The Great Waffle Debate

Waffles Two Ways or The Great Waffle DebateBreakfast is a big deal in my house. At least one morning each weekend, sometimes two, we will have a big breakfast. By big it means doing something more than pouring milk over cereal, or pushing down the lever on a toaster.

Breakfast on the weekend means breaking some eggs, scooping out some flour and stirring in some milk. Omelets are good, and my husband is the Omelet King. Pancakes of all kinds are always a hit, but I think waffles are by far the family favorite.

I have one of those waffle irons that spins two at a time. It was my favorite present from Christmas a couple of years ago. I LOVE it. Being able to produce buttery, crispy goodness quickly is the key to a happy Sunday morning.

At our last Cookbook Club dinner, one of the kids suggested that the next book we choose should be about breakfast. We chose The Breakfast Book by Marion Cunningham.

As you would expect, the book contains a number of tasty breakfast recipes and, of course, there are a few for waffles. The Classic Waffle recipe which is the version that most of us are used to, but a few recipes might be challenging to those who see themselves as “waffle purists”. Last weekend I tried the Raised Waffle recipe which uses yeast to make the waffles fluffy. I got mixed reviews.

The boys thought they were great. My daughter, who is a staunch waffle purist, likes the other version better of course. My husband liked the fact that the Raised Waffles were really light and crispy. For me, I thought they were good but I’ll stick to the tried and true, old school waffles.

I have listed the recipe for you give them a try, and see where you fall in the great waffle debate. 

Raised Waffles
The Breakfast Book by Marion Cunningham
Makes 8 Waffles

Ingredients
1/2 cup warm water
1 package dry yeast
2 cups milk, warmed
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 eggs
1/4 teaspoon baking soda

Directions
Use a rather large mixing bowl-the batter will rise to double its original volume. Put the water in the mixing bowl and sprinkle in the yeast. Let stand to dissolve for 5 minutes.

Add the milk, butter, salt, sugar, and flour to the yeast mixture and beat until smooth and blended. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let stand overnight at room temperature.

Just before cooking the waffles, beat in the eggs, add the baking soda, and stir until well mixed. The batter will be very thin. Pour about 1/2 to 3/4 cup batter into a very hot waffle iron. Bake the waffles until they are golden and crisp.

This batter will keep for several days in the refrigerator.

Classic Waffles
The Breakfast Book by Marion Cunningham
about 8 waffles

Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
4 teaspoons baking powder
2 tablespoons sugar
2 eggs, room temperature
1 1/2 cups milk, warmed slightly
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup butter, melted

Directions
Put the flour, salt, baking powder, and sugar in a mixing bowl and stir the mixture with a fork until blended.

In another bowl, beat the eggs well and stir in the milk. Combine with the flour mixture until mixed. Add the oil and butter and beat until blended.

Pour about 1/2 cup of the batter into a very hot waffle iron. Bake the waffles until they are golden and crisp. Serve hot.

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