Donn's Waffles
Posted by in Food
Sunday mornings are the “big breakfast” day of the week here. We usually make pancakes, waffles, omelets or sometimes we splurge and get donuts. We used to be awakened by the kids, but nowadays, we’re up first and have breakfast made before they open their eyes.
Buckwheat pancakes are hands down my favorite big breakfast item, but the kids don’t like them. I think one of my grandmothers used to make these when I was little and I had them again for the first time as an adult at a little restaurant on Chautauqua Lake. My in-laws rent a cottage there for a week every summer and we sometimes go down for the night. There’s a little breakfast place we like to walk to and one day when I was pregnant with Dude Martha I ordered buckwheat pancakes. It was right at the end of my first trimester and I had just gotten my appetite back. Oh, that was possibly the best big breakfast I’ve ever had! On Sundays at home, I often make plain pancakes and put blueberries (and cinnamon) in the adults’ pancakes. Waffles do make it into the mix sometimes, but mostly they annoy me because it takes so long to make them each individually (why don’t they invent a Belgian waffle maker that has several layers of griddles so you could make 4 at a time?).
I like to make organic uncured bacon (nitrate-free) and organic apple maple chicken breakfast sausages with our big breakfasts. And of course we have real (no Aunt Jemima fake stuff!) New York state maple syrup. We once went to see maple sugar being tapped and made and it was fascinating.
Martha is excited about breakfast in the February issue of Martha Stewart Living. Her own personal column is all about different breakfast recipes (I don’t think I’ll try the salmon and avocado any time soon!). And she didn’t even mention that hideous green juice she insists on drinking every morning. I decided to try Donn’s Waffles out and see if they are better than my recipe.
The recipe says to use milk and vinegar – I had buttermilk so I used that instead. Sour cream is used which is interesting and there is also a small amount of cornmeal to add some crunch. The recipe contained no sugar, so I added a tbsp.
The waffles were pretty easy to mix up and they cooked nicely. However, when they came out of the waffle iron, they were not crisp. They were pretty mushy, despite being nicely browned. They tasted fine, if a bit soft for my tastes. The cornmeal did add some crunch, but overall they were softer than we are used to.
I prefer my recipe:
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tbsp sugar
3 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3 eggs, separated
1 cup milk
4 tbsp melted butter
Mix the dry ingredients. Add yolks and milk and mix well. Add the butter. Beat the whites until stiff, then fold into batter. Cook on a Belgian waffle maker. Makes about 8 waffles.
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Thanks for sharing your recipe! I also get frustrated at the process, how long it takes to actually get waffles on the table for a crowd.
Me too. I stand over the waffle iron and fantasize about one that will make 4 at a time. Someone also needs to invent one that will beep when the waffle is done. Mine has a light that goes off, which means you have to hover around it.
They don’t really do waffles in NZ, so this is a nostalgia post for me. Yum.
Interesting! Are pancakes common?
I’m always up for new waffle recipes and this one looks like a winner!
We love waffles, and use an iron that my parents used. I’ll admit it is easier now that it is just my husband and me, but even so–I put them in an oven turned on low. Just on the rack is best, and then when I have enough to serve everybody, Voila!
To be fair to Martha, if you substitute ingredients, I don’t think it is fair to judge her recipe. Maybe if you had used milk and vinegar and sour cream it would have worked out more crispy. I also use a little cornmeal for crunch. We put blueberries in them, too.
You had me at: “We used to be awakened by the kids, but nowadays, we’re up first and have breakfast made before they open their eyes.”
This will happen for us someday too.. right? Promise? 🙂
My kids love it when I make waffles but like you, it’s a pain to get everyone fed at the same time. I want them to eat them while they’re hot so I usually am the one standing there cooking and cooking and getting to eat last (if anything’s left). We do full cooked breakfasts everyday, so by Sunday I like a break.
Oh Claudine, yes it really will happen! And you’ll still feel amazed that you’re up before them! This year we had to negotiate with them about when we would get for Christmas morning. My daughter reluctantly agreed to 8:30 but could not even consider anything earlier. I usually stick the waffles in the oven on ‘warm’ as I make them, but generally don’t eat mine until the very last one is done.
I did use sour cream. Milk and vinegar is the same thing as buttermilk – Martha advocates the substitution often. Vinegar simply sours the milk.
I like to use fresh squeezed lemon juice to sour the milk versus vinegar, then I add the zest too. I’m with you on the waffle makers. Why don’t you invent one for us that can handle a bunch. And has a more appealing buzz too.
Those waffles look nice and crisp and I’d quite like them right now, loaded up with berries and syrup, for an after-dinner treat. Any chance of that?
Ah, I remember those days with teenagers when they didn’t crack open their eyes until noon or beyond on Sundays!
I like my waffles crispy too, something about mushy ones, ugh.
Sure. Come on over and I’ll whip up a few for you.
Waffles seem like such a treat to me – definitely weekend fare. These sound wonderful, and that they’re homemade makes them special.
I love buckwheat pancakes too, Brette. And luckily, so do my kids. Have you tried making this waffle recipe with half whole wheat flour? It will make it healthier and perhaps even tastier too. But I’m not sure if it will work…
I haven’t tried that. Waffles are so fussy, I am afraid the heaviness of the flour would affect it. Maybe if you used whole wheat pastry flour.
I think waffles are one of the things I miss most about being gluten free. I should really get off my toosh and make some.
My husband loves waffles, and makes them frequently. I’ll have to pass this recipe on to him. And they DO make waffle iron that beeps! We splurged on one of these and love it: http://bit.ly/duRiX0
Thanks!
I just tried Martha’s recipe. (Actually, I went out and purchased a new Caphalon waffle maker–(it beeps!) to make them.) I cut the recipe in half, which may have made a difference, (batter seemed a little runny). I found them to be almost too ‘light’–however very interesting. I followed the recipe to a tee other than that, including “turning waffle maker on high”. I believe the crispiness and the heat level completely depends on your individual machine. My first one was overcooked. I probably won’t try this recipe again, and will search for others.
Thanks for reporting on your experience Kathy. I didn’t even know waffle irons HAD settings. Mine is either off or on!
All-Clad makes a 4-square waffle maker that beeps and lights when done. I love it, worth the expense because the grandchildren love them.
Oh, that sounds great! I just made waffles yesterday with mine and have to have my hearing highly attuned so that I can hear the red light click off when they are done! Maybe I’ll ask for this for Christmas!
I made Martha’s version but found that combining the flour mixture first clumped it all together creating clumps when I put in the milk mixture. I didnt have sour cream or jumbo eggs. I used 3 eggs instead and half of another for the extra white. I used greek yogurt in exchange for the sour cream and added a little cream to regular milk since we dont buy whole.
I also added a tablespoon of sugar and a teaspoon of vanilla and it came out good!
Thanks for sharing your results!