Cookin’ with Walt: Amazing Restaurant Quality Crispy Waffles

I love waffles.  I mean I really love waffles.  I love baking too so it was only a matter of time before I would take on the waffle.  Now, you may think that wafflin’ is easy but you will find that it is just as hard as pimpin’ if you want good results.  Good results mean a shatteringly crispy exterior and a delicate crumb.   Wafflin’ ain’t easy.  Creating good food is a combination of great ingredients and proper technique and even waffles go from great to insanely delicious with great ingredients and proper technique.  Cool gear is helpful but not necessary although I do use a restaurant style rotation iron to create the deep waffle pictured.   A recipe I found on food network is what really pointed me in the right direction for waffles with the introduction of a key ingredient that I had not seen before.

Let’s talk about the key ingredients:  My waffle recipe contains a combination of ALL PURPOSE (AP) FLOUR and TRADITIONAL WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR. I really like this combination and it adds a whole grain element which is always nice. I use KING ARTHUR FLOUR.  Martha Stewart uses it too and that should be good enough reason for anyone.

OIL is a necessary evil.  I use SMART BALANCE oil because it is a blend of healthier oils and you can’t skimp on the oil.  Oil gives you a crisp crust and properly prepared, it will not taste oily. It really is what separates the pancakes from the waffles.

CORN STARCH!  Yes, you need corn starch and a seemingly large proportion of corn starch to flour for waffles. Waffles give off a lot of steam while frying and continue to steam a bit after they leave the iron.  This steam softens the crust of a 100% flour waffle but does not soften the crust of the corn starch enhanced waffle.  This recipe uses 25% corn starch to flour.  Use corn starch and you will get super crispy waffles.

BUTTERMILK gives the waffle a lot of flavor and helps activate the leavening reaction but not everyone has buttermilk on hand.  You need it in waffles for the acidity to create the leavening reaction and big rise.  In fact this is even more than important than the flavor it adds so you need a solution if you don’t have buttermilk.  I use a homemade buttermilk substitute. Just add one tablespoon of lemon juice to one cup of milk. I use skim milk. After about 15 minutes you have a curdled sour mess that is an almost perfect substitute for real buttermilk. Now for the recipe:

INGREDIENTS:

• ½ cup AP FLOUR
• ¼ cup Traditional WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR
• ¼ cup CORN STARCH
• 1 TBSP GROUND FLAX MEAL (optional but good for you)
• ¼ tsp BAKING SODA
• ½ tsp BAKING POWDER
• ½ tsp SALT
• 2 tsp CANE SUGAR  (use refined sugar if you don’t have cane sugar)
• 1 cup BUTTERMILK (or buttermilk substitute)
• 1/3 cup SMART BALANCE OIL (you have to use oil and this is probably the healthiest)
• 1 EGG (lightly beaten)
• 1 tsp VANILLA EXTRACT (You can use two if you like)

PREPARATION:

Thoroughly mix all of the dry ingredients.  Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix thoroughly but don’t over mix.  Let it sit for 15 minutes and give it a couple of stirs.   Let it sit for 15 more minutes

Here is a punch list of techniques to guarantee success:

• Preheat the iron
• Do not spray the iron with non stick spray.  Plenty of oil in the recipe
• Fill the bottom of the iron with the correct amount of batter which will differ based on the model.
• Close the cover and leave it alone.  Some irons have a light that says it is done.  It is not done.  The waffle will steam a lot.  When the steam slows down to barely steaming the waffle is done.  You can now open it and check.  It should be medium dark golden brown.  It steam turns to smoke you waited too long.
• Close the iron for a minute between waffles and let it recover.
• You can heat an oven to 200 and keep your waffles in there for a bit if you are making a lot ahead of time.  Don’t stack them on top of each other and don’t cover them or they will get soft.

To make the strawberry topping on my waffles slice some fresh strawberries.  Taste the strawberries to determine if they need any added sugar!   If they are out of season and not quite sweet then sprinkle them with a little sugar and lemon juice. Taste one.  If it needs a little more sugar then add it.   Leave them in the fridge for a half hour but no more than an hour and they are done.  The sugar breaks the berries down and makes them juicy.  The lemon juice brings out the berry flavor.  This is also my favorite topping for crepes.  Mmmmm crepes.  I will have to make them soon.