Strawberry Heart Waffles Delight

# What You’ll Need:

→ For the Waffles

01 - 2 cups all-purpose flour

02 - 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

03 - 1 tablespoon baking powder

04 - 1/2 teaspoon salt

05 - 2 large eggs

06 - 1 3/4 cups whole milk

07 - 1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled

08 - 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

→ For the Cottage Cheese Whip

09 - 1 cup cottage cheese, full-fat or low-fat

10 - 2 tablespoons powdered sugar

11 - 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

12 - 1/4 cup heavy cream

→ For the Strawberry Topping

13 - 1 1/2 cups fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced

14 - 1 tablespoon granulated sugar

15 - 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

# Directions:

01 - Preheat your heart-shaped waffle iron according to manufacturer's instructions.

02 - In a large bowl, whisk together flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt.

03 - In a separate bowl, beat eggs, then add whole milk, melted butter, and vanilla extract.

04 - Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and gently mix until just combined. Do not overmix to maintain a light texture.

05 - Lightly grease the preheated waffle iron. Pour batter onto the iron and cook waffles until golden and crisp. Repeat with remaining batter.

06 - While waffles cook, in a blender or food processor, blend cottage cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract until smooth. Add heavy cream and blend until light and whipped texture is achieved.

07 - Toss sliced strawberries with granulated sugar and fresh lemon juice. Allow to sit for 5 to 10 minutes to release juices and develop flavor.

08 - Serve waffles warm, generously topped with cottage cheese whip and macerated strawberries with their juices.

# Expert Tips:

01 -

The cottage cheese whip sneaks in serious protein without tasting like health food, so you stay full way past mid-morning.
Heart-shaped waffles make people smile before they even taste them, which is half the battle of impressing anyone at brunch.
Fresh strawberries macerate while you cook, so the juices turn into their own little sauce that pools on the plate.

02 -

Don't overmix the batter—I learned this the hard way when I stirred and stirred until the waffles came out tough as old leather; lumps are your friend, and they disappear during cooking.
Cooling the melted butter before adding it to the eggs keeps the mixture from cooking the eggs; if you pour hot butter in, you'll end up with scrambled egg bits, which sounds terrible and tastes worse.

03 -