Waffles!

[Ellen Shapiro]

I'm thinking to haul out a wedding-present-waffle-iron, never opened never used in this century, but can hardly remember anything about waffle-making. What to do? Are there tricks, tips, better and worse recipes, issues, factions, schools of thought?

(Related topic: waffle irons)

[Varmint]

To make great waffles, there really is no short cut: you must separate the eggs, beat the whites, and fold them into the rest of the batter. I also use a bit of malt syrup to the mix to add some depth of flavor.

[browniebaker]

I agree with Varmint about separating the egg and whipping the whites before folding them into the batter.

Also, for crisp waffles, substitute rice flour for one-fourth of the wheat flour.

Sugar adds crispnness, too. Shirley Corriher says to add corn syrup for crispness. I add two tablespoons per recipe.

Buttermilk is my liquid of choice, for a delicious flavor.

I use the highest setting on my Cuisinart Belgian waffle-maker, for crispness. A little lower setting and less browning if I am planning to freeze extras in ziploc bags for toasting later, which works great.

Also, crispness requires a lot of butter. A whole stick of butter per recipe is what I use, and it seems a horrifying amount until you calculate that it's only a tablespoon or less per waffle. Vegetable oil will give you crispness, too, but with much less flavor.

For a while I was a big fan of Marion Cunningham's feather-light yeasted waffles (recipe in Rose Levy Beranbaum's _The Cake Bible_ as well as in Cunningham's own book of a title I cannot recall -- is it _How to Cook_?), but after I tried a recipe for unyeasted, much more substantial waffles, my family voted for the latter. They found the feather-light waffles too airy by comparison. I guess one could say that Cunningham's recipe makes the Wonder Bread or Krispy Kreme of waffles.

[slkinsey]

I second what others have said about separating the eggs and whipping the whites. My experience has also been that yeast raised waffles are significaltly lighter and crisper than baking powder raised waffles. I use a modification of Shirley Corriher's recipe in CookWise, where the sponge is actually fermented overnight. My modification is that I still separate the eggs and beat the whites (the eggs are added to the sponge in the morning). Recipes for Marion Cunningham's yeast waffle batter and Shirley Corriher's overnight yeast waffle batter may be found here.

Of course, the waffle iron makes a very big difference as well. Most wafflophiles I know -- and this includes myself -- think that the 1960s era Sunbeam Waffle Baker and Sandwich Grill is the best of all time. As it so happens, there are a few up for auction on eBay right now (click and click and click some more).

[fresco]

Agree about yeast based and fermenting overnight. It produces a very light, very crisp waffle.

[nightscotsman]

Count me in for the yeasted waffle gang. I prefer the recipe in "How to Cook Everything" - it is almost exactly the same as Marion Cunningham's, but uses less butter and I think works better. You do need to start them the night before, but the prep time is nothing and they have a much richer flavor than other waffles.

If you can't plan that far ahead, there was an exellent recipe for light and crispy buttermilk waffles in Fine Cooking magazine a couple years ago. Let me know if you would like it and I'll PM it to you.

[Holly Moore]

I haven't made waffles for some 35 years. But back then, as I remember, we used Bisquick (? Spelling) and did not separate the eggs. Seemed to make a fine waffle. Are those recommending folding egg whites into the batter preparing Belgian syle waffles, per chance?

What to do with the finished waffle the morning after Thanksgiving: Mix leftover turkey with leftover giblet dressing and ladel generously ontop of cooked waffles. At other times, chicken with chicken gravy and even S.O.S. work quite well. All these are better on a savory waffle as opposed to a sweetened waffle.

My father used to make great grilled cheese sandwiches on our waffle iron. Sharp cheddar cheese, baked ham and Jersey tomatoes on white or whole wheat bread. Especially good was the cheese that melted out the sides of the sandwich and crisped on the waffle irons.

[elyse]

What to do with the finished waffle the morning after Thanksgiving:  Mix leftover turkey with leftover giblet dressing and ladel generously ontop of cooked waffles.  At other times, chicken with chicken gravy and even S.O.S. work quite well.  All these are better on a savory waffle as opposed to a sweetened waffle.

YUM. Sounds like a gravy sammige to me! Sauce is my favorite food.

[Bux]

I haven't made waffles for some 35 years.  But back then, as I remember, we used Bisquick (? Spelling) and did not separate the eggs.  Seemed to make a fine waffle.  Are those recommending folding egg whites into the batter preparing Belgian syle waffles, per chance?

I suspect not. We haven't made waffles in years either. As I recall our breakfast waffle and breakfast pancake batter recipes were almost identical. For both, the eggs were separated and the whites beaten and folded in.

[Foam Pants]

This thread is the answer to my prayers. I purchased a waffle iron two days ago. I tried a recipe where I folded the beaten egg whites in. The next morning I wake up to the boyfriend making waffles. In typical style, he just threw all the wet stuff together. To me they tasted pretty similar. Am I an idiot? Don't answer that one.

I am very interested in these yeasted waffles... do they pack a bigger taste than the soda raised ones or is the texture the only difference? Is there any way possible to make the waffles with fruit in them or is the only sensible solution to use fruit as a topping? I would like to be able to make some blueberry ones to freeze for quick breakfasts.

[chantrelle]

According to my friends i am waffle queen but it's my mom's recipe and it's no-frills really. No yeast, just separated eggs, beaten like crazy until you can stand a fork up in 'em!

And i have a Cuisanart waffle iron that i like for its size and because it's worlds faster than my old crappy, generic waffle iron i threw out the window.

This is my recipe:

Mom's Waffles

2 c. flour

1 Tbl Baking Powder

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. Baking Soda

a little cinnamon

a little nutmeg

2 c. Buttermilk

4 eggs, separated

1/2 c. melted butter

2 Tbl. syrup

a little vanilla

Stir dry ingredients together. Combine egg yolks and buttermilk. Add egg yolk mixture to dry ingredients. Stir in slightly cooled butter. Add syrup and vanilla. Fold in eggwhites, leaving little fluffs of them showing in the batter.

Bake in waffle iron. (duh!)

The also make yummy pancakes...especially if you forget to bring the waffle iron to the weekend getaway...d'oh!

[slkinsey]

Foam Pants: IMO yeast raised waffles are significantly crisper and significantly lighter than the regular kind. The batter is much thinner than regular waffle batter and so once the liquids have cooked off there is more air in a yeast waffle. One of the great things about this is that you can eat more of them! However, on the downside, due to their more etherial nature I am not sure they would freeze very well.

As for making waffles with friut... I don't think fresh fruit would work very well, but small pieces of dried friuit might. Maybe dried blueberry or dried cranberry waffles? Driet currant waffles? I make pecan waffles all the time.

[beans]

I make pecan waffles all the time.

[fresco]

Foam Pants,

Don't know that yeasted waffles pack a bigger taste wallop than non yeasted. In fact, the taste is more delicate. Very good with maple syrup.

[Aquitaine]

My current favorite is fairly crisp, lightly spiced pumpkin waffles* -- no need even for syrup** -- but my game plan is to try cornmeal waffles if fresh local blackberries appear at the farmers' market....

I've eaten waffles for a gazillion years and have never knowingly eaten one made without separating the eggs (and beating the egg whites).

*Bradley Ogden's “Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner” (1991)

** Be sure to use the real thing -- some huge percentage of Americans have never even tasted maple syrup, I was shocked to learn recently. No point to waffles, or pancakes, without it! (But then I grew up in New England...)

Edited July 10, 2003 by Aquitaine (log)

[snowangel]

Could someone please PM me a recipe for yeasted waffles soonest? We leave for cabin tomorrow morning, and I'd like to give them a try.

[vengroff]

Here is a recipe for Crispy Buttermilk Waffles.

[Foam Pants]

Thanks, everyone, for some great advice. This has gotten me so fired up about waffles that I think I am going to go to the used bookstore and purchase this book I saw there the other day that's all about waffles. Just what I need, another cookbook. I think I will try some yeast waffles and some with pecans. I think maybe mashed banana might also work, sort of along the line of the pumpkin waffles.

[slkinsey]

Could someone please PM me a recipe for yeasted waffles soonest?  We leave for cabin tomorrow morning, and I'd like to give them a try.

Snowangel, I linked to two recipes in my post of 09:52 AM above.

[Malahini]

I'm mostly a lurker but I love this forum and the opportunity to learn new things from all the talented cooks - both the professionals and those who just share the passion. I checked through the recipe archive and didn't find a similar recipe to this one, so I thought I'd share it with you.

More years ago than I care to count, I was the proud new owner of a VillaWare Belgian Waffler Pro. While I loved the waffle maker, I was very disappointed with the recipe that came with it, and my recipe for regular waffles (mostly just following directions from store-bought waffle mix) was no better. I don't mean to say that the waffles were bad, they were just not what I wanted: light, yet crispy.

Several months and various cookbooks later (I'm just a weekend waffler), I still hadn't managed to find what I wanted, so I began experimenting. I finally came up with one that I liked.

Not one to let good enough stand in the way of better, though, I read this thread with interest. Several of the tips were new to me, but when I saw the recipe that Chantrelle posted, it was different enough from what I normally do that I decided to try it out. The waffles were good, but were a bit heavier and not as crispy as I like. I do believe, however, that I've found a new recipe for pancakes.

This morning, I tried some of the tips I found here and decided to incorporate it into the recipe below.

Crisp & Light Belgian Waffles

3 cups Bisquick

1 cup milk (or substitute 1-1/4 cups buttermilk)

2/3 cup espresso or strong coffee (or substitute 2/3 cup milk)

1 cup sour cream

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted

2 eggs, separated.

1 teaspoon vanilla

In large mixing bowl, combine Bisquick , milk, coffee, sour cream and egg yolks. Whisk until smooth. Whisk in butter and let stand for 20 minutes. While waffle maker is heating, beat egg whites until firm and fold into batter. Bake.

Serves 4 adults or 2 teenagers.

[torakris]

Count me in for the yeasted waffle gang. I prefer the recipe in "How to Cook Everything" - it is almost exactly the same as Marion Cunningham's, but uses less butter and I think works better. You do need to start them the night before, but the prep time is nothing and they have a much richer flavor than other waffles.

If you can't plan that far ahead, there was an exellent recipe for light and crispy buttermilk waffles in Fine Cooking magazine a couple years ago. Let me know if you would like it and I'll PM it to you.

This is the recipe I use the most too!

I love to make buttermilk waffles, but alas there is no buttermilk in Japan, so I make the yeasted ones.

I have a Belgian waffle maker and often toss fresh blueberries in with no problem.

[lisa_antonia]

I’ve been trying to plough through Alberto Manguel’s A History of Reading for three days, since it’s on the list of required readings for the Masters program I’m looking at. No matter how hard I concentrate on the text, I get distracted. This evening, I decided mid-page that waffles sounded good for dinner. There was half a quart of buttermilk in the fridge so I googled the following: waffles, buttermilk, cornmeal.

I’d like to think I know a lot about waffles. My father has used the same waffle machine since 1986. It’s a commercial machine with cast-iron plates and adjustable time and temperature settings. He’s used it so often that the non-stick coating stopped functioning and he shipped the machine to Canada for a refurbishment.

Through him, I’ve tried over three dozen commercial waffle mixes (our favorite is Classique Fare Belgian Waffle Mix.) When I came to college, I found an abandoned heart-shaped waffle maker in my basement and started trying to make mixes from scratch. I’ve tried recipes for pumpkin waffles, lemon-cornmeal waffles, chocolate waffles, buckwheat waffles, and vegan waffles, to name a few. None of them has yielded a waffle like my father’s: well browned and extremely crisp with a delicate, almost undercooked interior.

Still, sometimes I get hungry for a different waffle. Tonight, the first recipe to catch my eye on Google was Cook’s Illustrated’s “Best Buttermilk Waffles.” Intrigued, I printed the recipe and set to work. I’m a fan of Christopher Kimball’s writings, and I like Cook’s Illustrated’s tried and true approach to recipes, so I had high expectations when the recipe promised a waffle with “a crisp, well-browned exterior with a moist, fluffy interior.”

Unfortunately, the waffle I forked out of my waffle maker didn’t quite match the promised description. It was possibly the puffiest waffle I’ve ever made. The outside was well browned, but after ten seconds or so it went rather limp. Furthermore, the recipe doesn’t include sugar, so the slightly salty waffle begged for a sweet accompaniment I didn’t have.

I didn't give up immediately. In my experience, the first waffle never cooks as well as the rest (squashing a piece of bread in the waffle-iron first can help with this.) I tried to make another. I spread the batter across the bottom heating plate with a spatula to try and combat its thickness. I tried popping a finished waffle segment into the toaster to crisp the exterior a little more. Nothing I did made the waffle more to my taste.

Cook’s Illustrated is a great resource, but sometimes it frustrates me. I don’t think everyone can agree on “The Best Buttermilk Waffles.” Cook’s Illustrated has a whole series of cookbooks called “The Best Recipe.” It’s not hard to search Google or Amazon and find hundreds of titles that promise the best results.

In A History of Reading, Manguel says “reading is cumulative and proceeds by geometrical progression: each new reading builds upon whatever the reader has read before.” The same idea applies to taste. “The Best Buttermilk Waffles” might taste amazing to someone who’s never had a decent waffle. Maybe there exists a fantastic waffle that I’ll never get to try. There exist more waffle irons and waffle recipes than anyone can use in a lifetime.

I may never be a true waffle expert, but at least I know not to believe everything I read. I encourage you to figure out what you like in a waffle, and then refuse to accept anything less.

[srhcb]

I must admit that this baking mix produces the best waffles I ever made. There's nothing trick about my waffle iron, and the recipe is simple:

Ingredients for 8 Waffles

2 cups Bakery Mix

1 cup water or milk

1 egg

2 Tbsp. sugar

2 Tbsp. melted shortening or oil

Directions

Beat ingredients by hand with wire whisk or hand beater until well blended. Pour 1/2 cupfuls onto hot waffle iron. Cook according to waffle iron operating instructions.

I've made them using Dried Egg Mix and Dried Milk too, and the waffles turn out crisp and golden-brown on the outside while staying light, fluffy and just barely moist inside.

SB (I don't know why the first waffle in a batch, (or pancake/crepe), usually turns out bad, but my dogs appreciate the free sample.)

PS: They freeze real well too!

[Marlene]

The book I use most often for making waffles is Dorie Greenspan's Waffles from Morning till night. None of the recipes in it have ever failed me.

Edited September 23, 2006 by Marlene (log)

[Kris]

Try http://www.goldenmalted.com

I buy the two 33 ounce cans of the original flour.

I love this stuff - it produces the best waffles I've ever tasted.