Not Your Mama's Homemade Waffles

Rachel Ray once posted a recipe called 'you won't be single for long vodka cream pasta'. With this recipe, which by the way I have tried and hated, Rachel suggests that you can win the affections of the person of your choosing if only you make this pasta. Now, I don't know about y'all but I am a big fan of cooking for those that I love or that I want to love me -- it is the one thing I agree with Rachel Ray on. Well, I shouldn't say that. I also like her garbage bowl idea -- throw all the cuttings, trimmings, empty cans, wrappers, etc into one big ol' bowl when you are preparing a meal and it will save you time because you won't be going to the garbage can sixteen times, you will only need to go once -- I digress. The thing is, Rachel Ray and I agree that it is important to make food for those who you care about. It is a kind gesture, and usually a pretty tasty one too. So today, even though I won't claim that this recipe will make your boyfriend renounce the single life and put a shiny bauble on your finger, but I will say it is darn tasty.

A few years ago, my friend The Queen introduced to a wonderful cookbook called 'The America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook'. In this book, which covers everything from a recipe for cheeseballs to light chicken pot pie and everything in between including sweet treats and breakfast samplings, and is also a three-ring binder so it lays flat, sits the most sacred of my recipes: Overnight Yeasted Waffles (page 235). It is a recipe that is not really that hard but seems like a heck of a lot of work to those who eat it. Basically what you do is melt butter into milk, let it cool, whisk together flour, yeast, salt and sugar and then whisk in the coolish butter and milk. Whisk in one egg, some vanilla and another egg and then cover the batter with plastic wrap over night and wait until the morning to cook the magical mixture in your waffle iron. I will include the recipe below, but I must tell you that I have made these waffles many, many times and every time that I thought they were going to be terrible (because the batter didn't puff up or because it seemed a little stiff or too stringy) and really, I do mean every time, they have always tasted good. As a person who really doesn't like waffles that much, I have to say that these ones are pretty good. They have a nice crunch on the outside and yet are light and airy on the inside. Plus, they have the benefit of being pretty delicious no matter what you throw on them. I have put everything from stewed fruit to fresh fruit and whipped cream to plain old butter and Aunt Jemima and I always get rave reviews (and no complaints about hunger for at least three hours). I hope that you try them and find them as delicious as I do.

AMERICA'S TEST KITCHEN OVERNIGHT YEASTED WAFFLES (adapted)
Makes waffles -- I don't know how many it will make it your waffle maker, it usually makes 6 in my small round one

1 3/4 cup whole milk (though I use skim and it has never given me any issues)
8 tablespoons or 1 stick of unsalted butter cut into chunks
2 cups flour (I use all purpose)
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons of instant yeast (it says not dry active but I think that's what I use and again, it always turns out)
1 teaspoon salt (I use kosher)
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla


(I'm almost out of sugar so that's what that nearly empty container is)

Heat the milk and butter together in a small saucepan until the butter has melted and allow to cool until the mixture feels warm to the touch. While you are waiting for the butter/milk to cool, whisk together the dry ingredients in a fairly large bowl. When the butter/milk has cooled, whisk the mixture into the dry ingredients until incorporated. Then whisk in the eggs one by one and the vanilla. Then, put plastic wrap over the batter and allow it to rise in the fridge overnight.


What the batter will look like after a night of resting and before you whisk it

In the morning, the batter should have noticeably risen; whisk the puffy batter (it will be stringy and sticky) and then heat your waffle iron and use according to the manufacturer's directions. Note that the batter does expand a lot and so you might want to use less than you normally do in your waffle maker. Also, this is a hard-as-cement batter when it dries and so be careful not to get too much splatter on your counter or you will need a jackhammer to remove it.

Serve with whatever delights you and enjoy!



Yummy with strawberry rhubarb compote and (hand whipped) whipped cream