Cooking Lesson #10— Aunt Ethel’s Yeasty Overnight Waffles

How you doin’? I hope you’re cooking up a storm. My friend wrote to me this afternoon saying that he used to go for a run every morning and now he goes for a roll—so much food!  So now it’s day 30. We don’t go out much, but when we do, we continue to allow 6-foot distancing, and now we are all wearing masks.
 
I found this terrific waffle iron on sale at Williams-Sonoma for $129. It is a heavy-duty waffle iron that is able to bake four waffles at the same time. I knew it would be suitable for my aunt’s most famous waffle recipe.
 
“If I knew you were coming, I would have baked some waffles,” was the cry from Aunt Ethel, whose nickname was Aunt Waffle. Aunt Ethel insisted on making her batter the night before to give it plenty of proof and ferment time to develop a wonderful yeasty aroma and flavor. 
 
Aunt Ethel’s waffles were the best I ever tasted—crispy on the edges and moist and slightly cakey in the middle. Her waffles were just perfect for soaking up all that real maple syrup (not any of that phony high-fructose stuff).
 
You can stretch your creativity by adding some malt powder, chocolate chips or a handful of toasted pecans to the batter. I even add a 1/4 cup of cocoa powder when I am making dessert waffles. You can top them with most anything—berries, ice cream, yogurt, etc.  But all in all, I still like my morning waffles with a large dollop of sweet, softened butter and a touch of berry syrup in addition to the maple. 
 
Stay out of trouble—use a very large mixing bowl to make this recipe as the batter will double (or triple) in size as it rises overnight.
 
Prep time:  15 minutes
Proof time:  8 hours (or overnight)
Bake time:  6 to 8 minutes
Yield:  8 Belgian-style waffle squares or 16 standard waffle rounds
 
Ingredients:
It is the Night before Waffles and all through the house...
1/2 cup warm water
1 tablespoon active-dry yeast
1/2 cup unsalted butter melted
2-1/2 cups whole or 2% milk (if using 2% milk add two additional tablespoon of melted butter)
1 teaspoon salt (if using salted butter, reduce salt to ½ teaspoon)
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
3 cups all-purpose flour
 
The next morning…
2 large eggs, room temperature, beaten
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup granulated sugar
 
Directions:

1.  In a large mixing bowl, combine the yeast and water and let stand for a few minutes. Stir to make sure the yeast dissolves into the water.
2. Melt the butter over low heat or in the microwave. Combine the butter with the milk, salt, and 2 tablespoons of sugar. 
3. With your finger test the milk mixture to make sure it has cooled to lukewarm (no higher than 109°F), then stir it into the dissolved yeast mixture.
4. Add the flour and stir until a thick, shaggy dough is formed and there is no more visible flour.
5. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it sit on the counter overnight.  The batter will double or triple in bulk as it rises.

Pleasant dreams of sugar plums and crispy waffles
 
The next morning… Rise and Shine!

1. Beat the eggs, 1/2 cup of sugar and the baking soda.
2. Using a whisk or hand blender add the eggs, sugar and baking soda into the batter until completely combined.
3. Make the waffles according to your waffle maker's instructions, cooking until the waffles are golden-brown. Cooking time will vary with your waffle maker, but it is typically 4 to 6 minutes.

ChefSecret:  

• Waffles are best if served immediately, but they do re-heat well in a toaster or oven.  Leftovers waffles can be kept refrigerated for up to a week. Leftover waffles can also be frozen for up to 3 months and toasted straight from the freezer.
• Any extra, unused batter?  It will keep well refrigerated for a day or two. 

#Waffles #Brunch #Breakfast #Belgian Waffles #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19

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