Almost every morning, I turn over in my bed and ask my partner if he’s going to make us pancakes. He never does. Sometimes, though, he’ll make waffles.
When we moved to Kenai, we acquired a waffle iron and Nate seems to prefer that to pancakes these days. However, when we were friends many years ago, and then began dating, pancakes were what we made. Sometimes for dinner, mostly for breakfast.
His favorite way to make pancakes was to always add cornmeal. I’ve never eaten pancakes like that, except with him. It gave the pancakes a crunch and a sweetness that wasn’t overwhelming. The same kind of batter can be ladled onto a sizzling skillet to be made as pancakes, but waffles are great for creating pockets of syrup and other delicious toppings.
The recipe below is a very extra way to make waffle batter, but it will be worth it. Whipping the egg whites into stiff peaks will make the waffle light and fluffy, while the cornmeal adds crunch and texture to the whole thing.
Very Extra Waffles
11⁄4 cup flour
3⁄4 cup cornmeal
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon sea salt
1⁄2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup Greek yogurt
1 cup whole milk
4 large eggs, separate yolks and whites
Take out your waffle iron, and get it ready and turn it on per factory setting. In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients, including the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
In a smaller bowl, whisk together yogurt, milk, melted butter and egg yolks. Combine the wet ingredients with the wet ingredients, carefully, until combined.
Using a whisk, or an electric mixer, whip the egg whites until they hold stiff peaks. You’ll know the peaks are stiff when you scoop up some of the beaten egg whites, and the egg whites hold their shape well. Adding this fluffy element will keep the waffles light. Fold the egg whites delicately into the rest of the batter until combined.
Once the waffle iron is heated, spray the iron with cooking spray, or coat with melted butter to keep the batter from sticking to the iron. Ladle about half a cup of the batter onto the waffle iron, and cook the waffles per your waffle iron’s instructions, until the waffle is crisp and golden in color. Serve waffles right away with butter, jam, syrup or peanut butter.
