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Crispy Waffles

one and a half slices local simple recipes food

Crispy Norwegian Waffles

This may be an unpopular opinion, but I like crispy waffles. The fluffy, puffy, overly-leavened Belgian waffle never did it for me. As it turns out, there are many different kinds of waffles: Brussels waffles (puffy), American waffles (think Holiday Inn breakfast), Liege waffles (half-formed super sweet waffle-cookies), Galette or Stroop Waffles (the thin, crispy, sometimes caramel-filled cookies). Until the X French Toast experience, adventures in waffling was my favorite morningtime breakfast activity. Oddly enough, my preferred waffle is a crispy version of a Norwegian or Scandinavian waffle.

A Norwegian waffle is typically made in a heart-shaped iron and is thinner than most waffles. Upon discovering my preference, I was overjoyed to poshly note my predilection for a Scandavian culinary experience. Until the Piemaker informed me that my waffle preference mapped to the all-American Waffle House waffle. I’ve still never been to a Waffle House (don’t want to get mugged), but Googling has confirmed that, indeed, I like Waffle House waffles. Without further ado, I give you my recipe for perfectly crispy, Norwegian, Scandinavian, or Waffle House waffles (made in a heart-shaped, diamond-laden waffle iron from the 1970s, courtesy of the parents).  

what you need

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

Dashes of cinnamon, nutmeg, and cardamom

2 tablespoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup cornstarch (this is what makes them crispy!)

1 cup whole milk (non-dairy milk will work as well)

1/3 cup melted coconut oil

1 egg (this is also what makes them crispy!)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

how to make it

Mix dry ingredients together well. 

Add all wet ingredients and whisk until combined.

Let batter stand 10 minutes (allowing baking powder and soda to activate and bubble). 

Pour ~1/2 cup batter into waffle iron and cook until desired doneness (for me, that’s between 4 and 5 minutes). 

Top with maple syrup, berries, berry compote, and/or fresh whipped cream. 

Note: You are going for near perfect fill levels when pouring batter into your waffle iron. Overfill and your waffles will be spongy and undercooked. Underfill and the top portion of the iron won’t make contact with the batter. Both cases will result in waffles that are not as crispy as desired.

Backstory

Doing a PhD brought many new rituals into my life – not all of them welcome and many of them nocturnal. One such ritual was the routine production of these heart waffles between the hours of 1:00am and 4:00am. The Piemaker made these for me when I couldn’t sleep or when I just had to get up and keep my hands on a keyboard through the wee hours of morning twilight. These waffles were one of many things that got me through. They became synonymous with crisis. Bad day, waffles. Can’t sleep, waffles. Impossible due dates, waffles. Disheartening advisor meeting, waffles. Today, I can happily say these waffles have returned to a symbol of happiness and calm mornings. But every once in a while, like this morning when the alarm sounded at 4:30am to write a particularly pernicious proposal for work, I make it until mid-morning, underslept and overcaffeinated, and turn to Norwegian waffles. For other PhD-related stories, see Mongolian Beef Fried Rice. 

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Sweet

French Toast

one and a half slices maple brunch recipe measurelesslivemore
one and a half slices local simple recipes food

X French Toast

one and a half slices maple brunch recipe measurelesslivemore

Good french toast… like really good french toast… is about 25% quality of your bread (brioche, please, mmm) and 75% technique. The technique isn’t difficult but it is a bit time consuming. And it is best executed alongside bacon (let’s be honest, what isn’t at its best with bacon?).  This french toast came to me by way of a circuitous route, but it is here to stay (story below). It is thick-cut, only mildly sweet, and pairs well with deep maple and salty bacon. 

what you need

1 loaf challah bread (or bread of choice, but I strongly recommend challah)

5 eggs

1 1/2 cups whole milk 

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

2 tablespoons raw granulated sugar

the zest of 1 lemon

2 teaspoons freshly grated nutmeg 

1 package bacon (if desired) OR 3 tablespoons salted butter

**cooking note: while this recipe calls for bacon and brioche, I recently made this more quickly with some leftover sliced baguette from a party. The lemon and nutmeg really elevate the flavor even if you don’t go all in on the bacon-and-brioche method. The result is in the title image.

how to make it

About half an hour before you’re ready to cook, beat eggs, milk, cinnamon, sugar, and vanilla together. Slice the middle of the challah loaf into four thick pieces (about 1 inch wide). Arrange the slices in a deep dish pan and pour the egg mixture over the slices, careful to coat each. Let stand for 15 minutes. Flip each slice and let stand for another 15 minutes. In this interim time, cook up your bacon in a large pan stovetop and set aside.

Pour bacon grease into a cup for disposal but leave the grease residue in the bottom of the pan (if not using bacon, melt the salted butter in the pan over low/medium heat). Sprinkle half the lemon zest and nutmeg into the butter as it melts. Place all four slices of bread in the pan once completely heated and do not move them (you are looking to get a solid sear/char on the bread as you would a piece of meat). Sprinkle remaining lemon zest and nutmeg over top. Cook on lowest possible heat setting for 12 minutes. Your goal here is SLOW and LOW. Low heat; slow cook time.

If the pan looks a bit dry, add a small pat of butter to the center before flipping the slices. Flip each slice and, again, do not move the slices around. Cook on the second side for 12 minutes. At this time, flip each slice and press down on each slice firmly. Cook for an additional 5-8  minutes, until both sides are brown.

Serve with warm maple syrup, a dollop of plain (unsweetened) Greek yogurt, and the side of bacon. 

Backstory

We’ve all got one (or several). Well, most of us do. An ex. My exes have left breadcrumbs along the trail of my life – songs that represented our partnership, local hangouts to which I was hesitant to return after our parting, favorite t-shirts I no longer wanted to wear. But none so powerful, so moving, so unforgettable as this. french. toast.

So, (as all good stories are wont to begin), there was this guy… 

He was a great guy, a smart guy, a guy who was additive in many ways to my already busy and complicated life. He did many things that were helpful like hang pictures straight (for the chick with ZERO spatial reasoning) and advise on car specifications and scotch selection. He did many things that were sweet, like clean my house and make me jewelry. But at the end of one particularly cold February day, we left our sushi nights behind and went our separate ways – such is life – both all the more wiser. When someone exits your life, by choice or by instruction, a hole remains that is difficult to fill until a new routine is formed – new music played in the car, new Tuesday night haunts, and, in this case, new mid-morning brunches. Because this man made me french toast. all. the. time. He made homemade, from scratch, brioche french toast with bacon, and cleaned my kitchen when he was finished. 

After we parted ways, I found myself craving the ex-boyfriend french toast. The puffiest, crispiest, briochiest french toast drowned in legitimate maple syrup, the batter for which was not imposingly sweet, that kept me full for 8 hours given the equal balance of carbohydrates and protein (5 eggs, milk, yogurt, and bacon all to balance out that bread/syrup combo). So, naturally, I started ordering from the local diners. “One order of french toast, please. Hold the syrup (I’ll use my own).” Nothing compared. So I started trying to make the french toast myself, re-creating the method I had watched him execute in my kitchen over the course of months. The result was disastrous. Soggy french toast. Burnt french toast (but somehow still soggy). Overly sweet french toast. Bland french toast. 

It took months of practice – of perfecting, re-creating, re-perfecting, and experimentation to nail it. It has two secrets: 1) low and slow, and 2) cook it in bacon grease. And now, I proudly present to the world, my mastered, ‘moved-on,’ ex-boyfriend French Toast. I hope it brings you all the Sunday morning joy without the heartache of a broken relationship. Next up, queue the Jack Johnson for high school Banana Chocolate Chip Pancakes… 

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Granola

OneandahalfSlices food blog recipes One and a half Slices Virginia eat local

Granola

A good granola is difficult to find and expensive when you do find it. It is also full of preservatives and overly sweet, usually with added sugars. Making your own granola is easier than you might think and a great way to ensure you get granola exactly as you like it… whichever nuts, whatever fruit, and resolution to the endless honey-versus-maple-syrup-debate. Serve over Greek Yogurt with a few slices of fresh fruit or make yourself a OneandahalfSlices signature Plate Parfait. A batch of granola will keep for 1-2 weeks in your pantry and quickly replace bagged granolas and cereal forever. And if you really want to have fun, try my gluten-free Amaranth Granola.

what you need

3 1/2 cups rolled oats

2 cups puffed kamut (I find puffed kamut makes the granola overall lighter, but if you don’t have any, just use 4 cups of rolled oats)

2 cups of nuts/seeds of choice, coarsely chopped (pecans, walnuts, almonds, pepitas | pictured here is 1 1/2 cups pecans and 1/2 cup pepitas)

3/4 cup unsweetened dried coconut flakes

3/4 cup lightly melted coconut oil

1/2-3/4 cup maple syrup or honey 

Spices: cinnamon (be generous), nutmeg, turmeric, salt, 1 tablespoon vanilla (optional)

(optional) 3/4 cup dried fruit such as cranberries, blueberries, or golden raisins

(optional) 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Note: I use coconut oil because it is slightly sweeter. Your other options are butter/ghee (makes granola buttery), or olive oil (makes granola a bit more savory). Any of the three will work.

how to make it

Preheat oven to 300. Mix rolled oats, puffed kamut (if using), nuts/seeds, and coconut in a large mixing bowl. Stir until combined, then add spices on top.

Be generous with the cinnamon (several tablespoons), sparing with the nutmeg, add a pinch of salt, and use the turmeric only if it suits you. I feel it lends an unexpected exoticism to the spice profile, but to each his own. A dash of dried ginger would likely accomplish the same thing. 

Melt the coconut oil in a bowl (note: it will melt in the microwave in about 10 seconds, and then begin to spit, spat, and fizzle noisily. Do not over-microwave). 

Add the coconut oil and maple syrup to the dry ingredients and stir gently until all the grains are completely coated. 

Spread granola evenly on parchment-lined baking sheets and bake for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, remove from oven and stir, pressing the granola down lightly afterwards. Return to oven and bake for an additional 15 minutes. Granola should be toasted golden (the coconut and nuts will brown) but still wet. 

Remove from the oven and cool completely (about 20 minutes). Mix in dried fruit and chocolate chips (if using). The granola will keep for 1-2 weeks in an airtight container. 
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