Satisfying because of flavor, because of texture, because they evoke breakfast tables from farmhouse to penthouse--my stars we love oats. (And you know we also love make-ahead breakfasts). These waffles are a lot like cooked oatmeal, only even chewier and, because the iron has browned them, more delicious. Imagine a perfect Saturday morning breakfast. Friday night you are tired, but you go to a movie with someone whose company you love and when you get home you think, “yes, I can spend eight minutes before bed making a quick waffle batter.” Maybe you were really smart and mixed the dry ingredients BEFORE the movie, so now you only have 3 minutes of work to do. In either case, you mix the wet ingredients, add them to the dry, stir, cover the bowl, and place it in the fridge.
The rich, creamy way they look by morning.
The next morning, while the waffle iron heats up, set the table. Along with setting out maple syrup , you might want to include a bowl of sliced fruit--whatever is in season--or chopped bananas or applesauce. If you want, you can also empty the dishwasher while it heats up, or while the first waffle cooks. My friend always put off emptying the dishwasher until she timed how long it actually took her to do-- three minutes.
Once you start cooking the waffles, make sure you spend time just sitting at the nicely set table not checking your phone. Maybe you’ll find something pleasant to look at: a tree outside the window or a hanging plate that belonged to your grandmother. Maybe you’ll listen to some music. But make sure the primary activity is to let your body quiet and anticipate this forthcoming wundertreat for your mouth.
OVERNIGHT OATS WAFFLES
Serves 6 (makes 6 or 7 full-size round Belgian waffles)
3 cups rolled oats
3/4 cup whole wheat pastry or all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
3 cups buttermilk
3 eggs
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
The night before:
Mix the dry ingredients (oats through nutmeg) in a large bowl.
Measure buttermilk into a quart-size Pyrex measuring cup. Whisk in the eggs. Add the sugar and vegetable oil and whisk once more. Pour this mixture into the dry ingredients, stirring with a rubber spatula until no flour streaks remain. Cover and leave in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours.
The day of:
While you preheat the waffle iron to medium heat, give the batter a small stir. Pour a cup of batter onto the waffle iron, bake, and serve. They crisp up a bit a minute after they come out of the waffle iron.
We first saw a recipe similar to this on the beautifully-named blog One Lovely Life. That version is gluten-free, dairy-free, and seasoned differently, but it gave us inspiration and a strong starting point. We think it’s very important to use buttermilk. That blog recommends serving with peanut butter, which sounds really good.
Shown here with pear sauce and pure maple syrup.