Making the best waffles

A day that begins with a crisp, golden waffle is destined to be good. The aroma alone has the power to perk up the sleepiest of mornings.

The Culinary Institute of America’s ultralight waffles, made from a few basic ingredients, are equally delicious hot off the iron or made ahead and frozen for a quick weekday breakfast. Just store them in the freezer in zip-lock bags and pop them in the toaster whenever you like.

Waffles are no more difficult to make than any other griddlecake. Like pancakes, they benefit from minimal mixing because of the proteins in the flour. When flour is moistened and repeatedly stretched by mixing, the proteins turn into strands of gluten.

The longer the gluten is worked, the tighter the strands become, resulting in a tough, rubbery waffle. Using a gentle hand to stir the wet and dry ingredients together helps to keep them tender.

Without the characteristic gridlike pattern to cradle hot syrup and melting butter, a waffle wouldn’t be a waffle. That is why a waffle iron is essential for making this type of griddlecake.

Available in a variety of shapes, sizes and depths, waffle irons range in cost from $20 to $300. Most varieties have nonstick surfaces (a must for trouble-free waffle making) and a sensor light to indicate that the iron is preheated and ready to use.

Before using a new waffle iron, refer to the manufacturer’s directions. Each one works differently. Most take about 4 to 5 minutes to bake a waffle. The amount of batter needed for each waffle depends on the shape and size of your iron.

The CIA’s recipe using a standard 7-inch round iron is enough to make 8 waffles. Start by making a sample waffle to determine how much batter you need and how long it takes to bake.

Be sure not to lift the lid during the first few minutes of baking, or while it is steaming; a steaming iron is the best indicator that the waffle hasn’t finished baking. Also, if you have to force the waffle iron open, you can rest assured that the batter still needs time to bake.

To keep finished waffles warm, place them in a single layer directly on the rack of a 200-degree preheated oven.

This recipe is from The Culinary Institute of America’s “Breakfasts and Brunches” cookbook (Lebhar-Freidman, 2005, $35).

Waffles

From the Culinary Institute of America’s “Breakfasts and Brunches” cookbook

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons salt

1/2 cup sugar

2 tablespoons baking powder

8 large eggs, separated

3 cups milk

1 cup butter, melted

2 cups Hot Raspberry Sauce (recipe follows)

Sift together the flour, salt, sugar and baking powder into a large mixing bowl. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients.

Whisk together the egg yolks, milk and melted butter in a separate bowl. Pour the wet ingredients into the well of the dry ingredients, stirring until just combined. The batter will be slightly lumpy. Do not overmix.

Preheat the waffle iron.

Whip the egg whites to soft peaks and fold into the batter in two additions. Ladle about 3/4 cup batter into the waffle iron. Cook the waffles until they are crisp, golden and cooked through, about 3 to 6 minutes per waffle. Serve at once with the raspberry syrup.

Yield: 8 servings

Nutrition information per waffle: 580 calories, 15 grams protein, 60 grams carbohydrates, 32 grams fat, 870 milligrams sodium, 285 milligrams cholesterol, 1 gram fiber.

Hot Raspberry Sauce

From the Culinary Institute of America’s “Breakfasts and Brunches” cookbook

7 cups raspberries, fresh or frozen (thaw slightly)

1 3/4 cups sugar

2 1/4 cups water

1/2 vanilla bean, split or scraped, or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3/4 cup lemon juice

Combine the raspberries, sugar and water in a saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook until raspberries are soft, about 15 minutes.

Strain the raspberry mixture through a fine-mesh sieve, pressing against the solids with the back of a ladle. Discard the raspberry seeds and pour the extracted juices into a saucepan; add the vanilla bean, its seeds and the lemon juice. Simmer until reduced by one-half over medium-low heat or to the consistency of syrup, 20 to 25 minutes.

Serve warm, or cool and store in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.

Yield: 2 cups

Nutrition information per 3-ounce serving: 110 calories, no fat, 1 gram protein, 29 grams carbohydrate, no cholesterol, 4 grams dietary fiber, no sodium.