• Christmas tree waffles? Say no more!

    Festive waffles

    By Nomvuselelo Mncube Serves: Makes 32
    Total Time: 1 hr

    Ingredients

    • WAFFLES

    • 315g cake flour
    • 1 tbsp baking powder
    • ½ tsp salt
    • 2 tbsp white sugar
    • 3 extra-large eggs, lightly whisked
    • 500ml (2 cups) buttermilk
    • 100g salted butter, melted
    • sunflower oil, to grease
    • 32 wooden lolly sticks
    • TOPPINGS

    • 100g milk chocolate, roughly chopped
    • 100g white chocolate, roughly chopped
    • 1 x 360g tin Nestlé Caramel Treat
    • 1 x 100g packet dried cranberries
    • candy stars in the colours of your choice
    • 1 x 200g pack salted pretzels, roughly crushed

    Instructions

    1

    For the waffles, sift the cake flour, baking powder and salt together in a medium bowl. Make a well in the centre and add the sugar and lightly beaten eggs. Using a whisk, beat the mixture until the sugar and eggs are well incorporated. Stir in the buttermilk and melted butter. Mix until well combined. Set aside.

    2

    Grease a 15,5cm round waffle iron with the sunflower oil and place over medium-high heat. Using a ladle, pour some of the batter into the hot waffle iron. Close the waffle iron and cook until the waffle is golden brown, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and place the waffle on a plate and set aside. Repeat with the remaining batter until you have made 8 waffles.

    3

    For the topping, place the roughly chopped milk and white chocolate in two separate plastic (not glass) bowls and microwave on the defrost setting in 10-second bursts until the chocolates have melted. Set aside.

    4

    Using a sharp knife, cut the waffles into quarters. Working with one at a time, carefully insert a wooden lolly stick into the base of each quarter.

    5

    Coat a ⅓ of the quarters with the melted milk chocolate, a ⅓ with the melted white chocolate and a ⅓ with the Caramel Treat. Top the quarters with the remaining topping ingredients, playing around with different flavour combinations. Refrigerate until the milk and white chocolate have set, about 5 minutes.

    ALSO SEE: Festive wine gravy

    Festive wine gravy

    Recipe and styling by Nomvuselelo Mncube

    Photograph by Dylan Swart

    Imka Webb
    Author

    Imka Webb is a freelance digital marketing expert and the digital editor of Food & Home Entertaining magazine.  www.imkawebb.com