Cottage Cheese Waffles for My Valentine

A childhood food, revisited. Growing up, we often ate cottage cheese pancakes, a recipe from a well-worn copy of the Joy of Cooking. (If you don't have a copy, Smitten Kitchen has an adapted version here.) In my memories, they were often made by my father and served as breakfast for dinner. My brother, in that way that childhood memories are often suspect, remembers instead my mother cooking them for breakfast. Either way, they were almost always served with a mixture of maple syrup and butter that was heated in a saucepan until warm. 
K, of course, had no interest at all in trying cottage cheese pancakes. "Why would you put cheese in pancakes?" "I think cottage cheese looks gross." "No. I don't want to try one." So, I bribed her with the promise of homemade lemon curd on top. It would be stretching the truth more than a little bit to say that once K tries things she always likes them, because, really, usually she doesn't. But I can say that when she was making her lunch to take to school the next morning, she asked if she could include a pancake, even without the curd. So, a hit.  
But, I like waffles better than pancakes and decided to experiment and see if that might work. I added almond meal as we had some on-hand from our lime polenta muffins, but feel free to substitute white or wheat flour or even cornmeal instead. K's report: "I like these even better than the pancakes."

Cottage Cheese Waffles:

• 1 cup flour (We used half white, half whole wheat)
• 1/3 cup almond meal 
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup cottage cheese
• 1/2 cup milk 
• 1 tablespoon vanilla paste (or extract)
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted, plus additional butter if needed to grease your waffle iron 
• Optional: maple syrup, butter or fruit curd for topping

Pre-heat your waffle iron.

In a large bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, salt and sugar. In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, cottage cheese, milk, vanilla and butter. Add flour mixture to egg mixture and whisk until completely blended.
Pour into your waffle iron (we do butter our iron) and cook until golden. Serve immediately or cool and freeze for homemade "eggos."
For Valentine's Day, top with lemon curd and conversation hearts.