Buttermilk Waffles

Oh waffles, how I have missed you. My waffle iron went missing at some point over the last few years. A couple of weeks ago, I bought a new one on sale at the Williams-Sonoma outlet. I also got a pizza stone for $8 and a cute apron for $7. It was one of those rare occasions where the sales really were as good as I had hoped. So, I did my patriotic duty and shopped. I made waffles last weekend, and they were good but not great. This weekend I added buttermilk and some spices and they were perfect. Waffles seem to be easier to adapt to whole grain than pancakes, and I made these with almost all whole wheat flour. My mother-in-law adds a bit of almond extract to whole grain baked goods. It often isn’t noticeable but it takes the edge off the bitterness of whole wheat flour. I used a recipe from Alton Brown and noted the additions below in parentheses.

Basic Waffle Recipe
Alton Brown from FoodNetwork

Ingredients
4 3/4 ounces all-purpose flour, approximately 1 cup (I used 1 ¾ cups white whole wheat and ¼ all purpose flour)
4 3/4 ounces whole-wheat flour, approximately 1 cup
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons sugar
(1 teaspoons cinnamon)
(½ teaspoons nutmeg)
(1 teaspoon vanilla)
(1/2 teaspoon of almond extract)
3 whole eggs, beaten
2 ounces unsalted butter, melted (I only used one ounce)
16 ounces buttermilk, room temperature

Preheat waffle iron according to manufacturer’s directions.
In a medium bowl whisk together the flours, soda, baking powder, salt, and sugar. In another bowl beat together eggs and melted butter, and then add the buttermilk. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir until combined. Allow to rest for 5 minutes.
Ladle the recommended amount of waffle batter onto the iron according to the manufacturer’s recommendations. Close iron top and cook until the waffle is golden on both sides and is easily removed from iron. Serve immediately or keep warm in a 200 degree F oven until ready to serve.