Waffle cone bowls

Not long ago, I added waffle cone bowls to the menu.  I had been wanting to add these for a long time.  However, my list of new foods I want to add is quite extensive, and so it has taken a while to get around to this one.  Maybe I need an assistant.  Hmmmmm.......

Anyway..... these are now on the menu and I'm delighted, because who can't enjoy a nice waffle cone.  Actually, I don't offer these in a cone shape, only in the shapes shown above.  Why?  Well, I simply like these shapes more, but it's also because the cone shape is more problematic than one would think when it comes to consistency.  In a factory setting, shaping is done by machine, but in a small kitchen, it's all by hand.  Sometimes the cone comes out just right.  Other times it doesn't, and you have a bigger open hole at the bottom than is ideal, or the size of the top is not consistent, and of course there's the ever-present issue of heat.  These things are hot when they come off the waffle iron and holding them in place, even with disposable gloves, is not enjoyable.  But I like the shapes shown in the photo better anyway.  A cone is really limited in how it can be used:  it's filled, and that's about it.  But these other shapes can be used in a variety of desserts, both ice cream and non-ice cream, in different ways.

When I was first learning how to make these, I tried so many different recipes.  However, most of them came out with a lot of inconsistent browning.  Sometimes they would brown all the way across the disk. Other times, there would be large pale spots.  They were all still quite tasty, but they didn't have a consistent look.  I tinkered a lot with ratios of the ingredients, and finally when I had a recipe that turned out a fairly consistent color, I was happy.  They are made on a waffle iron that is specifically for waffle cones which is definitely helpful, too.  With this iron, I can trust that the same amount of batter cooked at the same numerical setting for the same amount of time will produce disk after disk with consistent uniformity.  

These are lightly sweet and have a mild flavor.  And they are just as good eaten by themselves as in a dessert.  Sometimes I'll make a batch and just pop them into a plastic bag to be eaten throughout the day when I feel like a snack.  I find them to be immensely satisfying.

And isn't that what we should be looking for:  foods that are immensely satisfying?