If you have a waffle iron then get it out and learn how to use it. Waffles are cheap to make yourself. They taste nothing like the kind you used to put in the toaster when you were a kid. Those were kind of freezerburnt, sort of chewy, and left a weird coating on your teeth. Homemade waffles are like exotic pastries that you might get from a French pastry shop. They are truly amazing and devestatingly delicious.
If you don’t have a waffle iron, put the word out among family and friends that you’re interested in having one. Someone may give you their old one because they find it too much trouble to use. My first waffle iron was an old one from the 1950’s that one of my grandmother’s gave to me as a young woman. It was finicky, but it made magnificent waffles. Finally, it burnt itself out and I had to get a new one. The new one was never as good as the old one, so I gave it away. Now I use a castiron waffle iron that works on the eye of the electric stove or a propane camp stove.
Waffles
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup milk
- 3 tablespoons melted margarine
- 1 egg
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder (1/2 tablespoon)
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
Directions
First set the margarine to melt in a small pan on the stove. Next get out a medium-sized bowl. Pour in the milk, margarine and egg. Beat well. Add the salt, baking powder and flour. Use a wire whisk to beat everything smooth. If you don’t have whisk then use electric beaters.
Preheat your waffle iron according to the instructions. You may lightly oil the waffle iron if necessary. I do this with a pastry brush dipped in a little vegetable oil. Measure the waffle batter into each section. My current waffle iron requires 1/3-cup batter per waffle. A previous waffle iron that had belonged to one of my grandmothers required 1/2-cup of batter per iron. Be careful not to overfill the waffle iron. If you do, the batter will ooze out and make a terrible mess that is tedious and difficult to clean up. Trust me on this part. At my house we still do not speak of the Waffle Massacre of 1999.
After adding the batter, close the waffle iron and allow it to bake for 2 to 3 minutes, or however long is recommended by the manufacturer. Read your instruction manual to see for sure.
When the waffles are well cooked and golden brown they should be relatively easy to loosen up and remove with a fork or chopstick. Continue until all of the waffles are cooked. This recipe makes 3 or 4 waffles, depending on how much batter you use for each.
Waffles are a fancy and luxurious treat. Serve them with syrup, and fruit for breakfast, or top them with pudding and fruit for dessert. They can also go under main dishes, like creamed chicken.