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.
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.
