If you’ve got only one waffle iron, buy another. Although this recipe allows you to stockpile waffles in the oven, you really need to have two irons going at the same time if you want to feed a family.
(makes about 10 waffles)
1½ c flour
½ c cornstarch
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
2 Tbs sugar
1 tsp kosher salt
1½ c milk
½ c plain yogurt
¼ c canola oil
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1. Preheat the waffle irons. Preheat the oven to 225 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and salt.
3. In another bowl, whisk together the milk, yogurt, canola oil, eggs, and vanilla extract.
4. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Mix gently with a spatula until all the dry ingredients have been moistened and no pockets of flour remain. Do not overmix.
5. Bake the batter in waffle irons. When the waffles are done, transfer them to the preheated oven and let them crisp, unstacked, for a few minutes before serving.
TIPS
• Most waffle recipes (as most pancake recipes) call for buttermilk, but I don’t generally keep buttermilk around, and I’m not going out for some early on a Sunday morning. That’s why this recipe uses yogurt, which I do keep on hand. If you want to use buttermilk, the proper amounts are 1½ cups buttermilk and ½ cup milk.
• The use of cornstarch makes these waffles nicely crispy. If you don’t have enough, substitute flour.
• Don’t be afraid to add chopped nuts to your waffles. Both walnuts and pecans work well. You can add them to the batter, but my son prefers his waffles nutless. So what I do is put a ladleful of batter into the waffle iron, sprinkle some nuts on top, and cover the nuts with some more batter. This way, those who want nuts can have, and those who don’t need not.
Showing posts with label Recipes: Breakfast. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Recipes: Breakfast. Show all posts
Monday, February 8, 2010
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Buttermilk Pancakes
This recipe delivers pancakes on the thick side, which is how I like them. The most important thing to remember is not to overmix the batter. As my daughter, Abigail, demonstrated in a science fair project last year, overmixing the batter will drive off the aeration created by the baking soda and baking powder, leading to flat and rubbery flapjacks. Mix the batter only enough to wet the flour and break up any clumps—but no more!
(serves two parents and two hungry children)
2 c flour
2 Tbs sugar
2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp baking powder
¾ c milk
1 c buttermilk (see tip below)
2 eggs
4 Tbs unsalted butter
1. Preheat a griddle until hot. (Drops of water should sizzle and evaporate instantly.)
2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, and baking powder.
3. In another bowl, combine the milk and buttermilk and microwave briefly until lukewarm. Beat the eggs lightly with a fork and add them to the buttermilk mixture. Melt the butter and add it to the buttermilk mixture. (If you add melted butter to cold milk or buttermilk, it will congeal.)
4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, mixing gently with a spatula or wooden spoon to combine. Make sure that all of the flour is wetted and break up any large pockets but leave the batter thick and a little lumpy.
5. Spoon the batter onto the griddle. Cook the pancakes until bubbles begin to appear, about 2 minutes. Flip and cook until done.
TIPS
• I you don't have buttermilk, use plain yogurt. Substitute one cup of yogurt and an additional half-cup of milk for the cup of buttermilk. (The additional milk compensates for the thickness of the yogurt.)
• Many factors, including the type of flour you use and the humidity in your kitchen, will affect the consistency of the batter you produce, even if you measure carefully. As you make this recipe again and again, however, you’ll become familiar with a consistency that works for you. Keep in mind that too thin a batter will yield crepes, while too thick a batter will make it difficult to cook the inside of the pancakes before the outside turns black. To judge whether the consistency of my batter is right, I scoop up some batter in the cupped silicon spatula that I use to mix the batter and transfer it to the griddle. If the batter drools quickly off the spatula, it’s too thin (and I add a little flour). If the batter holds in a clump on the spatula, it’s too thick (and I add a little milk). Just right is a gravity-induced plop-plop-plop back into the bowl.
(serves two parents and two hungry children)
2 c flour
2 Tbs sugar
2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp baking powder
¾ c milk
1 c buttermilk (see tip below)
2 eggs
4 Tbs unsalted butter
1. Preheat a griddle until hot. (Drops of water should sizzle and evaporate instantly.)
2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, and baking powder.
3. In another bowl, combine the milk and buttermilk and microwave briefly until lukewarm. Beat the eggs lightly with a fork and add them to the buttermilk mixture. Melt the butter and add it to the buttermilk mixture. (If you add melted butter to cold milk or buttermilk, it will congeal.)
4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, mixing gently with a spatula or wooden spoon to combine. Make sure that all of the flour is wetted and break up any large pockets but leave the batter thick and a little lumpy.
5. Spoon the batter onto the griddle. Cook the pancakes until bubbles begin to appear, about 2 minutes. Flip and cook until done.
TIPS
• I you don't have buttermilk, use plain yogurt. Substitute one cup of yogurt and an additional half-cup of milk for the cup of buttermilk. (The additional milk compensates for the thickness of the yogurt.)
• Many factors, including the type of flour you use and the humidity in your kitchen, will affect the consistency of the batter you produce, even if you measure carefully. As you make this recipe again and again, however, you’ll become familiar with a consistency that works for you. Keep in mind that too thin a batter will yield crepes, while too thick a batter will make it difficult to cook the inside of the pancakes before the outside turns black. To judge whether the consistency of my batter is right, I scoop up some batter in the cupped silicon spatula that I use to mix the batter and transfer it to the griddle. If the batter drools quickly off the spatula, it’s too thin (and I add a little flour). If the batter holds in a clump on the spatula, it’s too thick (and I add a little milk). Just right is a gravity-induced plop-plop-plop back into the bowl.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
English Currant Scones
Unlike the doughy lumps sold as “scones” in America, this recipe produce traditional English scones—a sweet, tender teatime (or breakfast) treat.
(yields twelve scones)
⅔ c heavy cream
1 large egg
¼ c sugar
2½ c flour
1 Tbs baking powder
¼ tsp baking soda
½ tsp kosher salt
1 stick unsalted butter, chilled
¾ c dried currants
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the heavy cream, egg, and sugar.
3. Place the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a sharp blade. Pulse to combine.
4. Cut the butter into 16 pieces and add to the dry ingredients. Pulse until the dough reaches the consistency of coarse meal. Add the cream mixture and pulse again until the dough forms a ball.
5. Place the dough on a lightly floured surface and flatten into a disk. Sprinkle with the currants and knead until the currants are evenly distributed.
6. Shape the dough again into a disk about ¾-inch thick. Using a round cookie cutter, form individual scones. Combine and reshape the dough as necessary to form more scones.
7. Set the scones on a baking sheet lined with a silicon mat or parchment paper. Bake until golden brown, about 15-20 minutes. Serve with butter and jam.
TIPS
• For a Sunday brunch, we usually make two batches of these scones—one with currants (for the adults) and one with chocolate chips (for the kids).
• Often before baking the scones, I’ll brush them with a little egg, melted butter, or cream and then sprinkle them with turbinado sugar. Similar in taste and appearance to brown sugar, turbinado sugar has large crystals that stick nicely to the wetted dough.
• If you can't get dried currants, small raisins or another small dried fruit (such as cranberries or blueberries) will also work.
• To form the final scone or two, I just gather up the remaining dough and press it into the cookie cutter.
• An excellent accompaniment to these scones (in place of English clotted cream, which is hard to find in this country) is day-old whipped cream. The night before you make the scones, whip some cream and let it “fall” in the refrigerator overnight. The result is a tasty, thickened spread.
(yields twelve scones)
⅔ c heavy cream
1 large egg
¼ c sugar
2½ c flour
1 Tbs baking powder
¼ tsp baking soda
½ tsp kosher salt
1 stick unsalted butter, chilled
¾ c dried currants
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the heavy cream, egg, and sugar.
3. Place the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a sharp blade. Pulse to combine.
4. Cut the butter into 16 pieces and add to the dry ingredients. Pulse until the dough reaches the consistency of coarse meal. Add the cream mixture and pulse again until the dough forms a ball.
5. Place the dough on a lightly floured surface and flatten into a disk. Sprinkle with the currants and knead until the currants are evenly distributed.
6. Shape the dough again into a disk about ¾-inch thick. Using a round cookie cutter, form individual scones. Combine and reshape the dough as necessary to form more scones.
7. Set the scones on a baking sheet lined with a silicon mat or parchment paper. Bake until golden brown, about 15-20 minutes. Serve with butter and jam.
TIPS
• For a Sunday brunch, we usually make two batches of these scones—one with currants (for the adults) and one with chocolate chips (for the kids).
• Often before baking the scones, I’ll brush them with a little egg, melted butter, or cream and then sprinkle them with turbinado sugar. Similar in taste and appearance to brown sugar, turbinado sugar has large crystals that stick nicely to the wetted dough.
• If you can't get dried currants, small raisins or another small dried fruit (such as cranberries or blueberries) will also work.
• To form the final scone or two, I just gather up the remaining dough and press it into the cookie cutter.
• An excellent accompaniment to these scones (in place of English clotted cream, which is hard to find in this country) is day-old whipped cream. The night before you make the scones, whip some cream and let it “fall” in the refrigerator overnight. The result is a tasty, thickened spread.
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