THE WAFFLE WINS (FOR NOW)

My friend bought a waffle maker that makes circus characters -- a clown, an elephant and a tiger, to be exact. Now this is probably one of the coolest kitchen appliances ever, and jealous as I was, I decided to bring out my trusty, more traditionally-shaped, waffle iron. Although a bit standard in form, the waffles this puppy produces are crunchy, toasty and divine.

In fact, I prepared a nice selection of toppings -- fresh peaches, toasted almonds, a dollop of Greek yogurt and syrup . . .

BUT I FOUND THE WAFFLE SO PRECIOUS AND SIMPLE, I HAD TO KEEP IT PURE.

Just a teeny slice of butter or nothing at all. The flavor was transcendent I tell you. The recipe (the link is to a page in her book) is vegan, from one of my favorite cookbooks -- the Joy of Vegan Baking by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau. It is so fabulous, I recommend making extra, freezing them and toasting whenever the waffle urge hits.

I used to think I was a strictly pancakes kinda gal, but now I'm crossing over into the crusty, perfectly honey-combed arena of the waffle.

Which do you prefer? Waffle or Pancake?