Banana-maple waffles taste as good as they are good for you

So many of my recipes get their start with ingredients that I have on hand after making another dish. That's the case with these waffles. I'd bought the low-fat sour cream to garnish my Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas, the banana for Tropical Coconut Pudding Parfaits and the frozen blueberries for Fruit-Topped French Toast Casserole.

I'm not quite sure why I decided to combine those ingredients in waffles, but I'm glad I did. These waffles are slightly sweet with a definite but not overpowering banana flavor. Using white whole-wheat flour provides the health benefits of whole grains, but the waffles are decidedly lighter than those made with regular whole-wheat flour.

Serve these waffles for breakfast, brunch or, as I did, for a change-of-pace lunch. If you have leftovers, freeze them and reheat in the toaster. The reheated waffles won't have quite the same texture as the ones fresh out of a waffle iron, but they're heads above any whole-wheat toaster waffle you can find at the supermarket.

BANANA-MAPLE WHOLE-WHEAT WAFFLES
Yield: About 7 waffles

1 1/2 cups white whole-wheat flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 large banana
3/4 cup light sour cream
1/4 cup 1 percent or skim milk
1/3 cup canola oil
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons real maple syrup (see note)
Fresh or frozen blueberries, optional

Prepare and preheat a waffle iron.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

Mash the banana in a medium bowl. (You should have 1/2 cup. If you used a larger banana, remove the excess from the bowl.) Add sour cream, milk, oil, eggs and syrup. Whisk until well combined.

Add banana mixture to dry ingredients. Mix quickly but well with a silicone or rubber spatula. Do not overmix or the waffles will be tough.

For a 6-inch waffle iron, ladle a heaping 1/2 cup batter on the griddle. If desired, scatter a few blueberries over the batter. Cook waffle until done, then repeat with remaining batter.

Serve with your choice of toppings, such as sliced bananas, fresh blueberries and/or maple syrup.

If making more waffles than you can eat at one meal, let the extras cool on wire racks (to prevent sogginess). Once cool, transfer to plastic bags and freeze. Reheat in the toaster or the oven.

Note: Don't use pancake syrup, which is made from corn syrup and flavorings. You can substitute agave nectar or honey, but the flavor won't be the same.

Coconut pudding parfaits brighten winter meals

This dessert was inspired by three things: Photos of a rich and labor-intensive banana pudding pie that a friend posted on Facebook; a half-empty bag of shredded coconut that I had used in my brownie recipe; and some bananas rapidly ripening on my kitchen counter.

I had a can of light coconut milk in the pantry, so I decided to use it to make pudding. You should be able to find light coconut milk in the Asian aisle of any well-stocked grocery or ethnic market. (I based my pudding on a recipe from the Food Network's Robert Irvine; you can find the original here.) To make enough pudding for four servings, I added 1/3 cup of nonfat milk to the coconut milk. For a nondairy dessert, use unsweetened almond milk or more coconut milk.

The pudding needs to be made in advance and chilled. Don't assemble the parfaits until you're ready to serve them. Otherwise, the enzymes from the fruit could cause the custard to become watery.

You can make layered parfaits or simply top bowls of pudding with fruit. Use your choice of fresh, frozen or even canned fruits. Berries, mango chunks, peaches, cut-up orange segments and pineapple chunks all come to mind. If you'd like a little crunch on top, garnish with a sprinkling of crushed gingersnaps or toasted sliced almonds. For a creamy topping, add a dollop of whipped cream.

TROPICAL COCONUT PUDDING PARFAIT
Yield: 3 or 4 servings

1 (about 13 1/2-ounce) can light coconut milk
1/3 cup nonfat milk, unsweetened almond milk or additional coconut milk
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup loosely packed sweetened shredded coconut, plus more for optional garnish
2 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons water
Slices or chunks of fruit (such as banana, mango, pineapple)

Pour coconut milk and nonfat milk, almond milk or 1/3 cup additional coconut milk into a 3-quart saucepan. Add sugar and salt. Stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves.

Reduce heat to medium-low and add 1/4 cup shredded coconut. Cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes or until the liquid begins to simmer.

In a small bowl or cup, mix together cornstarch and 2 tablespoons water, making a slurry. Slowly stir the slurry into the simmering coconut milk. Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens, about 3 minutes. Scrape the bottom of the pan as you stir to prevent scorching.

Scrape the pudding into a medium bowl. Place that bowl into a larger bowl filled with several inches of ice water. Let cool, stirring frequently. When cool, cover the bowl of pudding with plastic wrap and refrigerate until cold.

While pudding chills, toast coconut for the optional garnish. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spread shredded coconut into an 8-inch baking pan. Bake until the coconut turns golden, about 3 minutes, stirring every 30 to 60 seconds. Transfer coconut to a plate and let cool completely.

To make parfaits, alternate layers of pudding and fruit in tall glasses. Sprinkle the top of each parfait with toasted coconut and serve immediately.  (Any extra shredded coconut can be frozen.)

Follow Eat • Write on Facebook: Facebook.com/EatWriteBlog