A CRISP, TENDER WAFFLE
That swings sweet, or savory like a champ
Hello!!
I’m popping back in here for our second edition of Edible Living (the newsletter)— the first for many of you—and I’m excited to see many new and old faces, here. First, THANK YOU for being here. A quick note to say that some of you may have migrated over here via a previous platform that you signed up for before my SUBSTACK days. I hope you’ll stay, we’re just getting started. But of course if it’s no longer for you—you have my total gratitude and respect. Thank you for all the ways you have supported me!
Ok lets get right to it: I am a pancake girl. But I married a waffle guy—just like my dad (and now, my son). Do you have this issue in your household? When the weekend rolls around, and I ask what everyone wants for Saturday brunch—half the house says Pancakes!! and the other—well, you know.
Waffles spell fun and indulgence—two things the main men in my life are both pretty fond of.
There are no bounds to the ways in which I show my love through waffles—soft and tender, crispy and seeded, chocolate waffles, crispy waffles—I’m always remaking them.
For example, you may have already tried my PUMPKIN WAFFLES—which are repeat performers around here. And in my second book, FEAST (which, sadly is no longer in print, though you can sometimes find a rouge copy on Amazon)—there was a hearty WHOLE WHEAT HAZELNUT WAFFLE which was our weekly go-to for years.
We have a favorite-favorite waffle, from my book EVERY DAY IS SATURDAY that needs no improving (it’s called The Family Waffle—and you’ll find it HERE)— but being someone who is always chasing delicious in new forms, I spent the entire last month fantasizing about making a light, crispy, LEMON RICOTTA WAFFLE that would swing sweet or savory like a champ.
Adding ricotta into pancake batter is a pretty standard thing. And by standard I mean deliciously standard—a classic. But I had never thought to add ricotta to waffles before. Why not? The moisture and tenderness ricotta yields is a win when you’re working with a food you want to be decidedly golden and crispy on the outside, without it needing a bucket of maple syrup on top to taste good. A waffle that has flavor all on its own, without any add-ons, is always my gold standard.
Ah but yes, the add-ons. I do love add-ons. Because great can only get greater with the addition of a soppy berries or a crispy fried egg. See my notes about how that works with this particular waffle, below—so you can shop with those toppings in mind.
OK, you’ll want to read on to the bottom for the RECIPE—and then below that, a note on the best waffle makers—because that’s really where things get fun. But first….
Pancake lovers!—I haven’t forgotten about you. Let’s say you’ve read this far and you’re felling really bummed out that you don’t have a waffle maker! I SEE YOU.
I have learned over the years to always test my waffles as pancakes and pancakes as waffles. MANY of my recipes can easily shape shift both ways. This one is tender and airy as a pancake, crisp and airy as a waffle. Sometimes a recipe needs more fat or just a touch more sugar to work as a waffle —a shoe-in for that crisp, golden exterior, and to keep it from getting dry (pancakes cook slightly faster, and don’t need to get crispy—so you won’t always need fat or even sugar in the batter to have a win, though sugar always acts as a tenderizer, so I’ve added a little here for both versions).
So YES, you can make this as a pancake. You will see the recipe below is adjusted for you so you can make it either way—but if you’re a straight shooter and you want a stand-alone PANCAKE POST—I’ve got that for you on my JOURNAL entitled: LIGHTEST LEMON RICOTTA PANCAKES
There’s lots more details (plus the master recipe) below, so keep reading—but for now, thank you, thank you for being here. And see you next week.
xx Sarah
RECIPE BELOW
LEMON-RICOTTA WAFFLES (+ PANCAKES!!!)
2 TABLESPOONS SUGAR (OR MONK-FRUIT SUGAR)
1 TEASPOON FINELY GRATED FRESH LEMON ZEST
1 ⅓ CUPS ALL PURPOSE FLOUR OF GLUTEN-FREE ALL PURPOSE FLOUR
⅓ CUP FINELY GROUND CORNMEAL
½ TEASPOON FINE SEA SALT
½ TEASPOON BAKING POWDER
½ SCANT TEASPOON BAKING SODA
PINCH NUTMEG OR CINNAMON (OPTIONAL)
2 SCANT CUPS BUTTERMILK
½ CUP FRESH WHOLE-MILK RICOTTA CHEESE
2 LARGE EGGS, SEPARATED
2 TABLESPOONS BUTTER, MELTED (SEE NOTES)
1 TEASPOON VANILLA EXTRACT
LEMONS, SLICED, FOR SERVING
PURE MAPLE SYRUP, OR POWDERED OR WHITE SUGAR, FOR SERVING
COOKING SPRAY (PAM, COCONUT OIL OR GHEE COOKING SPRAY)
COMBINE THE SUGAR AND ZEST IN A SMALL BOWL, RUBBING TOGETHER WITH YOUR FINGERS. WHISK TOGETHER THE FLOUR, CORNMEAL, SALT, BAKING POWDER, SODA AND NUTMEG. WHISK IN THE LEMON SUGAR.
IN A SEPARATE BOWL, WHISK TOGETHER THE BUTTERMILK, RICOTTA, EGG YOLKS AND MELTED BUTTER (*OK TO ELIMINATE MELTED BUTTER FOR PANCAKE OPTION) AND WHISK UNTIL SMOOTH. BEAT THE EGG WHITES IN A SEPARATE, CLEAN BOWL UNTIL THEY ARE STIFF BUT NOT DRY. SET ASIDE.
MAKE A WELL IN THE CENTER OF THE DRY INGREDIENTS AND WHISK IN THE BUTTERMILK MIXTURE UNTIL JUST INCORPORATED. GENTLY FOLD IN THE EGG WHITES TO MAKE AN AIRY BATTER THAT LOOKS A LITTLE LIKE CAKE BATTER.
HEAT A WAFFLE IRON OR *PANCAKE GRIDDLE TO MEDIUM-HIGH HEAT. WHEN A DROP OF WATER SIZZLES ON THE PAN, IT IS READY. SPRAY LIGHTLY WITH YOUR FAVORITE COOKING SPRAY AND SPOON OVER IN ⅓ CUP SPOONFULS (DEPENDING ON THE SIZE OF THE WAFFLE IRON).
COOK THE WAFFLES UNTIL LIGHTLY GOLDEN BROWN ON THE OUTSIDE, BUT STILL MOIST AND AIRY INSIDE, 3 TO 5 MINUTES, DEPENDING ON THE HEAT (AND AGE) OF YOUR WAFFLE IRON. *FOR PANCAKES: COOK UNTIL THE EDGES OF THE PANCAKES SET. FLIP AND COOK UNTIL SET–(PANCAKES WILL BE THICK AND SHOULD PUFF SLIGHTLY WHEN COOKED).
SERVE WARM WITH MAPLE SYRUP, BERRIES OR ABSOLUTELY ANYTHING YOU LOVE (SEE SWEET + SAVORY, BELOW, FOR IDEAS).
SWEET:
A crisp waffle like these soaks maple syrup right up, so it is hard to beat the classic topping of warm butter and pure maple syrup, pooled in every little square. But these also love a dollop of homemade marmalade–think: apricot, orange or strawberry preserves. The easiest all season solution and my favorite, is soupy defrosted strawberries in their own luscious syrup (see the note, below).
SAVORY:
Because of their subtle corn crackle–these swing savory with excellent results. Top them with smoked salmon and a fried egg, and even a little herbed salad (something I hadn’t thought of yet when I shot these late last week!). They could go the chicken and waffles way–with fried chicken and syrup, or they’d even be excellent with a sausage gravy poured over, biscuits and gravy style.
INGREDIENT OF THE WEEK: FROZEN STRAWBERRIES.
Did you know that frozen strawberries are just fresh strawberries that are picked and frozen in peak season? I try to be hopeful about those on-sale winter berries at the grocery, but often they are flavorless and shipped across the country, sad, sorry and moldy in mere days. Instead, I buy big bags of Wymans (or any other brand) frozen strawberries, and keep one bag in the freezer and and another in the fridge. As it defrosts, the berries release their own juicy and all natural sauce (no sugar needed!). Strawberries—even frozen—have only 50 calories per cup, loads of vitamin C and antioxidants.
I serve these drippy, deeply red berries on pancakes and waffles, over oatmeal or yogurt, and as a morning or even evening treat topped with two tablespoons of whole milk ricotta and a drizzle of honey. This is a major win for kids (sweetish, without being sugary) and adults like me who may want to get a handle on new pandemic habits, like eating fistfuls of chocolate.
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