In this article:
Recipe: Light, crisp waffles
4 Waffle variations
Syrup with substance
Online extra: More ways to top a waffle

Finally, a crisp waffle

Don't settle for limp and leathery.

I tested 50 batches of batter in search of the perfect recipe. I've owned a waffle iron for years and use it regularly, yet I had never made -- nor been served -- a waffle I thought was what it should be. Waffles are supposed to be light, airy and, most of all, crisp. But by the time they got to my plate, they were usually limp and leathery.

Trying to serve them to company was worse: Everybody was served a decent waffle, one at a time, or everybody ate bad waffles together.

My goal was to make a waffle that was light and crisp to the last bite, even when coated with syrup. It took a while, but I've developed the ideal waffle.

Hundreds of waffles later, I can tell you to ...

Substitute cornstarch for part of the flour. Moist steam causes the average flour-based waffle to soften as it cools. Add cornstarch to the mix, however, and you increase the waffle's ability to hold moisture. As a cornstarch-enhanced waffle cools, moisture does not escape as quickly as if it had been made with just flour, and therefore the waffle stays crisper longer.

Separate the egg and whip the white. Waffles made with whipped egg whites are not only lighter and more airy, but also taller and more tender. Plus, they brown better.

Add sugar to the egg white rather than to the other dry ingredients. Beating in sugar softens and stabilizes the egg white, making it much easier to fold into the batter and improving the batter's longevity.

Add a generous amount of vegetable oil to the batter. A thin batter generally produces a crisper waffle. So a liquid fat, such as vegetable oil, makes a crisper waffle than one with solid butter or shortening. Don't skimp on the oil: Waffles made with relatively high amounts of oil are crisper.

Use a mixture of buttermilk and milk rather than just one or the other. Buttermilk waffles are more flavorful, but the batter is thick and the waffles are less crisp. Waffles made with milk, on the other hand, are more crisp, but less flavorful. A combination offers the best of both: milk for crisp texture, buttermilk for full flavor.

Add a touch of vanilla. Vanilla extract improves the flavor so dramatically that I often eat my waffles without butter or syrup.

Set the cooked waffles on the rack of a preheated 200-degree oven for at least 5 minutes before serving. The warm oven accomplishes two things: You can make all the waffles before serving, so everyone can eat at the same time. And the low heat beautifully reinforces the waffles' crispness. Do not stack the waffles: They'll turn moist and limp within seconds. If you forget and stack them anyway, don't worry. Just separate them and place them in a single layer again. They'll crisp right back up.

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Light, Crisp Waffles

Prep time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: About 15 minutes (depends on waffle iron)

3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
3/4 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup milk
6 Tbs. vegetable oil
1 egg, separated
1 Tb. sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Heat oven to 200 degrees. Mix flour, cornstarch, salt, baking powder and baking soda in a medium bowl. Measure buttermilk, milk and vegetable oil in a 2-cup measuring cup; mix in yolk and set aside.

Beat egg white in a small bowl with an electric hand mixer to almost soft peaks. Sprinkle in sugar and continue to beat until white and glossy. Beat in vanilla extract.

Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and whisk until just mixed. Add egg white to batter in dollops. Fold in with a spatula until just incorporated.

Add batter (for my waffle iron, a generous 1/2 cup) to hot waffle iron, and cook until crisp and nutty brown. Set waffle directly on rack in preheated oven to keep it warm and crisp, at least 5 and up to 20 minutes. Repeat with remaining batter. Serve immediately with syrup.

Makes 4 or 5 waffles (7-inch). Recipe can easily be doubled or tripled.
Per waffle: 285 calories, 5g protein, 25g carbohydrates, 0g fiber, 18g fat (3g saturated), 400mg sodium.

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For added flavor and texture:
4 variations on Light, Crisp Waffles

Chocolate Chip Waffles. Stir 1/2 cup coarsely chopped chocolate chips (or 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips) into the batter.
Wheat-Flavored Waffles. Add 1/4 cup wheat germ to the dry ingredients.
Cornmeal Waffles. Instead of 3/4 cup flour, use 1/2 cup flour plus 1/2 cup cornmeal (white or yellow).
Cranberry-Orange Waffles. Stir 2 tsps. finely grated orange zest and 1/2 cup coarsely chopped dried cranberries into the batter.

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Syrup: It's about texture as much as flavor

Finding the right syrup has always been a problem for me. I like the thick texture of most commercial pancake syrups, but not the artificial flavor. I like the flavor of real maple syrup, but not the thin-as-water texture. During my waffle tests, I found two syrups I like: one bought, one homemade. If you just want to pick up a bottle and pour, Karo makes a wonderful pancake syrup that boasts it's "twice as thick as other national brands," without that noticeably artificial flavor.

If you have a little extra time -- just a few minutes -- you can make your own thick syrup. In her 1986 cookbook Heritage of Southern Cooking, Camille Glenn offers a recipe I love and have adapted here.

Brown Sugar Syrup With Walnuts

1 cup brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup light corn syrup
2 cups water
3 Tbs. unsalted butter
1/4 cup chopped walnuts, toasted (optional)

Bring sugars, corn syrup and water to boil in a saucepan. Reduce heat; simmer until thickened, 10-12 minutes. Stir in butter and nuts. Cool slightly; serve. (Can be refrigerated up to 1 month, covered.)

Makes a scant 2 cups.

Per 1/4 cup: 267 calories, 0g protein, 0g fiber, 4g fat (2g saturated), 59g carbohydrates, 24mg sodium.

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More ways to top a waffle

When I think waffles, breakfast automatically comes to mind. But these sturdy, crisp batter breads make wonderful bases for main courses and desserts as well.

Here are few ideas to get you going:

Simple Creamed Chicken with Parsley and Sherry over Crisp Waffles: Make a simple creamed chicken by heating 3 Tbs. of butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Wisk in flour until mixture turns golden and starts to smell nutty, about 1 minute longer. Add 2 cups of hot chicken broth, 1 1/2 cups of hot milk and 3 Tbs. dry sherry; whisk until sauce starts to bubble and thicken. Stir in the meat from one rotisserie chicken (about 4 cups meat once skin and bones are removed), 3 Tbs. minced parsley and salt and pepper to taste. Serve over Light, Crisp Waffles.

Chili-Topped Cornmeal Waffles with Sour Cream and Scallions: Top Cornmeal Waffles with your favorite chili, spoon a dollop of sour cream over the chili, and sprinkle with scallions.

Wheat-Flavored Waffles with Honey, Yogurt and Toasted Pecans: Top Wheat-Flavored Waffles, with vanilla yogurt, toasted pecans, and drizzle with honey.

Chocolate Chip Waffle Sundaes: Top Chocolate Chip Waffles with your favorite compatible ice cream. (Ben & Jerry's Cherry Garcia comes to my mind.) Drizzle with chocolate sauce and any other sundae topping you desire.

Banana Sundae on a Waffle with Caramel Sauce and Toasted Pecans: Top Light, Crisp Waffles with vanilla ice cream. Slice bananas over the ice cream. Drizzle with caramel sauce and sprinkle with toasted pecans.

Strawberries and Cream on a Crisp Waffle: Top Light, Crisp Waffles with strawberries that have been quartered and tossed with sugar (2 Tbs. sugar for each pint of strawberries). Spoon a dollop of lightly sweetened whipped cream (1 Tb. sugar for each cup of cream) over the strawberries.