Rosie Makes Waffles.

I found Fannie Farmer's recipe for the classic waffle.

This is the ONLY waffle I will ever make from now on.

 

This waffle is magnificent.

It's not just any waffle, mind you.
It's an overnight yeast-raised batter waffle.

Would you just look at that waffle,

all decked out,

with Plugra butter and pure maple syrup and strawberries.

Crunchy pockets of sweetness and goodness.

This is a perfect breakfast.

I thought I'd hit the breakfast jackpot

a week or so back,

what with the toasted, Plugra'd pumpernickel,

the orange marmalade,

the perfect poached egg,

and the bacon, first boiled, then babied

to the absolute perfect texture.

But Fannie's waffles rate right up there.

Let me start at the beginning.
It was a dark and stormy Friday night.
Rosie was antsy.
What to do?
What to do?
Well, she started thinkin'.
Which can either be a good thing or a bad thing.
In this case it was a good thing.
I remembered reading somewhere
about Fannie Farmer's overnight yeast waffles.
And right then and there on that Friday night,
I decided what I was having for Saturday morning breakfast.

Rosie'sAdapted Recipe for Saturday Morning Waffles

since she never has whole milk,

but always has skim and heavy cream.

1 package yeast

1/2 cup warm water

1 stick unsalted butter

1 cup skim milk

1 cup heavy cream

1 tsp kosher salt

1 tsp sugar

2 cups flour

2 eggs

 1/4 tsp baking soda

1 tsp vanilla

Sprinkle yeast over the water with a pinch of sugar.

Stir to dissolve. 

While yeast is "proofing"

(It's proving it's alive by eating

and emitting carbon dioxide and getting foamy.),

melt butter and add in milk and cream.

Warm it a bit (not hot)

then whisk into yeast.

Add flour, sugar, and salt to liquid mixture
and whisk until smooth.

 Cover bowl and let stand at room temperature overnight.

In the morning,

beat in baking soda,beaten eggs, and vanilla.

Heat up the waffle machine.
For the first waffle, I use butter.
None for the rest.
Pour in about 1/2 cup batter into the iron
and if your instructions that come with the machine
say cook 3-4 minutes, then try 5-6 minutes.
If your machine has a light that goes off,
keep the waffles in a bit longer.
Crisp is good.

We like to put these in the toaster oven before serving,
 to crisp them up and make 'em even better.


Serve with ...  oh so many different things!
Whatever fruit you want -
strawberry, blackberry, blueberries come to mind.
Let sweet butter melt into the little squares.
Drizzle pure maple syrup over the ridges.
It's ALL up to you.
Choose wisely!

Now, follow the pictures.

My yeast has "proofed."

Here's my dough mixture the next morning.

My finger is pointing to where the level was

the night before.

That's how much it's risen.

Covered, overnight, room temperature.

Puffy, yeasty batter.

There's my little electric waffle maker.

And my first two buttered waffles.

Here's the first batch of waffles

and my cup of coffee.

This is when I decided to take the waffles up a notch.

Add some butter and pure maple syrup.

I had some strawberries.

These waffles are extraordinary.

I put the rest in storage bags and refrigerated them.

I happened to have some orange syrup 

and caramelized orange peel in the fridge

I'd made for some oysters. 

I pulled off an end of a cold waffle

and swirled it in the cold syrup.

Then I scooped up some caramelized orange peel pieces

and popped the whole in my gaping maw,

licking my fingers and relishing every bit.

 It was divine.

I have no shame.

The next morning when I came out of the shower,

I smelled coffee and yeast.

Mr. Hawthorne had made coffee and put a few waffles

in the toaster oven to heat them up.

I could smell the yeast from the waffles.

Breakfast was bliss.

Once you make these waffles,

there's no turning back.

None whatsoever.

Make a batch for this weekend.
Put extras in storage bag and refrigerate.
Pop into toaster oven for a quick breakfast
the rest of the week.

And try different toppings -
blueberry sauce,
strawberries, blackberries, blueberries,
caramelized orange, orange syrup,
pure maple syrup, and butterbutterbutter.

You will thank me.