Buttermilk Waffles!

My favorite waffles are the ones where you start the batter the night before...and it has yeast. In the morning you add eggs and melted butter and you are ready to put the batter in the waffle iron.

Recently I was going through some recipes found in my local newspaper, the Press Democrat, that I saved to try. A recipe for buttermilk waffles was one of them...and I had plenty of buttermilk in the fridge.

A few mornings ago I gave the recipe a try. For the batter I followed it as written with two exceptions: I added 1/4 cup chopped walnuts to the flour mixture and, because my waffle iron is ancient and slow, I added 1/2 teaspoon baking powder to the flour mixture. Baking soda reacts quickly with the acid in the buttermilk, but the baking powder would continue to give lift to the waffles throughout the cooking time.

Once I decided to bake the waffles, I realized that I had both blueberries and raspberries, so I added about 1/4 cup each to the flour mixture right before I added the liquid. It takes a bit of care to mix in the liquid and not crush the berries, but it's worth it! Just the fragrance of the hot raspberries is intoxicating.

These were great waffles...light, crispy on the outside and tender and fluffy on the inside. The buttermilk adds tang and the walnuts and berries added crunch and flavor. Soooo good. Try this one yourself!

Buttermilk Waffles
Press Democrat and Washington Post by Becky Krystal

Makes 5 servings (five 7-inch round waffles)

2 1/4 cups (280 grams) all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
2 large eggs,
2 cps (480 ml) buttermilk (whole or low-fat)
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick/57 grams) unsalted butter, melted and cooled, plus more for optional topping 
Note: May substitute some or all with neutral oil)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4-1/2 cup each blueberries and raspberries (optional)
Neutral oil, for brushing the waffle iron
Maple syrup, for serving (optional)

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees. Have a large baking sheet ready.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, and baking powder. Stir in the walnuts.
In a separate medium bowl whisk the eggs until lightly beaten. Whisk in the buttermilk, butter and vanilla until combined.

Add the berries to the flour mixture and gently toss to coat with flour and combine with the flour mixture.

Stir the egg mixture into the flour mixture gently until it forms a smooth, thick batter...any lumps should be fruit.

Brush a waffle iron with oil or spray with nonstick spray, and preheat it according to the manufacturer's directions. Ladle enough of the batter to cover three-fourths  of the surface of the iron...roughly 1/2 to 3/4 cups (120-180 ml) of batter per waffle. Close the waffle irone and cook for 3-5 minutes, or until the iron alerts you the waffle is done. You will be looking for the waffle to be crisp and golden brown.

Repeat with the remaining batter, placing finished waffles on the baking sheet in the oven to keep warm, if desired.

Serve with maple syrup, pats of butter or other toppings as desired.