Nice and Crispy Waffles

I have been looking for a waffle recipe that will have a bit of a crunch to it and I finally found one. It came from this vintage Betty Crocker Cookbook. If you don’t happen to have it in your collection, you really should find one on E-bay or your local used bookstore. It is a treasure. Inside you will find basic recipes that are tried and true. Betty Crocker and I go way back. When I was a senior in high school I received the Betty Crocker award.  Many things have changed since then, but I am still the same overachiever when it comes to cooking.
In my search for the perfect waffle I tried the recipe that I had read so much about. One that called for separating eggs and using beaten egg whites as well as a stick of melted butter. Thank heavens that it produced a waffle that was as limp as a dish rag. It was way too much trouble to make in the morning when you have starving mouths to feed.  So I won’t be using that one again. But, this recipe from Betty Crocker I love it !
Even if you have a great recipe if you don’t have a good waffle iron it could be disastrous.  And let’s go a little further. You can have a great waffle iron, but you have know how to use it and take care of it to cook great waffles. One of the most important steps is to season the waffle iron. Before using it the first time brush vegetable oil on both the top and bottom grids. Turn the iron on and let it heat for about 15 minutes. Wipe away the excess oil or just let the first waffle absorb the grease. Then trash the waffle. Unless you make waffles with an ingredient that might stick to the iron, for example cheese, you probably won’t need to season the iron again. I’ve had over industrious students to clean the inside as well as the outside of the iron. If that happens you will definitely have to reseason it.
Make sure that your waffle iron is hot before you pour in the batter. Most waffle irons have a light that will come on when it is preheating and will go off when heated to the proper temperature. Check your use and care manual. It could do just the opposite and the light could come on when it is hot enough to use.
Play around with the amount of batter to pour in. Don’t be too scrimpy.  You want the top grids to be able to reach the batter. I like to pour in just a little too much to make sure that it is filled to capacity. Don’t try to clean the batter off as it drips. It will be easier later when the batter cooks. This way you will not smear it everywhere.

Unless you have two or three waffle irons going at once it takes awhile to cook them. To keep them warm and crisp preheat your oven to about 200 degrees. Put the waffles on a cooling rack placed on top of a baking pan in the oven. If you are like me many of the waffles will be eaten right out of the waffle iron. Those little crunchy things are hard to resist!

Waffles adapted from Betty Crocker

2 eggs
2 cups flour * I used self rising flour and left out baking powder and salt*
1 3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup oil
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

Heat waffle iron. Beat eggs until light and fluffy. Add milk beat until airy. Beat in remaining ingredients with a rotary beater or mixer until smooth. Pour batter in the middle of a hot waffle iron. Bake for about 5 minutes. You have to be patient. Do not open until the waffle has almost stopped producing steam. Remove carefully.
Yields about six 7 -in waffles
Here’s what my class did with the same recipe. Notice the difference in color. I have about fives types of waffle irons that they used. Some better than others. The lab was a huge success. I am loving the maturity of the juniors and seniors that I have this semester!