So I've been experimenting a bit. My base recipe is from good 'ol Better Homes & Gardens - that cookbook is a staple on my shelf. I've halved their recipe because even that makes more than I can eat in a morning. I tend to freeze the rest and toast them over the next week or so. (I've had toasted waffles for dinner on more than one occasion!)
Anyway that recipe was a good base but I wanted some ideas for making the waffles a bit more crisp. I did some poking around and tried some techniques this morning with good success. There's still more tweaking to be done (and they still got soggy when they cooled!) but I am well on my way to being a Waffle Star.
Rainy weekend waffles
Turn on the waffle maker when you start combining ingredients, so it's ready to go when the batter is.
In one bowl, combine the dry ingredients:
3/4 c flour
1/8 c corn starch
1 1/2 tsp baking powder*
In another bowl, combine the liquid ingredients:
5/6 c milk **
1/4 c vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla ***
In still another bowl (no, I do NOT have a dishwasher), whisk vigorously until frothy (you can come back to it after you rest):
3 T egg whites ****
[or, separate one egg, use the white here, and add the yolk to the other liquid ingredients, above]
1 T sugar
Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ones - stir gently until it's only somewhat lumpy. Gently stir in the egg white/sugar mixture. Make your waffles - they are still best when extremely fresh off the iron, so don't be shy about digging in!
* After reading David Lebovitz's post about non-aluminum baking powder, and because I've often detected trace bitterness when I use a recipe that relies upon it for leavening, I now use Rumford aluminum-free baking powder. You may call me Princess.
** I confess I rarely have milk on hand - it's more often half & half for coffee or sometimes whole milk for tea, and I usually don't want to use all of it up in a recipe. As a result, I am rather cavalier with this bit. Today I used some half & half, some milk, and some water - just make sure the liquid measure is right.
*** I impulsively bought vanilla bean paste at the Bowl a while back, so I tend to use this instead. If I were a scientist I might do side-by-side waffle tastings, but I'm not the Doctor of Waffles, I am the Mistress of them, so I don't have to do things like that.
**** I happen to have a bajillion egg whites in my fridge (okay, 9) after a recent pot de creme episode.
Those look really good! We usually use the BH&G version too, but I'll have to try your "tweaks" to it. I laughed when I saw that you do the combining half & half, milk, and water thing too!
ReplyDeleteYou make me HEARTBROKEN that we live so far away. Waffles are the way to my heart... ;-)
ReplyDeleteWaffles are awesome. I went on a waffle bender shortly after getting my waffle maker but we have lapsed and not made any lately. My tip regarding bowls - I mix my wet ingredients in my 2 cup pyrex/liquid measuring cup. For smaller recipes (8x8 pan, 12 muffins, etc) it generally has enough room for whisking them together and is so easy for pouring.
ReplyDeleteYou need to go out and get some buttermilk and make Alton Brown's luftwaffles. They are easily the best waffles we've had. And Amy, next time we see you if you want I'll make you some :^)
ReplyDelete