Cornersmith’s buttermilk waffles with rhubarb and rose compote

Prep time 30 mins, cook 20 mins (plus standing) Makes 8 (pictured p34)

300 gm (2 cups) plain flour

80 gm caster sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

500 ml (2 cups) well-shaken buttermilk 115 gm butter, melted

2 eggs

Crème fraîche or ice-cream, to serve Rhubarb and rose compote 500 gm rhubarb, washed, trimmed and cut into 2cm-3cm pieces

110 gm (½ cup) raw sugar

Finely grated rind and juice of 1/ orange 2

1-2 tsp rosewater Orange syrup 125 ml (½ cup) freshly squeezed orange juice 55 gm (¼ cup) caster sugar 1 For compote, combine rhubarb and sugar in a large saucepan off the heat. Stand until sugar draws out some of the liquid (10-15 minutes), then add orange rind and juice and 60ml water, and bring to the boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to low and simmer until rhubarb has broken down but some pieces remain whole (5 minutes). Remove from heat and stir in rosewater.

2 For orange syrup, bring juice and sugar to the boil in a saucepan and cook until reduced by half (5-6 minutes). Set aside to cool.

3 Heat a waffle iron. Mix flour, sugar, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and a pinch of salt in a bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together buttermilk, melted butter and eggs, then mix in flour mixture until smooth. Pour about

½ cup batter into each section of the iron (depending on its size) and bake until golden brown (4-5 minutes). Serve waffles warm topped with warm or room-temperature compote, crème fraîche or ice-cream and drizzle with orange syrup. “The granola at Pigeon Hole in Hobart tastes like no other. Could you ask for the recipe? ”

Rajesh Anand, Auckland