakfast place. For added ambiance, set out the good china and make the meal - whether it's for breakfast, brunch or dinner something extra special.