Fandom Foods: Happy Waffle Day!

March 25th was National Waffle Day, so to celebrate such a glorious holiday, I would like to provide you with a recipe for your everyday, typical waffle and then offer some tweaks with fandom twists.

First, here is your ordinary waffle recipe, the bare bones of our fandom foodie fun:

Typical Waffle Recipe

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt
4 teaspoons baking powder
2 tablespoons white sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups warm milk
1/3 cup butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a large bowl, mix together flour, salt, baking powder and sugar; set aside. Preheat waffle iron to desired temperature.

In a separate bowl, beat the eggs. Stir in the milk, butter and vanilla. Pour the milk mixture into the flour mixture; beat until blended.

Ladle the batter into a preheated waffle iron. Cook the waffles until golden and crisp. Serve immediately.

Stranger Things 

Now, to put a fandom spin on these tasty treats. If we're talking waffles, then we HAVE to start with Stranger Things, right? El loves Eggos, but that doesn't mean we can't make hot, fresh, and homemade waffles.

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Suggested Tweaks:

Though, you could always just buy Eggo Waffles...

Suggested Toppings:

French Fries (secondhand fries are fine)
Ice Cream
Apples
Whipped Cream
Snack Pack Chocolate Pudding

Six of Crows series

If you haven't read Six of Crows or anything by Leigh Bardugo for that matter, then I suggest you stop reading this post and pick up something by her immediately!

(Why is the French Edition so pretty?!)

One of the characters in the series is a girl named Nina, who is an accomplished magic user and avid waffle appreciator. She adores these fluffy, sweet treats. Thus, I present tweaks and toppings that I'm sure would be Nina (and Inej) approved. Since the country Nina comes from is based a lot on the Russian culture, I added some Russian flare to breakfast. 

Suggested Tweaks:

Add Cognac (brandy), condensed milk, and caramel to mixture and give it a traditional Russian flavor. For a non-alcoholic substitution, instead of using Cognac, replace with peach, pear or apricot juice.

Suggested Toppings:
More Caramel and chocolate never hurt!
Walnuts (if not allergic)

Teen Titans

Teen Titans (the original, not Go!) is about teenagers fighting crime, but more importantly, it's about friendship and the time we spent with the ones we love. Each team member has their own unique personality, so I thought that I'd give you several options about how to better your waffle experience. 

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With the team in mind, here they are:

Suggested Tweaks:

Instead of regular eggs, make sure to use vegan substitutes. Beast Boy is vegetarian, but I'm positive he would much prefer the vegan recipe. Here's a recipe from the Flaming Vegan: 

Ingredients: 

2 cups of all-purpose flour

2 cups of unsweetened soy milk
4 tablespoons of vegetable oil
2 teaspoons of baking powder
1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract
1 pinch of salt

Instructions: 

Step 1: Grease the waffle iron with a drop of vegetable oil and turn it on

Step 2: Mix the flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl

Step 3: Add the soy milk, vegetable oil and vanilla extract to the dry ingredients

Step 4: Whisk the mixture by hand until it forms into a smooth batter

Step 5: Pour the batter into the waffle iron according to its instructions.

Second option might be to dye the waffles purple for Raven.

Suggested Toppings: 

Have a mustard dipping sauce on the side to satisfy Starfire, chocolate chips for Robin, and lots of crispy bacon for Cyborg (just, don't tell Beast Boy). 

Persona 5

Persona 5 has become my latest obsession. It's a strategy game which revolves around the idea of teenagers, who usually do not have that much power in society, having the ability to change people's hearts for the better.

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When it comes to food, there are many options in the game. Some food even gives you health or magic boosts. So, since Persona takes place in Tokyo, I wanted to offer Japanese flavor options.  

Suggested Tweaks: 

Add Matcha to the mix.

Toppings:

Assorted Fruit (pineapple, apple, strawberries, banana, berries)

Red Bean Paste

Voltron Legendary Defender 

Voltron is a show about a group of people fighting to save the Galaxy. One of the characters, Hunk, is a brilliant chef, so when he's faced with alien food, he can get pretty creative.

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Here are some suggestions to help inspire you to think outside the box with your breakfast, just like Hunk!

Suggested Tweaks: 

Colored dye

Lemon juice

Suggested Toppings: 

Cut into triangles to signify Al markings

Boysenberry syrup

Star-shaped sprinkles

Incorporating fandom into anything can be fun. Having your passions shine through will brighten your day and get the creative juices flowing in new and exciting ways. Though Waffle Day has passed, know that if you so choose, waffles and fandoms can be enjoyed whenever you feel like it. If you like books AND waffles, be sure to follow my friend Jaime at her blog here.

Have you ever made fandom-inspired waffles?