You deserve a waffle
World, we have a winning waffle.
You people are outstanding. You really know your waffles. Thank you. I should ask you for advice more often, because together, you’re absolutely unstoppable. I’m pretty sure that, given a day or two, you could solve any problem, and if I may, I would like to suggest that you start with my pet conundrum: how to make potatoes come out of the ground already fried. I think a lot of us would like to know.
Anyway, I read your suggestions, every single one of them, and after much hemming and hawing and hand-wringing, I chose two to try. It wasn’t easy, and my thinking went something like this:
Yeasted waffles got the most votes, so I had to make at least one batch. Of the yeasted recipes mentioned, Marion Cunningham’s was cited most often, followed by Mark Bittman’s and Cook’s Illustrated’s. I looked them up, and it turns out, they’re all remarkably similar in ingredients and amounts. I probably could have tossed a coin, if coins had three faces, and been happy with whatever recipe I got. But I chose to try Marion’s, and I chose it for three reasons: 1) again, it was cited most often, 2) it calls for the type of yeast - active dry, as opposed to instant - that I usually keep on hand, and 3) it’s very simple, with no beating of egg whites or other additional steps. Also, and maybe you’ve noticed this, but that recipe has been printed and reprinted everywhere. It’s been featured in books by Rose Levy Beranbaum and Shirley Corriher. It’s also all over the Internet. Which sort of begs the question of why I didn’t make it for my mother on Mother’s Day, but oh well. I’m a slow learner.
I also wanted to make a waffle that was not yeasted, to be fair. A number of you mentioned the Joy of Cooking recipe. A number of you also pointed me toward a recipe published in and Food & Wine and Fine Cooking by cookbook author Pam Anderson, who should not be confused with Pamela Anderson, formerly of Baywatch and Tommy Lee, and I make that clarification because I was, myself, briefly confused. And there were many other suggestions as well, including several good-looking family recipes. But a lot of you also mentioned a recipe called Waffles of Insane Greatness (WIG). A name like that is very, very hard to ignore. It’s ballsy. It felt like a direct challenge, and I must admit, my interest was piqued. Also, oddly enough, I noticed that WIG has a lot in common with Pam Anderson’s recipe, which I took as a good sign. Both called for cornstarch, and their ingredient lists are almost identical, differing only - and only slightly - in the amounts of oil, sugar, and vanilla. I decided to go with one of the two, and in the end, I decided on WIG. I wanted to see if it could live up to its title.
Last - and I’ll getting to the actual tasting soon, I swear - I wanted to make a waffle with some sort of whole grain flour, because so many of you suggested it. But after much consideration, I decided that it’s a whole other can of worms, and one best opened on another day. To those of you who suggested recipes involving whole wheat flour, spelt flour, oat flour, buckwheat flour, and any other flour, thank you. I’ll get there soon! As soon as I recover from yesterday morning. We made a lot of waffles.
A meeting time of 10:00 am was set, and there were to be five of us eating - including two cooks from Delancey, Ryan and Brandi, whose palates I knew I could trust. I did not take this lightly. Crust and crumb were poked and prodded, held to the light, thoroughly examined. The smell of yeast and coffee and hot butter hovered over the table, as heavy and palpable as steam.
Much syrup was consumed. The carnage began to pile up. It was ugly. It was a great morning. I ate five waffles, and I lived to see the afternoon.
I also came away with not one keeper-quality recipe, but two. I’m not saying that to be politic. I mean it. Both recipes beat every waffle I have ever had. (Not counting gaufres de Liège; those are totally different.) Who could ask for more? I love you, blog. I love you, comments function. I love you, people.
Here’s the thing. For me, the Marion Cunningham waffle, the yeasted one, is capital-W Winner. It’s incredibly light and crisp, but the inner crumb is soft, tender, almost custardy. I can’t say enough about that texture. I wanted to eat waffle after waffle after waffle, just for the way it felt between my teeth. It isn’t particularly sweet, which I like very much, and at first appraisal, it can even seem a little salty. But as soon as you pour on some maple syrup, it makes sense: the salt and the sweetness make each other hum. That complexity, plus the complexity brought by the yeast, plus the good hit of butter in the batter, combine to make the kind of flavor that lasts, that hangs around long after the waffle itself is gone. Plus, and this is a big plus, because the yeasted batter requires an overnight rest, you do 90% of the work - which is very easy work - the night before. The morning of, you have almost nothing to do, except make some coffee and turn on the radio and feel pleased that you have almost nothing to do. It’s heaven. It’s the top. I wouldn’t change a thing.
That said, if I didn’t plan ahead, and if I woke up one morning desperately needing a waffle, I would make WIG. And I would be similarly elated. In fact, sitting around the table yesterday, we had a hard time declaring a winner, and at first, it looked as though WIG might be it. When you bite in, it’s absolutely remarkable, with a craggy, shatteringly crisp crust. I’ve never seen or eaten a waffle with so crisp an outer crust. I think the cornstarch is to be thanked for that. The waffle tastes wonderful, too: nicely toasty and caramelized, complex, sweet but not too sweet. But to me, the flavor didn’t persist the way that the flavor of the yeasted waffle did, and it didn’t have the same depth, and I don’t know. It sort of petered out halfway through. It was delicious, and had I never eaten a yeasted waffle, I would drive around all week with the windows down and a megaphone to my mouth, telling the city to make these waffles. But because I have now eaten the Marion Cunningham yeasted waffle, I don’t feel quite so moved. It’s all relative. If only I had heard of WIG earlier! Think of what might have been.
Or don’t, and instead, go make some already. If you’ve read this far, you deserve a waffle.
Marion Cunningham’s Raised Waffles
(pictured above in image #1, on the left side of image #4, and image #5)
From The Breakfast Book
This recipe uses dry yeast, which is often sold as “active dry” yeast. It’s different from instant yeast (often sold as “rapid rise”), so be careful not to confuse the two, even though the packaging often looks similar.
Most waffle recipes work in any kind of waffle maker, but I get the sense that this one is intended for use on a standard (not Belgian) waffle maker. Mine is Belgian-style, and the batter was a bit too thin to really fill it properly. It wasn’t a biggie – they still taste great, and they’re pretty on one side, at least – but just, you know, FYI.
½ cup warm water
1 package (2 ¼ tsp.) dry yeast
2 cups whole milk, warmed
1 stick (½ cup) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
1 tsp. table salt
1 tsp. sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
¼ tsp. baking soda
Pour the water into a large mixing bowl. (The batter will rise to double its volume, so keep that in mind when you choose the bowl.) Sprinkle the yeast over the water, and let stand to dissolve for 5 minutes.
Add the milk, butter, salt, sugar, and flour, and beat until well blended and smooth. (Electric beaters do a nice job of this.) Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and let it stand overnight at room temperature.
Before cooking the waffles, preheat a waffle maker. Follow your waffle maker’s instruction manual for this, but my guess is that you’ll want to heat it on whatever setting is approximately medium-high. My waffle maker has a heat dial that runs from 1 to 7, and I turned it to 5. My waffle maker is nonstick, so I didn’t grease it, and Marion Cunningham doesn’t call for greasing it, either.
Just before cooking the waffles, add the eggs and baking soda, and stir to mix well. The batter will be very thin. Pour an appropriate amount of batter into your hot waffle maker: this amount will vary from machine to machine, and you should plan to use your first waffle as a test specimen. Cook until golden and crisp.
Yield: depends on the size and configuration of your waffle iron
***
A Great Make-the-Morning-of Waffle
(pictured above in image #2, #3, and the right side of #4)
Adapted slightly from the “Waffle of Insane Greatness” recipe
The original version of this recipe calls for 1 cup milk or buttermilk, but I split the difference and use ½ cup of each. The texture of the batter was lovely, and I liked the slight tangy quality of the waffles, so I’d recommend that you try the same course of action.
Also, this waffle works in any kind of waffle maker.
¾ cup all-purpose flour
¼ cup cornstarch
½ tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. table salt
1 ½ tsp. sugar
½ cup whole milk
½ cup buttermilk
1/3 cup vegetable oil, such as canola
1 large egg, lightly beaten
¾ tsp. vanilla extract
In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar. Whisk well. Add the milk, buttermilk, vegetable oil, egg, and vanilla extract. Whisk to blend well, so that few (if any) lumps remain. Set aside to rest for 30 minutes.
Preheat a waffle iron. Follow your waffle maker’s instruction manual for this, but my guess is that you’ll want to heat it on whatever setting is approximately medium-high. My waffle maker has a heat dial that runs from 1 to 7, and I turned it to 5. There’s no need to grease the waffle maker.
Pour an appropriate amount of batter into your hot waffle maker: this amount will vary from machine to machine, and you should plan to use your first waffle as a test specimen. Cook until golden and crisp.
Yield: depends on the size and configuration of your waffle iron
You people are outstanding. You really know your waffles. Thank you. I should ask you for advice more often, because together, you’re absolutely unstoppable. I’m pretty sure that, given a day or two, you could solve any problem, and if I may, I would like to suggest that you start with my pet conundrum: how to make potatoes come out of the ground already fried. I think a lot of us would like to know.
Anyway, I read your suggestions, every single one of them, and after much hemming and hawing and hand-wringing, I chose two to try. It wasn’t easy, and my thinking went something like this:
Yeasted waffles got the most votes, so I had to make at least one batch. Of the yeasted recipes mentioned, Marion Cunningham’s was cited most often, followed by Mark Bittman’s and Cook’s Illustrated’s. I looked them up, and it turns out, they’re all remarkably similar in ingredients and amounts. I probably could have tossed a coin, if coins had three faces, and been happy with whatever recipe I got. But I chose to try Marion’s, and I chose it for three reasons: 1) again, it was cited most often, 2) it calls for the type of yeast - active dry, as opposed to instant - that I usually keep on hand, and 3) it’s very simple, with no beating of egg whites or other additional steps. Also, and maybe you’ve noticed this, but that recipe has been printed and reprinted everywhere. It’s been featured in books by Rose Levy Beranbaum and Shirley Corriher. It’s also all over the Internet. Which sort of begs the question of why I didn’t make it for my mother on Mother’s Day, but oh well. I’m a slow learner.
I also wanted to make a waffle that was not yeasted, to be fair. A number of you mentioned the Joy of Cooking recipe. A number of you also pointed me toward a recipe published in and Food & Wine and Fine Cooking by cookbook author Pam Anderson, who should not be confused with Pamela Anderson, formerly of Baywatch and Tommy Lee, and I make that clarification because I was, myself, briefly confused. And there were many other suggestions as well, including several good-looking family recipes. But a lot of you also mentioned a recipe called Waffles of Insane Greatness (WIG). A name like that is very, very hard to ignore. It’s ballsy. It felt like a direct challenge, and I must admit, my interest was piqued. Also, oddly enough, I noticed that WIG has a lot in common with Pam Anderson’s recipe, which I took as a good sign. Both called for cornstarch, and their ingredient lists are almost identical, differing only - and only slightly - in the amounts of oil, sugar, and vanilla. I decided to go with one of the two, and in the end, I decided on WIG. I wanted to see if it could live up to its title.
Last - and I’ll getting to the actual tasting soon, I swear - I wanted to make a waffle with some sort of whole grain flour, because so many of you suggested it. But after much consideration, I decided that it’s a whole other can of worms, and one best opened on another day. To those of you who suggested recipes involving whole wheat flour, spelt flour, oat flour, buckwheat flour, and any other flour, thank you. I’ll get there soon! As soon as I recover from yesterday morning. We made a lot of waffles.
A meeting time of 10:00 am was set, and there were to be five of us eating - including two cooks from Delancey, Ryan and Brandi, whose palates I knew I could trust. I did not take this lightly. Crust and crumb were poked and prodded, held to the light, thoroughly examined. The smell of yeast and coffee and hot butter hovered over the table, as heavy and palpable as steam.
Much syrup was consumed. The carnage began to pile up. It was ugly. It was a great morning. I ate five waffles, and I lived to see the afternoon.
I also came away with not one keeper-quality recipe, but two. I’m not saying that to be politic. I mean it. Both recipes beat every waffle I have ever had. (Not counting gaufres de Liège; those are totally different.) Who could ask for more? I love you, blog. I love you, comments function. I love you, people.
Here’s the thing. For me, the Marion Cunningham waffle, the yeasted one, is capital-W Winner. It’s incredibly light and crisp, but the inner crumb is soft, tender, almost custardy. I can’t say enough about that texture. I wanted to eat waffle after waffle after waffle, just for the way it felt between my teeth. It isn’t particularly sweet, which I like very much, and at first appraisal, it can even seem a little salty. But as soon as you pour on some maple syrup, it makes sense: the salt and the sweetness make each other hum. That complexity, plus the complexity brought by the yeast, plus the good hit of butter in the batter, combine to make the kind of flavor that lasts, that hangs around long after the waffle itself is gone. Plus, and this is a big plus, because the yeasted batter requires an overnight rest, you do 90% of the work - which is very easy work - the night before. The morning of, you have almost nothing to do, except make some coffee and turn on the radio and feel pleased that you have almost nothing to do. It’s heaven. It’s the top. I wouldn’t change a thing.
That said, if I didn’t plan ahead, and if I woke up one morning desperately needing a waffle, I would make WIG. And I would be similarly elated. In fact, sitting around the table yesterday, we had a hard time declaring a winner, and at first, it looked as though WIG might be it. When you bite in, it’s absolutely remarkable, with a craggy, shatteringly crisp crust. I’ve never seen or eaten a waffle with so crisp an outer crust. I think the cornstarch is to be thanked for that. The waffle tastes wonderful, too: nicely toasty and caramelized, complex, sweet but not too sweet. But to me, the flavor didn’t persist the way that the flavor of the yeasted waffle did, and it didn’t have the same depth, and I don’t know. It sort of petered out halfway through. It was delicious, and had I never eaten a yeasted waffle, I would drive around all week with the windows down and a megaphone to my mouth, telling the city to make these waffles. But because I have now eaten the Marion Cunningham yeasted waffle, I don’t feel quite so moved. It’s all relative. If only I had heard of WIG earlier! Think of what might have been.
Or don’t, and instead, go make some already. If you’ve read this far, you deserve a waffle.
Marion Cunningham’s Raised Waffles
(pictured above in image #1, on the left side of image #4, and image #5)
From The Breakfast Book
This recipe uses dry yeast, which is often sold as “active dry” yeast. It’s different from instant yeast (often sold as “rapid rise”), so be careful not to confuse the two, even though the packaging often looks similar.
Most waffle recipes work in any kind of waffle maker, but I get the sense that this one is intended for use on a standard (not Belgian) waffle maker. Mine is Belgian-style, and the batter was a bit too thin to really fill it properly. It wasn’t a biggie – they still taste great, and they’re pretty on one side, at least – but just, you know, FYI.
½ cup warm water
1 package (2 ¼ tsp.) dry yeast
2 cups whole milk, warmed
1 stick (½ cup) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
1 tsp. table salt
1 tsp. sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
¼ tsp. baking soda
Pour the water into a large mixing bowl. (The batter will rise to double its volume, so keep that in mind when you choose the bowl.) Sprinkle the yeast over the water, and let stand to dissolve for 5 minutes.
Add the milk, butter, salt, sugar, and flour, and beat until well blended and smooth. (Electric beaters do a nice job of this.) Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and let it stand overnight at room temperature.
Before cooking the waffles, preheat a waffle maker. Follow your waffle maker’s instruction manual for this, but my guess is that you’ll want to heat it on whatever setting is approximately medium-high. My waffle maker has a heat dial that runs from 1 to 7, and I turned it to 5. My waffle maker is nonstick, so I didn’t grease it, and Marion Cunningham doesn’t call for greasing it, either.
Just before cooking the waffles, add the eggs and baking soda, and stir to mix well. The batter will be very thin. Pour an appropriate amount of batter into your hot waffle maker: this amount will vary from machine to machine, and you should plan to use your first waffle as a test specimen. Cook until golden and crisp.
Yield: depends on the size and configuration of your waffle iron
***
A Great Make-the-Morning-of Waffle
(pictured above in image #2, #3, and the right side of #4)
Adapted slightly from the “Waffle of Insane Greatness” recipe
The original version of this recipe calls for 1 cup milk or buttermilk, but I split the difference and use ½ cup of each. The texture of the batter was lovely, and I liked the slight tangy quality of the waffles, so I’d recommend that you try the same course of action.
Also, this waffle works in any kind of waffle maker.
¾ cup all-purpose flour
¼ cup cornstarch
½ tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. table salt
1 ½ tsp. sugar
½ cup whole milk
½ cup buttermilk
1/3 cup vegetable oil, such as canola
1 large egg, lightly beaten
¾ tsp. vanilla extract
In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar. Whisk well. Add the milk, buttermilk, vegetable oil, egg, and vanilla extract. Whisk to blend well, so that few (if any) lumps remain. Set aside to rest for 30 minutes.
Preheat a waffle iron. Follow your waffle maker’s instruction manual for this, but my guess is that you’ll want to heat it on whatever setting is approximately medium-high. My waffle maker has a heat dial that runs from 1 to 7, and I turned it to 5. There’s no need to grease the waffle maker.
Pour an appropriate amount of batter into your hot waffle maker: this amount will vary from machine to machine, and you should plan to use your first waffle as a test specimen. Cook until golden and crisp.
Yield: depends on the size and configuration of your waffle iron
posted by Molly at 5:34 PM
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59 Comments:
Thank you so much for the testing! I will definitely put the buttermilk recipe in my to try list. I have some very serious waffle eaters at my house.
Well geez... just when I thought I'd perfected my waffle recipe. Since I will NEVER do a night-before version, yummy as it sounds, I'll try the second gluten-free and see how it differs from my current version.
Glad you found two winners!
oh thank you for doing what I should have done years ago.
I just couldn't bear to stray from Bittman's yeasted waffle to try another! But I will try these, both of these, because I trust you so.
and oh how I love waffles.
So glad you loved the raised waffle...and similarly glad that you've done the research and given me the make-the-morning-of waffle recipe. I'll have to try them soon...
Yum! Thanks for the suggestions. We just got a waffle maker and I can't wait to try these.
I LOVE this post and as soon as I get off my dairy, meat, sugar cleanse, I'll reverse the benefits by quickly downing a couple of these waffles. Would also love the whole wheat/multigrain version as soon as you get around to it. Always looking for a healthier way to enjoy syrup:) Great job.
Oh and I want to buy a waffle maker. Any thoughts on the best?
I can't tell you how perfect the timing is with this...I've just implemented a new Sunday night tradition for my husband and I and our 2 boys. Family movie and waffle night! I've tried a different waffle recipe each time (we're going on week 4) and can't wait to try both of these!!!
Oh, goodness. This could be very dangerous. We've already been in super waffle mode around our house lately and made them not once but three times last week. We've been liking the basic waffles from Mark Bittman but I am more than willing to try something called Waffles of Greatness.
I make breakfast so rarely, I don't have much chance to experiment. So thank-you for doing the testing so I can FINALLY make a good waffle. Can't wait to try these two recipes.
My waffle maker is probably my favorite wedding gift. Thank you for your waffle testing and now I'm looking forward to brunch this weekend!
Molly, You can make the raised waffles one-hundred percent whole grain---2/3 cup cornmeal and 1 1/3 cups whole wheat pastry flour. They are still light-as-air and with a deep lingering flavor to boot. So for the next time... (though after five waffles I understand if it might be quite awhile before you work up an appetite for more).
hooray for such tasty waffle success! they look perfect! i've never heard of yeasted waffles - it's something i'm fo 'sho gonna have to try.... ooooh, i can't wait! :)
Oh man, brings new meaning to the phrase "WIG Out!" That was unnecessarily cheesy. The waffles look delicious and cheese-free. Thanks for sharing!
After reading this post I said to my hubby "We are having waffles for breakfast on Sunday" however I just realized it is Monday and I don't think I can wait that long for these waffles...I'm going to have to make one of these this week, then maybe I'll make the other one on sunday!!
I am always trying a new waffle recipe every time I make them...trying to find a keeper.
Man, my kingdom for a waffle maker right this moment!
And I'm glad you gave a shout out to Pam Anderson. She is weirdly underappreciated it seems sometimes. Guess the whole Cook's Illustrated fiasco didn't help things, huh.
Oh these sound incredible!!! xo
Oh, Molly, I can always count on you for a smile :). Marion's recipe is a winner, for sure.
So you're saying I should make room in my small-and-already-nearly-full-to-bursting-kitchen for a waffle iron, aren't you. I was barely through reading 'almost custardy' and I was craving waffles. Did I mention I just finished dinner? And still wanted waffles?
Spoonfed author Kim Severson mentions the Cunningham recipe as a favorite too.
So glad you loved the yeasted waffle as much as we do. And darned if I didn't laugh over the WIG, which I'd fallen for HARD many years ago, then promptly lost track of. Not that I'd willingly break ranks with those crazy-good raised beauties, but if I, say, happened to fall asleep over Goodnight Moon, well, it's nice to have a fine contender in my back pocket, once again.
You might want to try the Cook's Illustrated recipe with your Belgian waffle maker--the batter is thicker, since it has less liquid. I also like to add a bit of freshly grated nutmeg to the batter. I don't think it would be hard to convert to use active dry yeast--I'd use a full package of active dry (about 2 1/4 tsp), and mix the yeast with the milk/melted butter mixture once it's cool enough.
What a wonderful post! Maybe it's time for me to move beyond the recipe that came with the waffle maker!
WOW - first time visiting your blog and I love it. I cannot wait to try these waffles...if only I had a waffle maker. I recently quit my job to pursue my lifelong dream of going to culinary school (Check out my adventures at www.asecondcourse.com) so right now funds and apt space is limited! But with a birthday coming up, a waffle maker might be on the list!
What type of gluten free flour would you recommend when making waffles so all my family members can enjoy?
Waffles are SO perfect for Sunday morning. However, lately I'm having a hard time parting from that oatmeal/blueberry pancake recipe you posted a while ago. THOSE were terrific.
Your photos are so dreamy. You with that gorgeous, otherworldly light...
I'm so glad you were willing to put in the legwork to find a winner. Since I have a giant jar of yeast in my fridge I guess I will be trying the yeast based waffles just as soon as I try the chocolate waffles I promised to make a friend.
After reading this I tried the Joy of Cooking recipe this weekend. Good, but not earth shattering. Will have to try these - am still looking for the holy grail myself & have never quite found it!
I'm not one of those readers who gave you advice but it#s a great idea to ask your readers when things don't work out. Thanks so much for these - I can't wait to try them.
I'll definitely be trying these. We love waffles at our house!
You had a waffle meeting? A meeting about waffles? Why can't I go to waffle meetings instead of meetings where I have to talk about money and schedules...
p.s - these look amazing, one day, when I have kitchen space enough for a KitchenAid and an ice-cream maker I will also have a waffle maker and I will make these. One day...
Fantastic - I'm abroad right now and all I can look forward to is coming back to Seattle and cooking my girlfriend surprise morning waffles. Maybe including summer berries, we'll see where this takes me ...
marion cunningham can do no wrong when it comes to breakfast. need to get a waffle iron, i think...
just wanna say - i LOVE your plates! LOVE them.
This sounds like my sort of experiment! I love the outcome of the two different waffles. I need to invest in a waffle pan before I attempt either of these!
Oh man, now I have one of those craving that just isn't gonna go away 'til I eat a ton of waffles. Look out weekend.
Next year, I am going to go teach English in France! I wanted to tell you, Molly, because I asked you about your experience about a year ago! I always get a flutery feeling in my stomach when you talk about it. Now I will have to start apartment shopping on craigslist in toulouse...joy!
i can't wait to try both of these recipes! we make waffles all the time, and i haven't yet found the master recipe. So far, the browned butter waffles from The Craft of Baking have had the right taste, but maybe not the right texture. Will be making the second recipe this weekend! Also on the list, the newest one from Cooks Illustrated, with seltzer water instead of egg whites.
I can now sleep at night, I--too--have been looking for a go-to waffle recipe and have not had the success I hoped for thus far. Also, I have WAY too much buttermilk in my freezer that has been causing more anxiety than is socially acceptable (such is the by-product of homemade butter making, I suppose: which I imagine will be heavenly with those waffles!). Anyways, thanks for your research, Molly!
One morning you wake up and you realize you didn't know as much about waffles as you thought you did. I envy the waffle taste test--it sounds like heaven.
After your last post about waffles I realized I hadn't made waffles in forever. And I didn't want to take the time to make my sourdough ones. I ended up with Ricotta Waffles from Dories book but I wanted sweet instead of savory. I made a double batch, added 1/4 cup sugar to make them slightly sweet and a 1/4-1/2 tsp Fiori Di Sicilia instead of black pepper. I was hide the leftovers from my kids. We ate them with La Lechera
Sweetened Condensed Milk instead of maple syrup.
Forgive me: but in not picking an overall winner, aren't you waffling?
Mmmmmm....now I'm definitely making waffles this saturday. Also, we're visiting Seattle at the end of June and can't wait to visit Delancey--I've already emailed mapquest and the website to my husband as a MUST GO!
Molly, glad you found a winning waffle. I've had epic fails with MC's yeasted waffles. The outside crisps beautifully but the inside does not seem to set. You mention that the interior is almost custardy. So maybe I was closer to getting it right and it was my expectations that were wrong.
if you want to get some whole grain in, Deborah Madison's Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone has a whole wheat version of Marion's waffles--not quite as delicious, but for more healthy pretty darn good
I love how you clarified the Pam Anderson thing Molly because I too was briefly confused and found myself wondering if Pam (of Baywatch fame) had some secret waffle recipe I didn't know about (maybe she does?). And Gemma...I want to go to meetings about waffles as well. Thumbs down to meetings about money and schedules :(
Update - Just made the second recipe and I can attest that it is so great! crispy with great flavor. My previous waffles have suffered from soggy waffle syndrome. I wonder why these are so crisp? They also had nice lift in the iron. yay!
I gotta say ... make your waffles twice, once where you separate the egg whites from yolks and once where you beat them together ... and you'll kick yourself for not adding that one little tiny extra step.
I had to leave my waffle iron back in the States. Sob!! Reading this post is like pouring salt in a wound!
Fantastic! Thank you for going a bit astray and testing out different recipes! I adore waffles, I will have to try these both!
I am going home and hauling out my waffle maker tonight. The old school Betty Crocker recipe (not the version online) has been delighting us for the past six months, but WIG... OMG it's on.
Thank you for brightening my very raining, previously waffle-less Tuesday.
I'm glad you found not one, but two wonderful recipes! I can't wait to try both of them. I'm a waffle fanatic.
I know not to look to Pamela Anderson of Bay Watch for my morning waffle, but what of Marion Cunningham? I'm assuming this yeasted waffle recipe was not the one "Mrs. C" served to Richie, Joanie, Howard and the Fonz?
Thank you for the research - I've been wanting to find the perfect waffle recipe (I usually use an adapted version of the Joy of Cooking's buttermilk waffles), but I've been focusing on pancakes of late.
I've never actually tried yeasted waffles before, so I think I may break out this recipe in the next week or so. Because really, waffles should be more than just a vehicle for maple syrup.
Just when I thought I’d found my go-to waffle recipe, you have absolutely intrigued me to try two more. We’ve been doing Waffle Saturday one day a month, but it looks like we’re going to be expanding that to at least two for May.
I am so wishing I was not at work now so I could be making some of these waffles. Maybe I'll have to do breakfast for dinner tonight!
Just curious what kind of waffle iron you used and if you would recommend it? We've been looking to buy one and this post will probably push us to go ahead and make that purchase sooner rather than later!
My boyfriend and I have had an ongoing debate of waffles vs pancakes, and with these recipes, I have to say I won him over. Thanks for the recipes! PS, love the book, can't put it down!
I think you should maybe still consider doing the megaphone bit. Just for the enjoyment of passersby. And probably some of your own, too.
O Molly, you've done it again. But this is big-so big! The Breakfast Book is a cookbook I have been trying to remember since I was a small girl working her first job at the library. I was 9.
I could remember the cover and that it was about breakfast, but beyond that, I knew nothing.
Well, only that I loved it and checked it out out in 4th grade and read it and re-read it like a novel. It was my first foray into cookbooks and I remember it very fondly.
So thank you. I am ordering a copy today. And I am going to make waffles. And a whole slew of other delightful breakfast treats.
Except for Melba toast. I tried that one in 4th grade and haven't tried it since. I was not impressed.
Maybe that should be your next challenge?
Love from Greta
Can I please just say that I love that other people exist who also perseverate on things like finding the perfect waffle? God bless good food! I will be making waffles with fresh berries tonight for dinner.
A word on the photos: they're beautiful! Is that a Polaroid SX70? I use mine all the time and the soft orangey glow looks just like that. Awesome.
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