Lemon Poppy Seed Waffles with Lemon Curd & Blueberry Syrup

So, I almost started writing this post with the phrase “Waffle Wednesday.” And then I realized that it’s only Tuesday. Womp womp. Waffle Tuesday?

It may not have the same ring, but hey, I’m not one to turn down a fluffy waffle no matter what day of the week it is, especially when some of my most favorite flavors (lemon! blueberry!) are involved.

I’ve mentioned this before, but I am definitely more of a savory breakfast person than a sweet. I’ll pick eggs and bacon over pancakes any day. Every once in a great while, however, I can’t get the idea of something sweet out of my mind early in the morning. That’s when French toast, cinnamon rolls, and waffles break my tradition of eggs, bacon, or avocado toast (or a combo of all three!). Another one of my favorite sweet breakfast treats? Lemon poppy seed bread or muffins. It makes an appearance in my life SO rarely that it really is a treat. Sure, it may not be a lot of people’s first choice (my husband scoffs at the very existence of such lemon concoctions), but I can never get enough lemon in my life.

Does that make me elderly?

Probably. Eh, I’m OK with it.

These waffles have homemade lemon curd whisked into their airy batter AND slathered on top before serving. I love the stuff. It’s like sweet, tangy lemonade in a spreadable form. It’s so yummy. If you don’t want to make your own lemon curd (I certainly don’t each time I need it), you can definitely swap in some store-bought curd. It will do the trick in a pinch. That said, though, the consistency of homemade lemon curd is far superior in my opinion. It’s just so CREAMY and luscious. It isn’t actually THAT difficult to make and will hold up in the fridge for a couple weeks. When I have the time, I’ll make a large batch of it (tripling the recipe below) and eat it in a variety of ways over the course of a week or so. Sometimes I simply spread it on toast. Other times, I make slightly more involved recipes…in fact, I have a frozen dessert recipe coming your way that will definitely make a dent in your lemon curd stock. OMG. Can’t wait to share that one with you. It’s amazing. Promise.

Anyway. Back to the waffles. The lemon curd obviously adds a punch of freshness and flavor to the batter, and the poppy seeds not only add an awesome crunch but they look so darn cute, speckling the batter in only a way that they can. While these waffles are certainly delicious dripping with regular ol’ maple syrup, I went ahead and made a blueberry syrup to pour over top. Blueberries and lemon have an affinity for each other. They were meant to be. Plus! Blueberries make this a super summery and fun breakfast item.

I know this may seem like a high-maintenance breakfast, but that’s what weekends are for. Lounging around in comfy clothes, slowly sipping coffee (well, when Kieran will allow it, hah), and cooking and enjoying a leisurely breakfast that sometimes enters into brunch territory (we often eat these sorts of breakfasts in the very late morning).

Not up for all the fuss? Make each component ahead of time. The lemon curd, as I said, can be made far in advance and pulled out of the fridge when you need it. And the blueberry syrup can also be made ahead and kept in the fridge. I’d recommend warming it up on the stove or in the microwave before serving because warm syrup = a must. The only thing that’s left to do is the actual waffles. And they’re easy! Just a little whisking and pouring is involved. The waffle iron really does all the hard work. Which leaves more time for newspaper reading and homemade lattes (<– I wish).

My husband, the self-declared lemon hater, MAY have devoured his plate of LEMON POPPY SEED waffles. Despite his proclamation that lemon-flavored anything should basically be outlawed.

I’ll let that fact speak for itself.

(I win.)