Raised Waffles

Adapted from The Breakfast Book by Marion Cunningham

This recipe is a good reason to go out and get a waffle iron if you don’t already have one. Marion Cunningham discovered the recipe when she was doing research for what would become the twelfth edition of The Fanny Farmer Cookbook, my favorite basic cookbook.

The mixing is done the night before, and all you have to do in the morning is add a couple of eggs and some baking soda before the batter is ready to cook. These waffles are very crisp on the outside and delicate on the inside. They are absolutely scrumptious.

I have made these in a regular waffle iron, which Kim Severson of The New York Times recommends you use for this recipe, and I have made them using a Belgian-style waffle maker.  I prefer these waffles made Belgian-style, but that's probably because it's the first way I made them.

I recently ate lunch at a new restaurant near my office in Chelsea. It's called Trestle, and the chef is Swiss. The space is rather spare and beautiful, and the cutlery and glasses are lovely. So far, the food and wine and beer I have had there have all been excellent. Many times - because it is so good - I have eaten a dish of creamed chicken in puff pastry cases. I think a creamed chicken like that one, which has mushrooms and butternut squash in it, would taste good served on top of these waffles for dinner. If I try it, and it turns out to be good, I'll post the recipe.

Raised Waffles

Adapted from The Breakfast Book by Marion Cunningham

Makes about 8 waffles

1/2 cup warm water
1 package dry yeast (1/4 ounce or 7 grams)
2 cups milk, warmed
½ cup (1 stick) butter, melted
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour

Added later:
2 eggs
¼ teaspoon baking soda

The batter will double its original volume so use a mixing bowl that will accommodate its doubling.

Put the warm water in the bowl. Sprinkle in the yeast, and let stand for 5 minutes to dissolve.

Add the warmed (not hot) milk, melted butter, salt, sugar, and flour to the yeast/water 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.     Don't be alarmed; the batter will be very thin; that's okay.

Pour about to 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup batter into a very hot waffle iron. (This will, of course, depend on your waffle maker. I use one with large indentations - the kind for Belgian waffles. It makes four waffles and will hold almost a full cup of batter. You will get the hang of it after a few waffles.) Bake the waffles until they are golden and crisp. Serve immediately.

If I am serving these for breakfast, I top with hot maple syrup. I don't add any additional butter because I think they are rich enough without it.

Print recipe.