From the Pantry
by Paula Gray

Waffles

"Anybody want waffles?" This question usually draws an enthusiastic response in our house. Why not dig your waffle iron out of the back of your cupboard, and while it preheats, read on for some waffle history and a few recipes to try?

History
Long ago, the Greeks cooked very flat cakes between two hot metal plates. This method of cooking continued throughout the Middle Ages by obloyeurs, who made all sorts of "oublies" that were flat or rolled into horn shapes.

The earliest waffle iron probably originated in Holland or Germany around the 1300s. Held over the slow-burning embers of a hearth fire, it was constructed of two hinged iron plates attached to two long wooden handles. The plates were often elaborately stamped with family crests, religious symbols, figures, or even landscape scenes. The oublie became the "waffle" with the advent of forging the characteristic honeycomb grid onto the plates.

Dutch settlers brought waffles to America in the 1600s. Their popularity increased when, 100 years later, waffle devotee Thomas Jefferson returned from a trip to France with a long-handled patterned griddle that enclosed the batter and gave it its characteristic crispness and shape.

In 1911, General Electric came out with its first electric waffle iron. Sunday night suppers of the 1930s, designed to entertain and prepare food for guests right at the table, included the latest electric convenience appliances. Waffles appeared regularly on the menu, topped with savory sauces. They also became an extremely popular breakfast item, slathered with butter and maple syrup. Frozen waffles first appeared in supermarkets in 1953.

The "Brussels Waffle" debuted at the 1960 World’s Fair in Brussels, Belgium when a Belgian restaurateur named Vermersch featured his wife’s unique recipe—a thicker, yeasty waffle—topped with fresh strawberries and whipped cream. Business was so good in Brussels, the savvy entrepreneur took his invention to the 1964 World’s Fair in New York City, changing the name of his specialty to the "Belgian Waffle."

Making Waffles
Waffle batter is similar to pancake batter but incorporates more butter or oil. The increased amount of fat tenderizes the waffle, prevents it from sticking to the waffle iron, and gives waffles their characteristic crisp exterior. When mixing the batter, add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix just until moistened. A few lumps are okay. If your mixing bowl has a lip, pour the batter directly onto the waffle iron from the bowl. Or, dip a ladle or a 1/3 cup measure into the bowl of batter and pour from that.

To achieve crisp waffles, it is essential to preheat the waffle iron. Give it at least ten minutes to really heat up. Pour about 1/3 cup batter onto the hot grid. Thin batters will spread across the squares; thicker ones will spread when the top of the waffle iron is closed. Be careful not to overfill the waffle iron or some of the batter will squeeze out and drip down the sides. Bake about 4 to 5 minutes, until most of the steaming has stopped. For maximum enjoyment, eat immediately.

An electric waffle iron makes waffle baking almost foolproof. Just plug it in and go. Irons with non-stick coating allow waffles to lift effortlessly from the hot grid, making cleanup a breeze. If using a stovetop cast-iron waffle iron, season it with corn oil, wiping off any excess.

So Many Choices
Several prepackaged waffle mixes are available in your choice of grains. Add the wet ingredients— water, milk, juice, egg, or even seltzer, and sometimes a small amount of oil— and the batter is ready.

You also can make waffle batter from scratch with endless variations. Choose from an array of flours. Add dried fruits, nuts, puréed fruits, shredded cheeses, or diced meats. Add chocolate. Use egg whites or baking soda for leavening. Try milk, soymilk, buttermilk, juice, yogurt, or water.

Crown your masterpiece with toppings of just about anything: fruit syrup, flavored butter, yogurt, fruit purée, cottage cheese, fresh ricotta, sweet or savory sauces, salsa, whipped cream, maple syrup, fresh fruit or berries, powdered sugar, or even ice cream!

Reheating Waffles
Freshly baked waffles suffer if they have to wait around too long. If hungry eaters don’t dash to the table at the first call of "Your waffle is ready!" that wonderfully crisp exterior can turn disappointingly soggy.There are two ways to extend the life of waffles.

When you preheat the waffle iron, also preheat the oven to 275 degrees F. Then, as the cooked waffles come off the waffle iron, place them on a rack on a baking sheet. Don’t stack the waffles or place them directly on the baking sheet or the hot waffles will "steam" and get mushy. Serve within 15 to 20 minutes.

To revive the waffle’s crispiness, toast the waffle for about a minute in a toaster set on "low." It will re-crisp the outside while maintaining a soft interior.

If you have leftover waffles wrap them in plastic and freeze them. When you want a quick breakfast, take out a few waffles and pop them in the toaster.

Recipes

Cornmeal Waffles

Crispy Yeast Waffles

Golden Pumpkin Waffles

Outrageous Chocolate Waffles

Cornmeal Waffles

Serves 5

1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup yellow cornmeal

1 Tbs. sugar

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

2 Tbs. canola or safflower oil

1-3/4 cups buttermilk

1 egg

Preheat and lightly coat a waffle iron with vegetable cooking spray. In a large bowl, combine the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk gently to mix. In another bowl, thoroughly combine the oil, buttermilk, and egg. Add the wet ingredients to the dry, and stir until just blended; the batter should be slightly lumpy. Pour about 1/3 cup of the batter onto the prepared waffle iron and cook about 4 to 5 minutes or until golden brown and crisp. Repeat with the remaining batter. Serve the waffles immediately with fresh fruit or drizzled maple syrup.

— Great Grains, by Linda Drachman and Peter Wynne

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Crispy Yeast Waffles

Makes 6-8 waffles

You will like the difference yeast makes in waffles. Make the batter the night before, then wake up, preheat the waffle iron, and you’re ready to go!

1-3/4 cups milk

1/4 cup water

1/4 cup oil

3 eggs

1 tsp. salt

2 Tbs. sugar

2-2/3 cups all-purpose flour

2-1/4 tsp. active dry yeast

Combine flour, yeast, sugar, and salt in mixing bowl. In a saucepan, combine milk, water, and oil; heat to 120¼ to 130¼ F. Add the liquid ingredients to the mixture and blend; use low speed if using an electric mixer. Add eggs. Beat 2 to 3 minutes on medium speed. Cover bowl; refrigerate batter several hours or overnight.

— Red Star Yeast

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Golden Pumpkin Waffles

Makes 6 waffles

1/2 cup pumpkin purée

3 eggs

1-1/2cups milk

2 Tbs. melted butter

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp. salt

2 tsp. double-acting baking powder

2 Tbs. sugar

1/8 tsp. cinnamon

Dash nutmeg

Preheat waffle iron. In a bowl, combine pumpkin, eggs, milk, and melted butter. In another bowl, sift together the all-purpose flour, salt, baking powder, sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Add the pumpkin mixture to the flour mixture, stirring only enough to moisten. Pour 1/3 cup batter onto waffle iron, and cook about 5 minutes until done. Repeat with remaining batter.

— Adapted from Joy of Cooking, by Rombauer and Becker

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Outrageous Chocolate Waffles

Makes 4-5 waffles

1-1/3 cups flour

1/3 cup whole wheat flour

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa

1 Tbs. baking powder

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter

3 oz. semisweet chocolate

2 Tbs. granulated sugar

2-1/4 cups milk

2 eggs, beaten until frothy

Preheat waffle iron. In a large bowl, sift together flour, whole-wheat flour, cocoa, baking powder, and cinnamon. In a heavy-bottomed saucepan over very low heat, melt butter, chocolate, and sugar. Whisk until smooth, remove from heat, and whisk in milk and eggs. Make a well in dry ingredients, pour in chocolate mixture and blend just until everything is combined. Let batter stand for several minutes. Pour about 1/2to 3/4 cup batter into very hot waffle iron and bake until waffles are golden and crisp. Serve hot.

— Maple Syrup Cookbook, by Ken Haedrich

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