Macadamia Belgian Waffles

I have guests with us this week and so I decided to get out the waffle maker and do some Belgian waffles this morning. It takes just a little planning, because the batter has yeast in it and needs to rise. I served them with butter and maple syrup along with some home smoked bacon. But for those of you who like crab, they make a great base for Crab Newburg and that is a great use for leftover ones. They can be halved and re-heated in the toaster. I often change around the flour for this, sometimes using 1/2 whole wheat or buckwheat and sometimes 1/2 chestnut flour.

Here is my recipe:


This classic yeasted waffle recipe produces waffles that are wonderfully crisp outside, and creamy-smooth and moist inside. Even when cooling, they retain their wonderful texture.

You can choose to prepare the batter for these waffles and cook it after an hour, but I prefer to let the batter rest overnight in the fridge, where it develops some real depth of flavor, rich and yeasty. 

Ingredients 

1 1/2 cups (12 ounces) milk
6 tablespoons (3 ounces) butter
4 tablespoons maple sugar 

3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 large eggs sparated
2 cups (8 1/2 ounces)Organic Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast

3/4 cup of rough chopped unsalted macadamia nuts

Method

1. Scald the milk.  Place it in a large mixing bowl. and add the butter, maple sugar, salt, and vanilla. Stir till the butter melts and the mixture has cooled to lukewarm. 
2. Add the eggs yolks, flour, and yeast, stirring to combine; it’s OK if the mixture isn’t perfectly smooth. Cover with plastic wrap, and let rest at room temperature for 1 hour; the mixture will begin to bubble. 
3. You can cook the waffles at this point, or refrigerate the batter overnight to cook waffles the next day. (Make SURE it’s in a bowl large enough for it to at least double in size) 
4. Before cooking fold in the mac nuts. Then Beat the egg whites to stiff peaks. 
5. Gently fold the egg whites into the batter. 

*Note if using for savory waffles, you can omit the nuts and add 1 cup of grated parmesan cheese. 

Preheat the waffle iron. Spray with non-stick vegetable oil spray, and pour 2/3 to 3/4 cup batter (or the amount recommended by the manufacturer) onto the center of the iron. Close the lid and bake for the recommended amount of time, till the waffle is golden brown. It took us about 6 minutes, using our waffle iron here. Serve immediately, or keep warm in a 200°F oven. Serve with berries and whipped cream, if desired. Yield: about five 7" round Belgian waffles.