.belgian waffles

a great weekend breakfast tastes best after a morning of sleeping in. probably much like your own home, that is a rare occasion at ours. however, these hearty belgian waffles are sure to satisfy the well-rested and groggy alike. i used emeril lagasses' recipe with a few tweaks of my own.

the unique and fluffy component of this recipe has to be the cake flour. other waffles i've made in the past have used regular flour, but the introduction of cake flour is what i think adds the belgian to this waffle. i made that up but it sounds good.

one process that makes this waffle stand out is how you treat your eggs. you've got to beat them to death with the sugar util it becomes a pale yellow. i'm not sure about the chemistry of why this is pivotal, but it does work.

add a little more of this and a little more of that from the recipe below and you've got yourself an excellent waffle batter to pour on your hot waffle iron.

now, what you do with the batter from here is where your creativity is in control. i added pecans to my waffles because my husband and i are a little nutty. throw your extras into your batter before it cooks so that it is an actual part of the waffle. i also sifted some confectionery sugar on top for a lacing of added sweetness.

in the spirit of halloween, add some orange m and m's or reese's pieces. get creative with a spider web of syrup on top or some fun halloween sprinkles.

no matter how you do it up, this will be a scrumptious and filling weekend breakfast.

belgian waffles
adapted from emeril lagasse
Ingredients
2 cups cake flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 large eggs, separated
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 cups milk
non-stick cooking spray

Directions
Preheat the waffle iron according to the manufacturer's instructions. In 1 medium bowl sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. In a second bowl use the wooden spoon to beat together the egg yolks and sugar until sugar is completely dissolved and eggs have turned a pale yellow. Add the vanilla extract, melted butter, and milk to the eggs and whisk to combine. Combine the egg-milk mixture with the flour mixture and whisk just until blended. Do not over mix. In third bowl, beat the egg whites with an electric mixer until soft peaks form, about 1 minute. Using the rubber spatula, gently fold the egg whites into the waffle batter. Do not overmix! Coat the waffle iron with non-stick cooking spray and pour enough batter in iron to just cover waffle grid. Close and cook as per manufacturer's instructions until golden brown, about 2 to 3 minutes. Serve immediately.