Recipe: Crisp, tender waffles
I'm hesitant to call it a perfect recipe, but...
Hi, friends! This week I’m sharing my family’s favorite waffle recipe.
When I say favorite, I do mean capital F Favorite. If there’s one thing about me, it’s that it’s hard for me not to try new recipes. I see a recipe for yogurt-based banana waffles, and I can’t help but print it out to tuck in my recipe binder. I’ve got a little bit of bubbly sourdough starter on the countertop, and I start to daydream how adding it to my waffle batter might affect the finished product. I’ve tried whole wheat, buckwheat, bananas, cacao powder, buttermilk, yeast, and everything in between, and no matter what, my family lets me know: The recipe that I’m sharing today is the recipe: no need to tinker, no need to try anything new, thank you very much.
Or as my 4-year-old recently said upon trying a batch of (delcious, if I might add) sourdough waffles, “Por favor, mommy, no hagas estes waffles nunca jamás.” (Translation: Please mommy don’t ever make these waffles again.”)
These aren’t the most nutrient-dense waffles in the world, but I’m okay with that. There’s a time and place for oats, cottage cheese, and olive oil, and this isn’t it.
These waffles come out crisp and crackly on the outside, either fresh out of the waffle iron or toaster (if you’re toasting them out of the freezer as I often do on a busy weekday morning!). But when you bite into them, they’re surprisingly soft and tender. On the weekends, I’ll try to cook four or five as quickly as I can so that we can all eat together. I’ll go back to the abandoned batter later to make the rest of the waffles to freeze. (Meredith: I bought this mini waffle iron a few years ago. It doesn’t take up much space but it does take forever to make enough waffles for us all to eat. Would not recommend for a family. I added a bigger one to my cart after reading this!)
I’m all for a one-bowl recipe, cutting corners when you can, and saving time in the kitchen. With two little loves at my feet most of the time, I’m the first one to flip the page of a cookbook when a recipe starts to get complicated or modify the steps to fit my (hectic, chaotic, toddler-filled) lifestyle. But this recipe is not for cutting corners.
This recipe is for those who love to cook, who love the feel of a whisk in hand, who are willing to put in a bit of elbow grease for the final result. It’s for those of you who don’t mind jumping into the kitchen pajama-clad and eyes barely open. It’s for those of you who think the ideal Sunday includes fresh waffles, warm maple syrup, and lots of butter. -Katie
Crisp, tender waffles
Yields: 8-12 waffles, depending on size of waffle iron
Friends, these waffles are simply delicious. I like them with maple syrup and butter, but the rest of my family can’t help but cover them in whipped cream. They’re wonderful with fresh fruit, too. When I pack them for my daughter’s school snack, I don’t even add anything to them, and they get devoured every single time.
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Ingredients:
2 ¼ cups flour (270 grams)
1 Tablespoon baking powder
3 Tablespoons sugar
½ teaspoon salt
2 eggs, separated
½ cup neutral oil
2 cups milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions:
Separate the egg yolks from the whites, making sure to put the whites wherever you plan to beat them, and the two egg yolks in a medium bowl.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the 2¼ cups flour, 1 Tbsp baking powder, 3 Tbsp sugar, and ½ tsp salt. Set aside. Next, in the medium bowl with the egg yolks, mix together two egg yolks, ½ cup vegetable oil, 2 cups milk, and 1 tsp vanilla extract. Set aside.
This step is a bit laborious but totally worth it. Beat the two egg whites until you get stiff peaks. I like to do this with a hand mixer (a recent Christmas gift), which takes about 30 seconds. Before I had the mixer, I just did it by hand, which takes about five minutes of constant beating. This step is key to getting the right texture!
It’s finally time to put everything together. Add the egg yolk mixture to the dry ingredients, and mix well. Finally, gently fold in the egg whites to the rest of the mixture.
Cook your waffles according to your waffle iron’s instructions. If you plan to freeze any, cook them on the lighter side so they can finish browning in the toaster when you pull them out of the freezer.
Serve warm, as fresh from the waffle iron as possible, drenched in whatever toppings your heart desires.
Excited to try these!!