Over the next week or so, I’m going to go through some random photos I’ve taken over the last month and just say a thing or two about that picture. It’s been a quiet couple of weeks, but there is still food. There is always food, and while some may be repeats, for many, it’s like visiting with old friends.
Today’s picture is of a waffle. Breakfast-For-Dinner one night a week has kind of become a staple here. Most often, that means pancakes or waffles with assorted accompaniments, because Zander just isn’t big on breakfast foods. He doesn’t like eggs- I suspect a texture thing- because he also does not care for French Toast- which happens to be one of Abigail’s favorites.
Anyway, the waffles. The waffle iron used to not get pulled out very often, because I really hadn’t found THE waffle recipe. I’ve tried many, over the years, and none of them were really what I would call a spectacular waffle. I’ve clearly found my pancake recipe– every time I make them, it’s like making them for the first time, they are that good. I was thinking about those pancakes, and thinking about waffles, and that had me thinking about how you can buy a mix that is for both pancakes and waffles… usually the difference is that you add more oil or fat to the waffles- I presume so they don’t stick to the iron.
And and idea was born. I mixed up a batch of Pancake Batter, only I used it on my waffle iron. I did not add any extra fat to the recipe, though I did spray the iron generously with cooking spray. It worked perfectly. In no time at all, we were dining on perfect waffles, and they’ve been in meal rotation ever since.
In this particular photo, one of my favorite ways to eat waffles, with peanut butter, syrup, and a sprinkling of nuts. The kids prefer their with fruit, so on this day, they had strawberries, but we’ve really had fun going through the pantry looking for different things to top our waffles with. Obviously, any fruit is game, but brown sugar has it’s moments, as does shredded coconut, chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, apple butter, and whipped cream on the rare occasion we have some in the house. Aside from being really tasty, loaded waffles also happen to be really fun. The kids have a blast customizing their waffles, and then they proceed to attempt to eat the whole thing.
Try this Pancake/Waffle batter. Make pancakes or waffles, they will be delicious.
Easy, Fluffy Pancake OR Waffle Batter
1 1/2 cups milk 4 tablespoons white vinegar 2 cups all-purpose flour 4 tablespoons sugar 2 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon salt 2 eggs 4 tablespoons butter, melted 1/2 teaspoon vanilla (optional)Cooking spray for cooking pancakes/waffles
Directions:
Combine the milk and the vinegar. Stir, and set aside for five minutes.
In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Whisk together to fully incorporate.
In a separate mixing bowl, beat your eggs, and then add in the sour milk, melted butter and the vanilla if using. Whisk until fully blended.
Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture and stir just a few times to mix the two together. Use a light hand, and don’t stir down all the air bubbles- these are good- they’ll make the pancakes light and fluffy. Set the mixture aside for 20-30 minutes.
Preheat your waffle iron or pancake griddle. For waffles, follow manufacturer’s directions for testing for done-ness. For pancakes, dollop the batter in 1/4 cup scoops onto your pancake griddle, leaving plenty of room between the cakes for them to spread. Flip the pancakes when bubbles start to appear on the surface- this does take a while, and the pancakes will spend a lot more time on the first side than on the flipped side. Serve the pancakes when they are golden brown on the second side.