Once in a while, a recipe comes along that changes your life. This recipe, from the 1896 “Fannie Farmer Cookbook,” was like that for me when I discovered it a few years ago.
The recipe is easy to make and the waffles have a delectably crisp texture.
I went crazy making these light, crisp waffles.
I have seen the recipe reprinted without provenance, but Marion Cunningham’s “Lost Recipes” ($22) gives credit where it is due.
In her note about it, she writes, “The raised waffle recipe alone could have sold a million copies. Don’t make the mistake of thinking this is just another waffle; it isn’t. It has won more accolades than any recipe I know, and it deserves them all.”
I second these sentiments with enthusiasm.
I might almost go so far as to say it is the only waffle recipe you will ever really need.
Fannie Farmer’s raised waffles
1/2cup warm water
1package active dry yeast
2cups milk, warmed
1/2cup (1 stick) butter, melted
1teaspoon salt
1teaspoon sugar
2cups all-purpose flour
2eggs
1/4teaspoon baking soda
Use a rather large mixing bowl — the batter will rise to double its original volume. Put the water in the mixing bowl and sprinkle in the yeast. Let stand for 5 minutes to dissolve.
Add milk, melted butter, salt, sugar and flour to the yeast mixture and beat until smooth and well blended. (Cunningham wrote that she often uses a hand rotary beater to get rid of all the lumps.)
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let stand overnight at room temperature.
Just before cooking the waffles, beat in the eggs, add the baking soda, and stir until well mixed. The batter will be very thin.
Pour 1/2 to 3/4 cup batter into a very hot waffle iron for the first waffle, bake until golden and crisp and repeat until batter is used up. Or store remaining batter in refrigerator for several days.
Makes 8 waffles.
Perfect waffles
There are only a few things to remember about making waffles:
It is not necessary, or even desirable, to wash the waffle iron between uses. Before it acquires the seasoning of time and use, you may brush oil very lightly across the grids, or spray lightly with cooking oil. But once the waffle iron has seen a few bakings, all you need do is brush any crumbs out before putting it away until next time.
Let the iron heat up before trying to make the first waffle.
Don’t peek too soon; this is often the reason for waffles that stick to the iron.
Waffle batter is slightly richer with fat than pancake batter; the 1/2 cup melted butter called for in the recipe is correct.
Serve waffles as they come off the iron, even if this means staggering the eating of them. If you must, keep warm briefly in a 200-degree oven.
Well-wrapped waffles freeze admirably. Double the recipe and make extras to pop into the toaster later on.
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