Chocolate Chunk Waffles

Recipe by Alana Buckley
Yield: about 12 waffles

Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 T cane sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 large eggs, separated into whites + yolks
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
3 T canola oil
1 tsp vanilla extract 
1 cup TCHO Chocolate Bittersweet 66% Baking Discs, divided

Directions

1. Mix all of the dry ingredients: Add the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt into a medium size bowl. 
2. In a medium size bowl, whisk the egg yolks, buttermilk, oil and vanilla extract until smooth.
3. Beat the egg whites in a clean bowl with electric beaters until stiff peaks form. Use a gentle hand when separating your whites from your yolks to keep the yolk intact.  Even a drop of the yolk or butter/oil residue in your bowl can keep your whites from whipping up (which are key for the light, fluffy insides and crisped to perfection outsides of these waffles).
4. Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients and stir just to combine. 
5. Add the beaten egg whites and carefully fold in them in with a spatula just until incorporated. 
6. Fold in ¾ cup of the chocolate chunks with just a couple of light stirs. Do NOT overmix, or the waffles will be dense and not airy and crispy. 
7. Preheat your waffle iron on medium-high (setting 3-4 if it goes up to 6). Lightly grease the waffle maker, if necessary. We used about 1/2 cup of batter per waffle with a cookie scoop to make less of a mess!

Serve the waffles hot right out of the waffle maker with your favorite toppings sprinkled on top! Enjoy!