I was on the lookout for a Belgian waffle maker for a good year into our life in Germany, as they are mostly those flat, shallow waffle makers and the ones for deep, thick waffles are rather hard to find. Once I did acquire the right kind of appliance, I was naturally on the hunt for the best waffle recipe I could find. Not surprisingly, I have found Martha Stewart's to be, far and away, the very best. Waffles make me nostalgic for childhood and have become a staple of our weekend breakfasts. The bit of cinnamon and brown sugar in these makes them a stand-out amongst basic waffle recipes.
Martha's Buttermilk Waffles
8 tbsp (1 stick) melted unsalted butter
2 cups all-purpose flour (I use German 405 flour)
1/4-cup packed light brown sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1-1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
3 large eggs, separated, room temperature
2 cups buttermilk, room temperature
1 tsp pure vanilla extract (hard to come by in Germany, but a must)
Pre-heat waffle iron. In a large bowl, sift together flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together egg yolks, buttermilk, melted butter and vanilla. Pour into dry mixture and stir until just combined. In a medium bowl, beat egg whites until firm but not dry. Fold whites into batter. Ladle about 1/3 cup into waffle iron, depending on size, and spread batter almost to edges. Close lid and cook for 3-5 minutes, depending on iron. Transfer waffles to a plate and pop into toaster for a few second to rewarm just before serving.
Martha's recipe says it serves four to six, but unless you're eating an entire platter of waffles, I find this makes much more. As in, 15 single square waffles. She also recommends buttering the iron, but I find that my waffle iron traps too much moisture and this makes my waffles too soggy.
adapted from Martha Stewart's Buttermilk Waffle recipe
