Makes about 15 waffles (depending on size of waffle maker)
4 eggs, yolks and whites separated
2/3 cup sugar
1 pinch of salt
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
2 cups whole fat milk
¾ cup butter, melted and cooled
2 cups Italian organic 00 soft wheat flour, sifted
1 teaspoon baking powder
4 tablespoons sunflower oil
Whip the egg yolks in a large bowl with half the sugar, a pinch of salt and the vanilla.
Next, add the milk, cooled melted butter, sifted organic flour and baking powder and blend until smooth and lump-free.
In a separate bowl, whip the egg whites until stiff, slowly adding the other half of the sugar as you go (starting once they are foamy and have started to thicken and whip).
Fold the whipped egg whites, a spoonful at a time to start, then more as you go along, into the egg yolk mixture, taking care to fold with a slow movement from bottom to top, to maintain the airiness of the beaten egg whites. Once all the egg white has been incorporated, the waffle batter is ready.
Brush each side of the waffle iron with a teaspoon or so of the oil, then heat the waffle iron (usually a light will come on to tell you when its ready to add your batter) When the waffle iron is hot and ready, add about 2 ladles of batter to the center of the bottom plate. Leave about 1 inch around the edge so the batter doesn’t ooze out when you close the top of the waffle iron.
Now, close the waffle iron gently (do not press shut) and cook for about 2-3 minutes. Open gently, and peek in to see whether the batter has formed a waffle and is golden browned; If not, close it up and cook a short time longer.
Modern electric waffle irons do not need turning over in order to cook each side as they cook both sides at the same time, so directions depend upon the type of waffle maker that you have.
When golden and lightly browned, remove to a plate and continue making waffles until the batter is all used up.
Waffles are best freshly made, so have your eaters gathered at the table, and ready to eat!
Serve the waffles sweet or savory. Sweet: butter, a dusting of confectioners sugar, honey, melted chocolate, diced fresh fruit, jam, whipped cream, ice cream. Savory: fried chicken, spiced butter, sauteed mushrooms, a few browned small sausages, a fried egg, chili sauce; truly, the creative choice is up to you!
The first waffles were made in Greece, called obelías (offerings) and were cooked over an open fire between two hot iron plates with long handles; from there, the Roman legions are believed to have spread waffles throughout Europe. During the Middle Ages, in Belgium, a Cistercian abbot created a honey-sweetened dough and cooked it on the plates used for the preparation of communion wafers.
At first, waffle irons were simple cast iron plates in the shape of a beehive, which contributed to its current name: “wafla” and “gaufra” mean honey, sweet, beehive in medieval French.
Because the essence of a waffle is its grid of indentations and peaks, which give a wide variety of textures to delight in, you need a waffle iron or waffle maker to make them. Without a waffle iron, the batter would simply be fat pancakes.
