Buttermilk Waffles

I borrowed a waffle iron from Steven's mom because she never used it... many months ago. I've always wanted to make homemade waffles but they sounded like a hassle since most recipes call for separating one egg and whipping a single egg white. So I kept putting off making waffles for another day and pretty soon, the waffle iron I borrowed from the back of Steven's mom's pantry ended up in the back of my pantry (waffle irons seem to have a tendency to end up back there).

I'm so reliant on my KitchenAid, but it is too big to be effective for one egg white, which ends up swirling around the divot in the bottom of the bowl without getting beaten by the whisk at all. I don't have a hand mixer and I tend to shy away from beating things by hand (what can I say, I'm lazy). But I discovered that beating an egg white is surprisingly easy and quick with a little elbow grease; that is when it's just one, the KitchenAid can beat the dozen if I ever have a hankering for angel food cake. Now that I know how easy waffles are to make, the waffle iron is brought out weekly and is no longer relegated to the back of the pantry. We not only eat them for our weekend breakfast, but I quickly whip some up for an afterwork snack, and the freezer is stocked with a steady supply for a quick breakfast during the week.

These buttermilk waffles are better than anything frozen sold at the grocery store. The outside is so crisp and the inside has that delicious buttermilk tang. The tablespoon of cornmeal is the secret ingredient that really elevates these waffles, adding a subtle crunch to the soft and fluffy interior.

Buttermilk Waffles
Adapted from Cook's Illustrated
makes 4 - 6 depending on the size of your iron (makes exactly 6 on mine)

1 C AP flour
1 Tbsp cornmeal
1/8 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 egg separated
1 C buttermilk
2 Tbsp butter, melted and cooled
Nonstick cooking spray

Start preheating your waffle iron. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, salt, and baking soda. In another mixing bowl, whisk the egg yolk with buttermilk and melted butter until combined.

Clean your whisk and beat the egg white to soft peaks.

Fold in the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients, the batter will be quite thick. Then add the egg whites and gently fold them into the batter.

Spray your waffle iron with some nonstick spray and spread the batter onto the iron. Cook until the waffles are golden brown, about 2 - 5 minutes depending on your machine instructions.

For freezer toaster waffles, leave the waffles golden and slightly underdone. They can be frozen then popped into the toaster for a quick breakfast.

Variations:
Most of the time I prefer my waffles plain with nothing but a generous amount of maple syrup but you can do a variety of things to make them more interesting.
- Dried fruit or fresh fruit: craisins, blueberries, chopped up strawberries, etc.
- Citrus zest: next time I will try adding a little orange zest
- Chocolate chips or butterscotch chips