how to make everyone like you, featuring waffles

Have you ever met anyone who didn't like waffles? Trick question! Everyone likes waffles. This is one of the important life lessons I've learned in my 24 years of existence.

Ok here's another question: what do you do when you wake up at 11 o'clock on a sunday and omg you overslept and omg you're supposed to be at a potluck brunch in one hour and omg now you don't have time to make the bagels you promised you would bring and omg how did you lose your freaking earrings in your FREAKING BED AGAIN UGH.

Stay calm. I know what to do.

do you get where i'm going with this?

Blackberry orange zest ricotta waffles. I'm tellin' ya.

So here's the thing. I make it a point to keep berries in my freezer at all times, specifically for surprise breakfast situations. There's a special type of embarrassment I feel whenever I invite someone over to a slumber party at my apartment only to wake up in the morning and suddenly realize I have no. breakfast. ingredients. whatsoever. 

orange zest. isn't cooking so pretty?

But now that I'm 24 and basically a grown up (right? ha!), you'll never catch me without a kitchen fully stocked with flour, sugar, eggs, baking powder, and frozen berries EVER AGAIN. Because that's what grown ups do. You should do this too. You'll thank me one day when a cute guy wakes up on your sofa looking all tousled and hungry or your best friend is in your bed whining about how she didn't get jumbo slice last night.

 to quote the historic words of leslie knope, "we have to remember what's important in life: friends, waffles and work. or waffles, friends, work. but work has to come third."

What I'm saying is this recipe comes in handy when you need to pretend that you're an adult and have your act together, even when your bed ate your earrings and the stamp that was on your hand last night somehow ended up smeared on your face this morning. Don't act like you don't know what I'm talking about.

BLACKBERRY ORANGE ZEST RICOTTA WAFFLES

makes about 12 waffles

3 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 1/2 tablespoons orange zest

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

3 tablespoons fresh orange juice

1/2 cup part skim ricotta cheese

3/4 cup water 

8 blackberries (frozen or fresh)

Use your fingertips to rub sugar and orange zest together in a small bowl, until the finished product is basically orange sugar.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and orange sugar.

In a separate medium bowl, whisk together eggs, vanilla extract, orange juice, ricotta cheese, and water.  Whisk until thoroughly combined and no chunks of ricotta remain (you might have to smash the ricotta with a fork).

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients all at once and stir to combine. Mash up the blackberries with your hands and toss them in the mix.

Heat up your waffle maker per the manufacturer’s instructions - I have the GE 4 square chrome waffle iron, and it works like a charm. A lovely, heaven-making charm.

Pour batter into the waffle iron using 1/4 cup measuring cups and cook until golden brown. Use the cooking time to run back and forth to your makeup mirror to try to make yourself look presentable for the brunch you are now half an hour late for.

You can serve these waffles immediately, or you can just wrap them up in aluminum foil and throw them in the freezer for a breakfast emergency at a later date - just pop them in a toaster oven for a few minutes when you're ready to eat.

"good morning, i made you some waffles, do you want to be my boyfriend?"
(disclaimer: i don't have a boyfriend)