If you’re pondering a theme or menu for an upcoming get-together, consider a waffle bar. Unearth that waffle iron from the back of the cupboard and borrow a couple more from friends. Create waffle stations for guests to make their own (or draft the kids into acting as waffle chefs). Set the waffle stations up on a sideboard or buffet or, more casually, on your kitchen counters.
Remember, waffles don’t have to be sweet; almost any waffle recipe can be nudged to the savory side simply by eliminating the sugar. Crisply browned waffles make great bases for all kinds of toppings, from creamed chicken to chili.
Provide a big bowl of a different batter and a ladle at each station, and allow guests to customize their waffles from small dishes, cups or even martini glasses holding add-ins such as fruit or nuts.
Even if you haven’t used your waffle iron for years, odds are it still works; waffle irons generally have long lives. Clean it up and wipe the grids clean with a cloth dampened with hot water. Give it a test run before the party so you’ll be familiar with its idiosyncrasies and how quickly it cooks.
There are many waffle irons on the market, starting as low as $10, and striking vintage irons can often be found cheaply. Heavier is usually better; most of the experts rate the sturdy, compact irons by Vitantonio as superior.
Buttermilk waffles
You can add a couple of tablespoons of cornmeal to this for extra crunch.
Sift flour, soda, baking powder, sugar and salt together.
In a separate bowl, beat the egg yolks until light; then add and beat together buttermilk and melted butter.
Combine the dry and the liquid ingredients with a few swift strokes.
Beat egg whites until stiff but not dry and fold gently into the batter.
Bake in a preheated waffle iron until brown and serve immediately.
Yields 6 waffles. Adapted from “Joy of Cooking” by Irma S. Rombauer and Marion Rombauer Becker (Scribner, $30).
Crisp-crusted, feather-light raised waffles
In her book “CookWise” (William Morrow, $30), the delightfully down-to-earth food scientist and cooking authority Shirley O. Corriher credits “the best waffles I have ever had” to Marion Cunningham.
Fragrant with yeast, these waffles come out of the iron amazingly crisp. Although the batter must be made the night before, it has the advantage over most other waffle batters of storing well in the refrigerator for several days (use a large container, because it will expand).
1 package (2-1/4 teaspoons) active dry yeast 1/2 cup warm water (115 degrees) 2 cups warm whole milk (115 degrees) 1/4 pound (1 stick) or less butter, melted 1 teaspoon sugar 1 teaspoon salt 2 cups bleached all-purpose flour 2 large eggs 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
Sprinkle the yeast on the warm water in a very large mixing bowl and let stand for 5 minutes. Add the milk, butter, sugar, salt and flour and beat until smooth. (A hand beater does this well.) Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let stand overnight; if your house is no warmer than 70 degrees, you can leave it at room temperature; otherwise, refrigerate.
When you are ready to cook the waffles, preheat the waffle iron and beat in the eggs and baking soda. The batter will be very thin, and most waffle irons will need 1/2 to 3/4 cup batter. Bake in hot waffle iron until brown and serve immediately. Yields 8 waffles.
Cornmeal waffles
2 eggs, slightly beaten 1-3/4 cups milk 1 cup cake flour or 7/8 cup all-purpose flour 2-1/2 teaspoons double-acting baking powder 1 tablespoon sugar 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 cup stone-ground yellow cornmeal 5 tablespoons melted bacon fat or other shortening (butter is fine)
Combine the eggs and the milk.
In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt. Add the cornmeal. Combine the dry ingredients with the liquid in a few quick strokes. Blend in the bacon fat or butter. Bake in a preheated waffle iron until brown and serve immediately.
Yields 6 waffles. Adapted from “Joy of Cooking.”
Gingerbread waffles
For the sugar-and-spice set, this fragrant batter is darker and thicker than regular waffle batter, and the waffles don’t cook up as crisp as other versions. Make them thin — use a metal spatula to spread them gently over the grids — and bake them to a very dark brown; don’t take them out early or they will be limp.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, spices and sugar to combine.
In another bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, molasses and egg yolks.
In a clean, dry bowl with a clean, dry beater, whip the egg whites until they hold firm peaks.
Blend the buttermilk mixture into the dry ingredients with a whisk, stirring just until the mixtures are combined. Stir in the melted butter; then gently fold in the egg whites.
Bake in a preheated waffle iron until very dark brown; serve immediately.
Yields 8 waffles. Adapted from “Waffles From Morning to Midnight” by Dorie Greenspan (William Morrow, 1993).
Tips for wonderful waffles
A waffle should have a super-crisp exterior and a light, fluffy interior. “Cooks Illustrated” magazine founder Christopher Kimball describes the perfect waffle as “like a just-cooked souffle encased in a flavorful crust.”
How to achieve that ideal? Here are some tips, from Kimball’s “The Cook’s Bible: The Best of American Home Cooking” (Little, Brown, $29.95) and other experts:
• Butter or oil is essential to achieving a crisp crust, so it’s not advisable to try to reduce the fat in most waffle recipes. Use butter, not oil, for best flavor and texture.
• A thicker batter than you’re used to using for pancakes is ideal to produce the moist center while the outside cooks crisp. You may wish to experiment with cutting back on the liquid in many standard waffle recipes.
• Separating the eggs, beating the whites and folding them into the batter just before cooking produces a much lighter waffle.
• Quick cooking is key; otherwise, the waffle’s interior will be overcooked. Preheat your waffle iron (greasing the grids is not usually necessary; the oil will burn and produce smoke), and set it at a fairly high temperature, if it’s adjustable. You want your waffles to be truly brown, not golden.
