Heart-shaped mascarpone waffles with cherry jam

These mascarpone waffles with cherry compote that I'm bringing you today are unbeatable! They are delicious waffles that will surely make anyone fall in love. I think it's a great way to debut the new heart-shaped waffle maker we brought from the United States, from Nordic Ware. It's so pretty!

Waffles are a traditional treat from Belgium, made from a batter of milk, flour, butter, and egg, and their charm is that besides being delicious on their own, they are a dessert that allows you to make many different variations in presentation.

From pairing them with sweet ingredients (sugar, honey, jam, chocolate, syrups...) to all kinds of savory toppings or fruits, they are very versatile.

On this occasion we pair them with cherry compote. I assure you it's one of the easiest things to make and it's delicious! Try it and treat your partner, family... And yourself too, because after making these waffles you deserve it!

Ingredients

For the cherry compote:

• 450 g of sweet cherries, fresh or frozen, pitted and stemmed
• 200 ml of orange juice
• 60 g of sugar

• 1 packet of baking powder
• 350 ml of warm whole milk
• 2 Tbsp sugar
• 2 beaten eggs
• 450 g of flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 100 g melted butter

• Mascarpone cheese to taste

Preparation

For the cherry compote:

1. Remove the cherry pits using the OXO cherry pitter and then add them to a Shallow Casserole with the orange juice and the sugar.
2. Cook over medium-low heat uncovered for about 30 minutes, until it has reduced by half.

For the heart-shaped waffles:

1. Mix the baking powder with the milk and sugar in a large bowl until completely dissolved. Let rest for 5 minutes.
2. Then add the sugar, eggs, flour, butter, and salt and mix well until fully incorporated. Let the batter rest in a warm place for 15 minutes to an hour.
3. Preheat the waffle maker (in our case we use the heart-shaped one, but you can use the square waffle maker Nordic Ware if that's what you have). It's important that the waffle maker is very hot before adding the batter.
4. Brush the waffle maker with a little oil or butter using a pastry brush to cover every corner.
5. Add 230 ml of batter into the waffle maker (it will be one or two ladles approximately, depending on the size of your ladle), and spread it to fill all 5 cavities.
6. Cook one side for 3 to 5 minutes and then flip and cook the other side until they're done. You'll see they're golden and puffed when ready.

For assembly

1. Take a waffle and cover it with a tablespoon of mascarpone and a little cherry jam on top.
2. If you prefer, you can also mix the mascarpone and cherry jam separately and serve it already mixed.

The surprise touch for the table: reserve one of the waffles and sprinkle sugar on it while it's still hot, so it soaks up the steam from the waffle itself (or add a drop of water to the sugar and mix before sprinkling it on the waffle). Use a skewer and a stand like a small vase (I have used the Gefu sugar shaker which always works well for these things), to display the waffle upright on the table (It's an easy and original idea to decorate a Valentine's table or make any day special, don't you think?).

Waffles made with the Nordic Ware waffle maker