Overnight Waffles...YUM

The IHCC continues with the exploration of Mark Bittman recipes. This week's theme was Pantry Raid. I lost count how many times I opened my cabinets to ponder the possibilities. I decided on a waffle recipe by Mark Bittman. It is an overnight recipe and was very easy to mix up. I mixed, covered and walked away for the night. While I slept, the waffle batter "brewed".

I awoke to find the batter nearly doubled and it smelled wonderful. I substituted almond extract instead of using vanilla and I also added lemon zest.

The last step was to mix in the eggs, oil the waffle maker and preheat. I confess that I have not oiled the griddle part of the maker in a very long time. Trust had developed over time and I avoided the oil. The first batch came out in pieces and some of those pieces were stuck to the griddle. Now I don't trust my waffle maker! LAUGHS.. Okay, it is my fault. However, now when I add batter, close the lid and lock it, I wonder how "they" the waffles are doing in there because one can't see what's happening. I did brush the griddle for the rest of the waffle batch and they came out perfect.

A few strawberries later and a drizzle, (or two, maybe three) of syrup my sons were happy and full.

p.s. These froze very well and make 16 waffles.


OVERNIGHT WAFFLES: (Mark Bittman)

Ingredients

• 1/2 teaspoon Instant yeast
• 2 cups All purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon Sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt
• 2 cups Milk
• 8 tablespoon Butter melted and cooled
• 1/2 teaspoon Vanilla extract optional ( I used almond extract)
  
• Canola Oil for brushing on waffle iron
• 2 eggs

*I also added the zest of one lemon. With waffles anything works.

Preparation

1. Before going to bed, combine the dry ingredients and stir in the milk, then the butter and vanilla. The mixture will be loose. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside overnight at room temperature.

2.Brush the waffle iron lightly with oil and preheat it. Separate the eggs and stir the yolks into the batter. Beat the whites until they hold soft peaks. Stir them gently into the batter. (I just stirred the eggs into the batter without separating them. Seemed to work well.)

3. Pour batter onto the waffle iron and bake until the waffle is done, usually 3 to 5 minutes, depending on your iron. Serve immediately or keep warm for a few minutes in a low oven.