For breakfast yesterday, I made Gingerbread Waffles with Caramelized Figs (and added a dollop of soy-gurt just for fun) from the Vegan Brunch cookbook.The entire house was filled with the smells of allspice, ginger, and earthy molasses...so much so that if Santa Claus had walked in, it wouldn't have surprised me at all.

I love waffles. Always have. As a little girl, I remember the few times my parents took the family out for breakfast, I would always order the Belgium waffle with strawberries and whipped cream. Heaven!

If you've never had a homemade, fresh-off-the-iron waffle in your life, I feel sorry for you. There just is no real substitute. My favorite go-to recipe is Vegan Brunch's Old Fashioned Chelsea Waffle (I substitute maple syrup for the barley malt syrup...you could also use molasses)...crispy on the outside, light and fluffy 0n the inside. Surprisingly, waffles are super easy to make, and while I do keep frozen waffles on hand, I find myself breaking out my waffle iron more and more these days. Whether it's making a unique-flavored batter or having fun with toppings (such as Creamy Maple-Pumpkin Spread and Strawberry-Kiwi-Tequila Syrup), waffles are one of the few dishes I'm willing to wake up early for on a Sunday morning (or, in this case, a Tuesday morning) to make. And for this night owl, that's saying a lot!