COLUMN: Waffles and peaches: A match made in the kitchen
Everybody loves waffles, right? Especially now that the mornings are starting to get a little bit chillier. But let’s face it, as college students it’s hard to find time for breakfast, let alone homemade waffles and syrup.
That’s the great thing about this recipe. One Sunday morning when you do have a little extra time, you can make a big batch of this batter, cook up a ton of waffles, and put the ones you don’t eat in the freezer for later. Then on busy school day mornings you can pop one or two in the toaster for a quick and easy breakfast.
These waffles are light and fluffy, and the cornmeal in them gives them a subtle crunch. I recommend serving them with peach maple syrup, especially right now while peaches are at the peak of their season and available at local farmers markets. The waffles are also delicious plain, with bananas or strawberries on them, drizzled with honey, or with peanut butter, maple syrup or both.
Cornmeal Waffles with Peach Maple Syrup
For the Pancakes:
1 cup, plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/3 cup fine yellow cornmeal
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
3/4 cup sour cream
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
For the Peach Maple Syrup:
½ cup pure maple syrup
½ cup packed brown sugar
¼ cup butter
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1 medium-sized, ripe peach, peeled and pit removed
To make the waffles, in a medium bowl whisk together the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking power, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
In a separate bowl, combine the eggs, sour cream, milk, vegetable oil and vanilla, and beat until blended. Note: If you want to make the recipe a little healthier, you can substitute applesauce for some or all of the sour cream or oil.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir together just until they are combined. Be careful not to over mix the batter, because it will result in chewy, dense pancakes with no spring or fluff to them.
Heat your waffle iron to medium and lightly butter it. Make sure you wait until it is fully heated so you don’t have to wait too long for your first waffle to cook and then burn your second waffle. Patience pays off here.
Once the iron is ready, scoop the batter on and cook until the waffles are golden brown. Serve with sliced peaches and peach maple syrup. Note: You can also make pancakes with this batter. Just make the recipe according to the directions and cook the batter on a skillet or frying pan instead.
To make the peach maple syrup, puree the peeled peach — either using a blender or a food processor — until it is completely smooth.
Meanwhile, combine the maple syrup, brown sugar and butter in a saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring often, until the butter melts, the sugar dissolves and the resulting liquid comes to a boil. Boil for two minutes, then stir in the heavy cream and bring the mixture to a boil again.
Remove from the heat, stir in the peach puree and let sit for at least five minutes before stirring. This allows the flavors to blend and the syrup to thicken. Store covered in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.
Note: The best way to freeze these waffles is to lay them out in a single row on a baking sheet and place it in the freezer for 1-2 hours, until the waffles are totally frozen. Then you can just gather up all the waffles and put them in a Ziploc bag together, and store it in the freezer for up to 3 months. You can reheat them in the toaster, microwave or on a baking sheet in the oven at 400 degrees.
– Jennelle Clark is a senior psychology major who runs the online food blog foodislikeart.blogspot.com. She loves making, eating and sharing her food. Comments can be sent to jenn.wilson@aggiemail.usu.edu