Now that Craig and I are empty nesters, I'm looking for ways to convert recipe portions by at least half. Sure, leftover waffles can be frozen and reheated. I'd much prefer to have a simple recipe, that I can make in a matter of minutes-- and one that makes just enough waffles for the two of us. This recipe delivered exactly that.
America's Test Kitchen remains one of my most trustworthy recipe sources. I recently bought The Complete Cooking for Two Cookbook, and I'm slowly making my way through many of the recipes I've bookmarked.
There are two ingredients that you might not have in your pantry, that you will need for this recipe. One of them is buttermilk powder. It's quite easy to find-- usually in the baking section of your grocery store. I also see that Bob's Red Mill makes one, too. I store the powder in my refrigerator (once it's opened) and it's come in handy for the times when I don't have buttermilk in my fridge. It's perfect for making bread and all kinds of baking. The other ingredient is seltzer water. Yep, I always have a few can of that, as well. It's great for making these Swedish pancakes. Not only that, but I find seltzer water, mixed with fresh fruit juice is quite refreshing.
If you're familiar with America's Test Kitchen, they do a lot of testing and research before publishing a recipe. I own many of their cookbooks and I subscribe to all of their magazines. Yes, I am a devoted fan.
So, why seltzer water, you ask? ATK wanted a waffle that would have a crisp, golden-brown crust with a moist, fluffy interior. The seltzer water gives more "oompf" in leavening along with some baking soda. . (The tiny bubbles inflate the batter the same was as a chemical leavener.) Why not use regular buttermilk? Well, the powder produced a lighter waffle without a gummy interior. That works for me!
For the wet ingredients, I used sour cream, egg, vegetable oil, a little vanilla and the seltzer water. Whisk together.
For the dry ingredients, I whisked together flour and buttermilk powder There's a little sugar, pinch of salt and some baking soda. Add the wet to the dry...
Mix until just combined. Some lumps are absolutely fine.
Cook, according to your waffle iron instructions.
These waffles aren't really dark (because my waffle iron doesn't have a settle adjustment), but I'm actually okay with that. I served these right away.
TASTING NOTES: Quite simply, these were delicious. They were fluffy and tender on the inside and on the outside. You see, the first time I made these, I skipped the step of placing each waffle into a 200F preheated oven, on a wire rack. So, they didn't have that crunchy exterior that this recipe was developed to do. Not a big deal. We still enjoyed them.
Until, I made these again. This time, I did place them into the oven for about 5 minutes, because...
I made Chicken and Waffles for dinner! The waffles had a crispy exterior, to hold up the weight of placing a crispy fried and baked piece of chicken, and then smothering it with pure maple syrup.
If you're thinking what I used to think... along the lines of "Ew, chicken and waffles". That is weird!" I can assure you that it's not. I'm now a convert.
Here's the printable recipe for the waffles:
I haven't had a homemade waffle in years and you buttermilk version sounds delicious. I must try chicken and waffle at some point in my life.
ReplyDeleteThanks for a "downsized" recipe...love waffles. I do have some real buttermilk from a dairy...how would I use it in this recipe?
ReplyDeleteI should have addressed that more clearly, for this recipe. ATK developed this recipe to specifically use buttermilk powder and seltzer water for a lighter waffle. Using real buttermilk would make the waffle heavier. If you choose to use real buttermilk, I would use the an equal amount of the seltzer water-- however, I have no idea what the outcome will be. If you try it, and it works, please let me know. By the way, I did publish a Buttermilk Pancake for two recipe. You can find it in my Recipes by Category Link on the top of my home page. Debby
ReplyDeletethanks for a fabulous recipe for just the two of us.....tell me, do you think i can add pumpkin puree and other related spices to this for pumpkin waffles? how much puree shall i add to your scrumptious recipe would you suggest?
ReplyDeletethis looks divine. thank you for posting a recipe for just the two of us. do you think that i could add pumpkin puree and related spices for pumpkin waffles to this recipe? how much puree would you add? i would appreciate your advice.
ReplyDeleteDear Jennifer,
ReplyDeleteThat would make this a completely different recipe. I would have to tweak this recipe, myself, to answer that question. However, I provide a link to my pumpkin waffles in this very post. Why not use that recipe, since I know it works. Just cut the ingredients in half, and that should work.
Homemade waffles!!! And fried chicken. Delicious. I have thought about making waffles and fried chicken many times. I am now inspired again. :-)
ReplyDeleteI hope you are enjoying your empty nest.
Velva
I made them today for Thanksgiving breakfast. Oh my the flavor was fantastic! Some pancakes and waffles can be bland but these were delicious. I don't have buttermilk powder so I made with real buttermilk. I guess they were 'heavier' but not like a brick or anything similar. They were still tender and delicious. A keeper!
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas,Debby! I made these this morning, but trying to find the recipe was a bear for me! I was looking for pancakes, so it wasn't showing up. But I knew I had seen it here. I had bought the seltzer water, fortunately, so I looked it up by that. I finally received the dried buttermilk powder yesterday, so I had to make it today. It was the perfect amount for the two of us. I guess I should buy that book. I love ATK for all the testing they do, and have several of their cookbooks.
ReplyDeleteAs I was reading through your post, you mention that it has baking powder but none is listed in the ingredient list. Was it accidentally left out, or is there not any in it? It isn't in the directions either.
Thanks!