Homemade Waffles

Nothing says happy Saturday like a homemade brunch recipe! This is the absolute best for a springtime morning, packed with fresh berries and simplicity. We've had a waffle maker for years and all attempts at waffles (with the exception of brinner) have been entirely unsuccessful. We are happy to report this recipe was the one that finally worked! Inspired by leftover buttermilk from making Irish Soda Bread on St. Patrick's Day, we chose to make this buttermilk-based recipe to help use it up. We perused the cookbooks we have and the internet before finally settling on this selection from the King Arthur Flour Baker's Companion.

Will had gotten me the King Arthur Flour Baker's Companion for my birthday, a 1000+ page cookbook all about baking sweet and savory foods, with all the tips and tricks you could ever imagine (and more). This was a particularly meaningful gift since we had just visited the King Arthur Flour complex on our honeymoon in Vermont and had not realized what a big deal the company was. We spent at least an hour on a cold, rainy morning exploring all their different tools, books and mixes they offered and regretted not taking a class, after indulging in some coffee and fresh-made pastries in their cafe. Every time I've looked at the book since my birthday, it brings back those happy memories and the desire to go back! We were delighted, but not too surprised, that our first recipe selection from the Companion turned out so well. If you're not familiar with King Arthur Flour, I recommend their products and recipes! While a bit pricey for regular flour, their insight and history of baking makes them so much more than that expensive flour on the shelf at the grocery store. They are a culture and I'm happy to be exploring it!

Cooking Notes: We chose to include the sugar in the recipe because we were going for a sweet waffle, but if you want savory, it can be omitted. It also calls for optional pecan meal, which we skipped. They also recommend pastry flour but we just used the all-purpose unbleached flour. If you use pastry flour, make sure to use 2 cups total, instead of just 1 3/4.








Homemade Waffles (makes 10-12 waffles; adapted from King Arthur Flour Baker's Companion)
2 large eggs
1 3/4 cups buttermilk
1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled to room temperature
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups all-purpose unbleached flour
2 tbsp sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt








In a large mixing bowl, beat together the eggs, buttermilk, butter and vanilla. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Slowly pour the dry ingredients into the large mixing bowl with the wet ingredients, combining until smooth. Spray your waffle iron with a nonstick cooking spray (or wipe with Crisco) before preheating it. For 8-inch round waffles, use about 1/3 cup batter. Cook for 2-3 minutes until iron stops steaming. Serve with Vermont maple syrup, fresh berries and a dash of powdered sugar.

Batter can be refrigerated overnight if you don't want to make all the waffles at once. Waffles can be frozen for up to 3 days and reheated in an oven or microwave.