I have two kids, and they’re a bit set in their ways. (I remember reading something as a new mother about how kids like routine, and now I’m afraid that I overdid it.) Unless I make a concerted effort to plan something new, Sunday mornings at our house are dedicated to pancakes and a family hike. Woe to the person who has the audacity to suggest anything else.
Pancakes are wonderful and all, but yesterday I tried to shake things up, and I made waffles. Waffles are not pancakes. They are crispier than pancakes, and airier, and slightly sweeter. They are made for filling with butter and syrup and eating with a fork, not for dipping in a small cup of syrup and eating with your hands. They were not a hit with the under-seven set.
But oh, these waffles. Crispy and airy and golden, in my mind they were perfect. The uneaten ones are in the freezer, and they will make several mornings better for me. The kids, well, they still got their hike.
Buttermilk Waffles
Adapted from Martha Stewart
Ingredients:
- 8 T melted butter, plus another 1-2 T for greasing the waffle iron
- 2 c all-purpose flour
- 1/4 c packed brown sugar
- 1 t baking soda
- 1 1/2 t baking powder
- 1/2 t ground cinnamon
- 1/2 t salt
- 3 large eggs, separated, at room temperature
- 2 c buttermilk, at room temperature
- 1 T vanilla extract
Directions:
- Mix together flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together egg yolks, buttermilk, 8 T melted butter, and vanilla.
- In another medium bowl, beat egg whites until stiff.
- Stir egg yolk mixture into dry mixture until just combined, then fold in egg whites.
- Heat waffle iron and use a pastry brush to grease with melted butter.
- Ladle batter onto waffle iron. (My waffle iron has two sections, and each held about 1/3 cup.) Close and cook until golden brown, crisp, and no longer steaming.