Perfectly Light And Crisp Waffles

Waffles are probably one of my husbands favourite breakfast foods. If we are out for breakfast he always likes to order them and test them out and always compares them to other places he has had them at or homemade ones. Homemade usually wins out because you can totally customise your homemade waffles and you never have to be self conscious about how much maple syrup your pouring over them either. No eye rolls when you ask for more too.

I have read and tried a few recipes and this one is my favourite from The Kitchn website. It’s simple and the waffles do really turn out light and fluffy with nice crisp edges.

They key to the fluffiness is the egg whites that you mix separately adding cream of tartar to as well which acts as a stabiliser for the egg whites, keeps them supple and elastic allowing them to lift and fluff up. They get folded gently into the batter and keep the batter frothy, airy and light. A hot waffle iron does the rest including crisp all the waffle edges. Make sure to grease your iron between waffles so it’s stays non stick. I couldn’t wait to finish the rest of the batch and ate the first few that came out of the waffle iron as soon as they came of it! Sooo good!!

You most definitely can add dried goods into the batter by sprinkling things like chocolate chips, dried fruit, nuts and even cooked bits of bacon (anything that doesn’t have a lot of moisture) right after you pour your batter into the waffle iron. You can even convert this recipe to a savoury waffle one. All you have to do is leave out the vanilla, double the salt, and fold in a handful of your favourite chopped herbs and shredded cheese and that bacon I mentioned earlier.

I did mine sweet but served it with savoury sausages (my take on chicken/meat and waffles and served it with a hibiscus infused maple syrup) they were divine. It’s basically the only waffle recipe you really need if you are looking for a quick and easy no fail one! This is a staple waffle recipe for us and so happy I came across it and so happy to share it with you guys! Next up for waffle is finding a great lemon buttermilk one and of course a really good chocolate one - cause I gotta have those in my waffle recipe pile! Will keep you posted on my findings.

Ingredients

• 1¾ cups unbleached, all-purpose flour
• ¼ cup light brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 large eggs, separated
• 1½ cups milk, almond milk, cashew milk, or coconut milk
• 2 teaspoons cider vinegar or plain vinegar
• ¼ cup (½ stick) unsalted butter, melted and at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, optional
• ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar

Directions

1. In a large mixing bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt and set a side
2. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk the egg yolks, milk, vinegar, melted butter, and vanilla until well-combined.
3. Add the egg yolk mixture to the flour mixture and stir to just combine, do not to over-mix; a few small lumps of flour in the batter are just fine.
4. Preheat a waffle iron according to the manufacturer’s instructions. I had mine on half way on the heat dial.
5. In a stainless steel mixing bowl, beat the egg whites until foamy. Add the cream of tartar, then continue to beat until soft peaks form.
6. Gently fold in the whipped egg whites with a spatula into the batter until just incorporated.
7. Spray or brush waffle iron with non stick cooking spray and then pour the batter into the waffle iron and cook according to the manufacturer’s instructions, usually for 2 to 3 minutes. (You will need ½ to ⅔ cup of batter per waffle for a Belgian or big waffle maker, but the size can vary quite a bit. Consult the manufacturer’s instructions for each model for specific guidelines.)
8. To keep the waffles warm when making a big batch, place a baking rack on a baking sheet and arrange the cooked waffles in a single layer on it. Place in a 200°F oven to keep warm.