waffles for the freezer

We like waffles. Lots of kinds of waffles.  My favorite traditional waffle recipe is the rich buttermilk waffle recipe from Smitten Kitchen's website.  But waffles are not very practical when you are cooking for one.  So I have been making a batch of waffles and then freezing the extras and warming them up in my toaster, just like the frozen waffles that you buy at the store.  But homemade.  With no added preservatives.  I have been sharing my homemade frozen waffles with my parents and they are liking them too.  So today I made a big batch (quadruple batch) and spent a couple hours making waffles and now I have a bunch of waffles cooling which will soon be ready to freeze.

They are so easy to mix up.  Here is my great big stoneware bowl with the dry ingredients.

Add in the wet ingredients, which are the buttermilk, yolks, melted butter and vanilla.

And then add in the stiffly beaten egg whites.

I use a waffle ladle to portion out my waffle batter.  Here is a waffle hot off the waffle iron, ready for a little butter and syrup or strawberries and whipped cream or even just a sprinkle of powdered sugar. 

And the best part is next week or next month I can have one just like it out of my toaster without the mess in less than a minute. 

An added benefit is that this makes it a bit easier for portion control.  There isn't a plate of extra waffles tempting you to have just one more.  Since this is that time of year when lots of people are re-energized about eating better I ran this thru a recipe calculator and discovered that this particular recipe made in my round waffle maker makes 32 waffles and each waffle is 220 calories, 28 carbs, 8 fat, 7 protein, 505 sodium and 4 sugar. 


 I usually freeze mine with a sheet of parchment paper between the layers.  One time I had a little bit of trouble with them sticking together even with the parchment and I attributed that to packing while they were still warm so I am letting them cool completely before boxing them up.

This box is the one that will be going to my folks for their freezer. 

Or possibly this one since it is a little bit bigger.

 I will check and see which fits better in their freezer. 

Waffles for the freezer

8 cups all purpose flour

2 tsp salt

8 Tbsp sugar

2 Tbsp baking soda

1/2 gallon lowfat buttermilk

8 eggs, separated

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, melted and cooled

2 tsp vanilla

Combine the first four ingredients in a large bowl.  Combine the buttermilk, egg yolks, butter and vanilla and add to the dry ingredients.  Beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form and then fold into the batter.  Oil the waffle iron if needed, and then preheat and bake the waffles following the instructions of your waffle maker. 

Adapted from this recipe.

crepes with mascarpone filling

One of our favorite celebratory breakfasts is crepes and I usually make a sweetened mascarpone or cream cheese filling and we top them with slices strawberries and sweetened whipped cream.  We often also have Nutella available to add an additional layer of flavor or as a substitute for the cheese.

souffle on left and crepe on right

Crepes are similar to a thin pancake.  They are made one at a time in a skillet on the stove.  I use my cast iron skillet but in the past I have also used a small  nonstick pan with sloping sides.

As the crepes are cooked I stack them on a plate where they stay warm until ready to serve.

To serve crepes a small amount of filling is added to a crepe and it is folded in quarters or rolled up and then topped with the fruit and whipped cream.

Crepes

2 cups all purpose flour

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 tsp salt

2 cups whole milk

1/2 cup water

6 large eggs

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted

2 tsp vanilla

blend the flour, sugar and salt in food processor or blender.  Add milk, water, eggs butter and vanilla and process until smooth.  Set aside for at least 30 minutes.

Heat a non-stick 6 inch skillet or cast iron skillet over medium heat until a drop of water dropped on the surface bounces and sizzles.  Quickly pour into center of pan about 2 Tbsp of batter and lift pan to swirl to coat the pan evenly. Cook until the batter sets, about 30 seconds.  Flip and cook the other side until just barely golden.  Stack the crepes as they cook.  Makes about 36 crepes.

Mascarpone cheese or cream cheese

Process the cheese in a food processor or mixer to soften, add a tablespoon or two of sugar or honey (to taste) and a splash of orange juice (optional)

Fruit

We usually use strawberries but any fruit or a combination of fruits would work.  If the fruit is not naturally sweet a tablespoon of sugar can be added and allowed to stand a few minutes to increase sweetness.

Whipped cream

I usually whip heavy cream adding a teaspoon or two of sugar and a splash of vanilla when it is almost stiff peaks.

To assemble

Lay a cooked crepe on a plate and top with a heaping spoonful of the sweetened cheese mixture. Fold or roll the crepe and top with fruit and whipped cream.

individual souffles

Souffles are something that we have often eaten, both as a brunch or as a light supper.  My first souffle was a plain souffle and that remains our family favorite today.  This is not a classic souffle that is runny in the center as we prefer our souffle more well done   This is our version. Sometimes we make it in a large souffle dish but today I made individual souffles.  It is the same recipe just more dishes to butter. 

A souffle is basically a white sauce made with butter, flour and milk to which eggs are added.  The eggs are separated and the yolks are beaten until they are pale colored and added to the white sauce.  Then the egg whites are beaten until stiff peaks form and added to the white sauce/yolk mixture.  The souffle dishes are prepared by buttering the bottoms and the sides and the egg mixture is placed in the dishes.  When I am doing individual souffles I place the dishes on a baking sheet so that all can be put in the oven and removed from the oven at the same time.  

Individual souffles

1/4 cup butter 

1/4 cup flour

1 cup milk

5 egg yolks

5 egg whites

Melt butter in saucepan over medium heat.  When melted stir in the flour.  Gradually add the milk, stirring constantly until a thick white sauce forms.  Remove from heat and allow to partially cool.  Both the egg yolks and egg whites need to be beaten separately, the yolks until they are pale and the whites until stiff peaks form.  I usually beat the egg yolks in my food processor and the egg whites in my stand mixer.  If you only want to use one appliance you will need to beat the yolks first and then wash the beater and bowl before beating the whites or beat the whites first and transfer them to a different bowl and then you can beat the yolks.  It is not necessary to wash the beater and bowl when doing the yolks after the whites.

Add the beaten yolks to the white sauce and gently mix.  Add a portion of the whites to the yolk/white sauce mixture to lighten up the mix and then fold in the remaining beaten egg whites taking care not to deflate the mixture.  Spoon the egg mixture into a well buttered souffle dish or dishes.  Bake at 400° for 30 minutes. 

The souffle should be baked just prior to serving and care should be taken when serving as the ceramic dishes will remain hot for a while.  We use a set of tongs to lift each dish to a plate and eat from the dish but I imagine that the souffle could be scooped out of the dish onto a plate to prevent little fingers from touching the hot dish.