Where were you when you got your first waffle, what kind did you get and what did it come with? Was it a Belgian waffle with fruit and maple syrup from a waffle iron or and beautifully toasted Eggo with butter at home? Well for me it was a Belgian waffle with strawberry ice cream and syrup. Yum, Yum and more Yum. I thought I was in heaven. (Recipe at the bottom)
March 26, 2011 is National waffle day. Here's a bit about the history of waffles. It can be traced to ancient Greece, when Athenians cooked obelios — flat cakes between two metal plates — over burning embers. The word waffle is related to wafer, as in the communion wafer — one of the only victuals that early Catholics could eat during fasting periods since wafers didn't contain animal fats, eggs or dairy products. During the Middle Ages, when bakeries decided to compete with monasteries in the wafer market, the secular — and considerably tastier — waffle was born.
Eventually, waffle irons engraved with coats of arms, religious symbols and the familiar honeycomb pattern (said to resemble interlocking crosses) were used to brand the baked treats. In medieval France, an entire guild was established in 1270 to train the vendors who sold waffles on the street. Because the simplest version only called for flour and water, it soon became a staple of country cooking, though wealthier peasants would add honey, eggs and aromatized wine. The delicacy, according to Geoffrey Chaucer, made for an excellent means of seduction. "He sent her sweetened wine and well-spiced ale/ And waffles piping hot out of the fire," the English poet wrote of courtship in the 14th century in The Canterbury Tales.
The Pilgrims discovered waffles in Holland, where they spent time before arriving in America, and brought them across the Atlantic in 1620. Dutch immigrants popularized the dish in New Amsterdam before it was taken over by the British in 1803 and became New York City. Thomas Jefferson, as legend has it, bought a waffle iron in France as a sort of culinary souvenir and began serving waffles in the White House, helping spark a fad for "waffle parties" nationwide. Americans got their first taste of Belgian waffles — which are leavened with yeast and egg whites — at the 1964 World's Fair. The most common way to serve waffles in the U.S. is covered in butter and syrup, regional variations have evolved. Waffles topped with kidney stew were once said to be a local favorite in Baltimore, while one restaurant in Harlem claims it introduced waffles paired with fried chicken back in 1938.
The innovation of electricity brought the electric waffle iron, which was far less cumbersome and hazardous than a stove top griddle. But for the harried homemaker, the newfangled appliance still wasn't easy enough. Enter the Dorsa brothers, Frank, Tony and Sam, who in the mid-1930s created a dry waffle batter that only needed one ingredient: milk. When demand spread beyond their hometown of San Jose, Calif., Frank invented a carousel-like contraption that could churn out thousands of waffles in an hour, which could then be frozen and shipped. Kellogg bought the company in 1970 and introduced the catchy slogan "Leggo My Eggo" in 1972 — the same year a coach at the University of Oregon revolutionized athletic shoes by using a waffle iron to create better traction on the rubber soles of his sneakers.
Wow, who knew waffles were so deep. Now here's a recipe:
Prep Time: 10 Min, Cook Time: 15 Min, Ready In: 25 Min
Ingredients
- 2 egg yolks
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1/4 cup butter, melted
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 tablespoon white sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 egg whites
- 1 pinch ground cinnamon
Directions
- Preheat your waffle iron.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, vanilla, buttermilk and butter until well blended. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, salt and cinnamon; stir into the buttermilk mixture. In a separate bowl, whip the egg whites with an electric mixer until stiff. Fold into the batter.
- Spoon batter onto the hot waffle iron, close, and cook until golden brown. Waffles are usually done when the steam subsides.
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