Double Vanilla Waffles

Double Vanilla Waffles - filled with Maple Syrup

I invested in a new kitchen gadget recently. I’ve worked myself up to getting it for a good while now, but I bought a new item related cookbook which helped me think I would use said gadget, and now it has arrived! My waffle maker. So of course I had to use it right away.

I had a quick look through Waffles From Morning to Midnight by Dorie Greenspan (1995) and made the first dessert recipe that I came to that I had the ingredients for in the house. Double Vanilla waffles, so called because they have vanilla bean and vanilla bean extract added into the batter, there was also some browned butter for an extra flavour dimension. There is a vanilla pear sauce in the book suggested as a topping, which would have made a lovely combination, but with our first waffles from the waffle machine we wanted just maple syrup. Ah, like the frozen toasted waffles I remember when I was a teenager – but 100 times better! They were fresh, light, soft, and deeply flavoured with the browned butter and vanilla.

I haven’t actually managed to read the whole book yet, but I’m sure there will be more waffles here, and I’ll give a list of some more of the recipes from it then. I’ve added the recipe for the waffles here, as this book is out of print.

Double Vanilla Waffles

1 ¾ (14 fl oz) cups Milk
½ large soft vanilla bean
5 tablespoons (2 ½ oz) butter
1 ¾ cups plain flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
pinch salt
1/3 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 Pour the milk into a medium sized saucepan. Split the vanilla bean in half lengthwise and scrape out the black seeds into the milk, add the pod in too. Bring the milk to the boil and leave to infuse covered for at least an hour.

2. Place the butter in a small skillet over a medium heat. Cook until the butter melts and turns golden brown. It will give off a warm, nutty aroma. Take care not to let it burn.

3. Preheat your waffle iron.

4. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar to blend. Remove the vanilla pod from the milk and whisk in the browned butter, eggs and vanilla extract. Pour the liquid ingredients over the dry and whisk until just combined.

5. Spray or butter your grids of the waffle iron and cook according to the machine’s instructions. Cook in batches until the batter is finished.

Makes about 8 waffles.