Waffles

Preparation time                                      Cooking time                                     Serves
less than 30 mins                                    less than 10 mins                             Makes 20 waffles

I was watching an American TV show recently and missed a lot of the plot, as I was distracted by the amount of waffle-eating going on. I tried to prevent myself getting a waffle iron; I’d made that mistake once before. Reader, I didn’t succeed. But I vowed that this time I wouldn’t use it once then consign it to a cupboard under the stairs, and I’ve been as good as my word and have turned into something of a weekend waffler.

Ingredients

• 450ml/16fl oz full-fat milk
• 3 large free-range eggs, separated
• 125ml/4fl oz vegetable oil, plus extra for oiling if required
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 225g/8oz plain flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 3 tbsp caster sugar
• ¼ tsp fine sea salt
• maple syrup, blueberries or other berries, to serve

Method

1. Heat the waffle iron according to instructions (some need to be lightly oiled before you start).
2. Pour the milk into a large measuring jug, add the egg yolks, oil and vanilla and beat together. Combine the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt in a large bowl. Pour the jug of wet ingredients into the bowl of dry ones and whisk together, making sure there are no lumps.
3. Put the egg whites into a clean bowl and whisk to stiff peaks. Slowly fold the egg whites into the batter, until a thick, smooth and airy consistency is achieved.
4. Fill one side of your heated waffle iron with 250ml/9fl oz batter, close and cook for 1 minute, then turn the waffle iron over and cook on the other side for 2 minutes. If you’re using an electric waffle iron, you will obviously not be turning it over, so you may need to cook for a minute or so longer. Just follow the instructions that come with the iron in all cases.
5. Ease the cooked waffle out of the waffle iron. Repeat until all the batter is used up. If you’re not keeping the waffles warm in the low oven (see recipe tip) each waffle should be eaten as soon as it comes out of the iron. Generously pour maple syrup over your waffle, and tumble a few berries alongside if wished.

Recipe Tips

How long you cook the waffles for, as well as how many you make, will depend on the waffle iron you’re using. Mine is a sturdy, non-stick stove-top Belgian waffle iron, which takes 250ml/9fl oz of batter per batch; if you’re operating a different machine, follow the directions for quantities and cooking times that come with it. I advise you to preheat your oven to 120C/100C Fan/Gas ½ before you start so that you can pop the waffles on a wire rack over a baking tray as you make them, to keep them warm. This also helps to give them a lovely crisp crust.