Success!
We had waffles for breakfast, using our new waffle iron. You wouldn't believe the trouble it took yesterday to find a plain, basic waffle iron. Most of them were either belgian wafflers- which I didn't want, or fancy ones with interchangeable plates to make pocket sandwiches- also something I didn't want. J14 finally spotted this one up on a top shelf. It was a plain, 4 waffle iron. No bells and whistles and inexpensive- just what I was looking for. I found it interesting that the store didn't have this one out as a display. They only had the fancy, expensive ones out as display models. But this was just what we were looking for and at $20, definitely in the right price range. One nice feature is that it locks together and can be stored on end so it doesn't take much space to store.
There is definitely a learning curve here- to find out how much batter is enough but not too much, how long is the optimal baking time, etc. We also need to find a recipe that we like. I tried 2 different recipes this morning. The first tasted okay but didn't rise very well and the waffles tended to be flat and soggy, no matter how long I cooked them. They didn't rise well enough to make good contact with the top plate. At first I thought I hadn't put in enough batter but even with more batter in the next round they were still soggy. The second recipe I tried was one I have had my eyes on for years, from a cookbook that was a gift from one of V's sisters years ago (the Crabtree & Evelyn Cookbook). It is one for oat waffles using buttermilk. It definitely performed better, the waffles were fluffy and crisp- it also has much less fat in it- 3 tablespoons of butter as opposed to 1/2 cup of oil. I also like the fact that it has whole grain rolled oats. I'm not sure how well the boys will like them. Maybe next time I'll have to tweak the recipe with vanilla or something else, right now they are plain.
But it's a start! The boys liked them and said that they would be an okay substitute for Eggos. I guess I have a new job as waffle maker now.
I know what you mean about finding a waffle recipe, they are touchy.
ReplyDeleteWe love our tried and true recipe. I still have to be careful when I make them though. If I hurry it along and don't whip the egg whites long enough or stir too much after I have folded the egg whites into the batter, they won't cook up nicely.
I am glad you found one you liked.
Woo-hoo!! So glad for your success, I was hoping you'd post back. Mine is also a basic one, 2 iron, $20 model, and I am so happy with it. Does yours have a "crispness" adjustment? Mine has one, kind of like on a toaster to say how brown you want it. That helps figure out the timing for me. If it has that green light when its heated properly, that also helps.
ReplyDeleteIf you like, I can share a recipe that works for me with the batter - its a basic one that can be easily varied for mixins, flours, etc.... no eggs or butter/oil either (it uses yogurt/buttermilk), but it rises really well and is fluffy all the same. Just let me know... I'm excited to read more about your experiments!
Stephany- I'm still on the look out for an even better recipe. I looked back at yours- I also saw several others that called for whipping the egg whites. I'm not sure I have that much patience. Is the result worth the work? I'll have to try it sometime and see. Neither recipe I used today called for whipping the whites.
ReplyDeleteLocalzone- This is a very basic model. It has a power light and a temp light that tells when it is heated but it doesn't have a crispness adjustment- that would have been nice. I am happy that it makes 4 at a time since I'm feeding 5 of us. I looked at one that was a 2 iron but thought it would take much too long to make enough for everyone here. As for the recipe- I'm always up for trying something new.
Those waffles look great! We have one of those belgian waffle-makers because it was all we could find at the store. However, we now have a good old-fashioned one with no teflon and small holes, found at a thrift store, and my husband the waffle-cooker loves it! It's too bad you don't live near me, as we just saw another one at the thrift store yesterday, same as the one we have.
ReplyDeleteI hate waffles. And I'm not even sure why. I just know I hate hate hate them.
ReplyDeleteMaybe it's because there's no way to eat waffles and be a part of the family unless you hold them all until they're ready?
No. It's the crispiness. Yuck. ;)
Husband on the other hand... he'll be hoping I get some cooking tips from here. :(
LisaZ- one of the reasons I didn't want a belgian waffle maker is that we have a really old toaster and they wouldn't fit. I don't have room for a toaster oven and I'm not buying a new toaster just to warm these up!
ReplyDeleteMeadowlark- I'm so sorry you hate waffles. But I agree on the not eating as a family thing- I snacked on a few while I was making them- I didn't even get to sit down at the table. Everyone ate in shifts- but then it's the same thing when I make pancakes. I'm usually lucky if there are some left for me.