Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Light as air waffles

I think I have a new favorite waffle recipe.

waffles

I was flipping through the latest issue of Gourmet, and the idea of yeasted cornmeal waffles intrigued me. And I'm so glad. These are light, nutty, absolutely delicious and the batter gets put together the night before, which makes them ideal for a lazy breakfast.

waffles

Cornmeal waffles (adapted from Brown Sugar Kitchen, via Gourmet)

2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
1/2 cup lukewarm water
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups whole milk (I actually used 1%)
2/3 cup stone ground cornmeal
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 stick unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1/4 tsp baking soda

Vegetable oil for brushing

: Proof the yeast. Stir it into the lukewarm water (water should feel just barely warm when you dab it on your wrist) and let it stand until foamy, about 15 minutes.

: Mix together your dry ingredients (set aside the baking soda to add in the morning), slowly add your milk and eggs, whisking as you go. Stir in the proofed yeast mixture and the cooled butter.

: Cover the bowl and stick it in the fridge overnight.

: The following morning, stir in the baking soda and then make the waffles according to the instructions on your waffle maker. One thing to keep in mind - these waffles are thinner and lighter than you may be used to. They don't puff up much, so you don't want to pour too much batter in the waffle iron at once.

: You can keep the waffles warm while you work by sticking them on a cookie sheet in a 250F oven in a single layer.
brunch

I served them with a choice of maple syrup, apricot jam or pomegranate jelly. We didn't even end up using the butter, because they really don't need it.

28 comments:

  1. Mmmmm, this looks delicious !! Do you have some left over? ;-))

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  2. what does pomegranate jelly taste like?

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  3. Thank you for posting this! When I saw them in yesterday's post I couldn't stop wondering what they tasted like, but now I can try them for myself :-)

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  4. Good gracious. I need to go and get me a waffle iron. Now. That breakfast looks perfect, I like how the waffles have spots that look crisper than others. Gorgeous texture.

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  5. These look absolutely delectable. I wish I had a waffle iron to make them! I love how thin and crispy they are.

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  6. These waffles look amazing! I'm definitely going to have to pull out the waffle iron and make them. Thanks for the recipe.

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  7. How I would love to take some cooking lessons from you.

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  8. yum!! i want to make those right now!

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  9. those crisp edges on the waffles look divine. and what great food presentation in your last pic! guess it's all about having the right dishes...

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  10. your killing me. these look soooo good! oh my!

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  11. my husband makes yeast waffles all the time, it's his specialty in the kitchen.
    they're so good! no comparison to other waffles!

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  12. I think I may have missed a step...when do you add the yeast to the mix? These sound really great, so I want to try it. Thanks!

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  13. Oh yum. Waffles are definitely my breakfast carb or choice.

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  14. it doesn't get much better than light waffles with a touch of jam...these are gorgeous!

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  15. Whoops, Stephanie - I fixed that. You put the yeast mixture in when you add the butter.

    For everyone who doesn't have a waffle iron - check out some thrift stores. Waffle irons are nearly indestructible, especially the old ones. I've purchased a couple of waffle irons from thrift stores for a few dollars each, and they are all still kicking.

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  16. those just look delicious.

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  17. what adorable pictures.

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  18. Arg! Re-design! Waffles!

    You make us all feel so inadequate.

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  19. These look so amazing...I've never tried yeast in a waffle so I'm sure these are just as tasty as they look.

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  20. Yummy! Nice and hearty. I love that your French press is in a lot of your photos--my French press goes everywhere with me, too!

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  21. These sound so yummy! Time to get out the waffle maker! :)

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  22. My mouth is watering. I love your presentation too!

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  23. My goodness, those look delicious. I'm going to give them a shot next time I host brunch.

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  24. Oooh yummy, I have been wanting waffles for the longest time. I like that these have crispy edges, that's my favorite part of the waffle :D.

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  25. I've been making these and making these. I'm not even a breakfast person, but we have a corn-grinding mill near us so I love recipes that use stone-ground corn, and this one did not disappoint! I made them as instructed the first time and then the second time I only had almond milk and whole wheat flour in the house but they were still fabulous! I think it's the butter...it's always the butter. Thanks for the recipe!

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