Culinary Lessons

I think it's great that, after being together for over 3 years, James and I are still able to teach each other new things. Tonight's lessons took place in the kitchen. James taught me how to separate eggs and whip egg whites into a thick, creamy mousse. (Impressive, eh??) I taught him how to gently "fold" elements into batter and how to properly scramble eggs. What were we making, you ask?

Well, recently I decided that waffles made according to the recipe on the back of the Bisquick box are far too dense and flavorless. It was to the point that I didn't want to make waffles anymore...which is a shame because James and I both love them. So, I googled "light, fluffy waffle recipes" and this was the first hit. It's super scrumptious and totally worth the effort, especially if you add the "optional" dash of vanilla extract!

Fluffy Waffles Recipe

This waffles recipe is a bit more involved than the basic recipe, but the fluffier result is worth it. It uses melted butter in addition to oil, and the waffles are made lighter by incorporating stiffly beaten egg whites into the batter.

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1¾ cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 Tbsp granulated sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1¾ cups whole milk
• ¼ cup vegetable oil
• 2 oz (½ stick) whole butter
• ½ tsp pure vanilla extract (optional)

Preparation:

1. Pre-heat your waffle iron to its hottest setting. Placing a cookie-sheet under it can help catch any batter drippage during cooking.


2. Pre-heat oven to 200°F.


3. Sift together flour, baking powder and salt.


4. Separate the eggs. Save the whites in a glass mixing bowl and the yolks in another.


5. Melt the butter over a low heat, then remove it and let it cool (but not solidify).


6. Beat the yolks thoroughly. Whisk in the milk, oil and melted butter.


7. Using a hand mixer or stand mixer, beat the egg whites until stiff. Then add the sugar and continue mixing until you get nice stiff peaks.


8. Add liquid ingredients to dry ingredients and mix gently until combined. Don't overmix!


9. Use a rubber spatula to gently fold the beaten egg whites into the batter — and again, be careful not to overmix.


10. Spray both surfaces of your waffle iron with cooking spray.


11. Ladle ½ to ¾ cup (depending on your waffle iron) batter onto the iron and close it. It's not unusual for a bit of batter to seep out of the edges of the iron. If there's excessive leakage, use less batter for the next waffle.


12. Cook until the waffle iron's indicator light shows that cooking is complete, or until no more steam comes out. The finished waffle should be golden brown and crispy.


13. Lift the waffle out of the iron with a pair of tongs and either serve right away or transfer it to the oven to keep warm.

Makes 4-5 waffles. (James and I made a half batch of batter and, in our waffle iron, we still got 5 waffles out of it so take heed when measuring!)

Enjoy!!