IN THE KITCHEN : Gridiron Heroes

There’s a new gadget in my kitchen and that means I’m obsessing again.

It happens every time I buy a new toy, er, tool. When I got my first food processor, we ate purees at every meal. After buying a pasta maker, we practically lived on noodles as I single-mindedly worked to see just how quickly I could make homemade fettuccine.

Now it’s a waffle maker--and breakfasts have been, well, interesting. This time my quest was nothing less than the perfect waffle.

Making waffles from scratch always seemed like a lot of trouble. You must: A) Sift the dry ingredients; B) Combine the wet ingredients, and C) Beat the egg whites to stiff peaks.

That seems like a lot to do before you’ve had your morning coffee, but after a couple of tries, I found the batter could be put together in less than five minutes. And that includes beating the egg whites by hand (it takes far less time than getting out the electric mixer, searching for the beaters and washing up afterward). To save even more time, try preparing multi-recipe batches of the dry ingredients and keeping them refrigerated in an airtight bag until you’re ready to measure them out.

*

My first experiments were limited to trying recipes from various cookbooks. The main thing I learned was that most basic waffle recipes are pretty much the same. The only real difference I found is in “Joy of Cooking,” which uses cake flour rather than all-purpose, which makes them softer inside.

Then it occurred to me that, since waffle batter is almost identical to that used for crepes and other pancakes, I could add a little cornmeal--one of my favorite things to do with those others because it gives a nice crackly crunch. I liked the way that worked, but it was just a bit out of tune. So I started playing in earnest.

Ground zero was the standard waffle recipe from an old “Fannie Farmer,” based on milk and melted butter. It makes a waffle that is dark brown and very crisp but hard and dry inside, almost like a thick cracker.

Then I tried using sour cream. The lactic acid in sour cream (as well as in yogurt and buttermilk and other “sour” milk products) breaks up the protein in flour, hindering the formation of gluten and creating a more tender product. Of course, when one of these is used, you must also add a bit of baking soda--about 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon per cup of liquid is enough--to aid leavening.

*

The sour cream batter was paler and denser, and the waffle was crisp on the outside and very tender inside with a slightly tangy flavor. But it still wasn’t quite right. Because sour cream is so thick, I ended up having to add much more of it to the batter to get a pourable mixture. Combine that with its very high acidity, and the waffle’s interior wound up being so moist and tender that it seemed almost underdone.

Next I tried buttermilk, which has less acidity and is more liquid-y (meaning I could add less to the batter). Finally, I had the texture I wanted--crisp on the outside with a firm yet cake-y inside. But the flavor was a little short.

So I compromised, adding a bit of sour cream to the buttermilk. The texture was almost as perfect as the plain buttermilk, and the tang of the sour cream accented the fresh buttery taste. But the cornmeal still wasn’t quite the way I wanted it.

Maybe a softer texture would make the cornmeal crunch stand out more. Remembering the “Joy of Cooking” waffles based on cake flour, I tried that and it proved to be the turning point. Finally I had what I was looking for: a waffle with the texture of a crisp-crusted souffle, with a bit of a cornmeal crunch and a nice buttery tang.

*

In the process, I also learned one more thing: Waffles freeze well. Let them cool, lay them on a baking sheet and stick them in the freezer. When they are completely frozen, stick them in a plastic freezer bag. They’ll reheat in the toaster or in a 350-degree oven.

*

What to do with the perfect waffle? Butter and maple syrup is the obvious answer, but I also like to use it as a base for something like this lovely vanilla- and spice-scented compote of dried fruits. It’s important to not let waffles set, as they lose their crispness really quickly.

CORNMEAL WAFFLES WITH WINTER FRUIT COMPOTE

Winter Fruit Compote

3/4 cup cake flour

1/4 cup cornmeal

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 eggs, separated

1 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup sour cream

Prepare Winter Fruit Compote and set aside to cool.

Sift together flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl. In medium bowl, stir together egg yolks, buttermilk and sour cream. Beat egg whites in third bowl until stiff peaks form. Quickly combine egg yolk-sour cream mixture and dry ingredients, stirring just until batter takes on pebbly texture. Fold in egg whites.

Pour batter in waffle iron and bake according to manufacturer directions. Serve immediately, topped with 1/4 cup Winter Fruit Compote. Makes 6 waffles.

Each serving, with Winter Fruit Compote, contains about:

415 calories; 317 mg sodium; 81 mg cholesterol; 7 grams fat; 86 grams carbohydrates; 7 grams protein; 1.28 grams fiber.

Winter Fruit Compote

2 cups water

1 cup sugar

1 (3-inch) section vanilla bean

2 whole cloves

1 cup dried apricots

1 cup pitted prunes

1/2 cup dried sour cherries, optional

Bring water and sugar to boil in medium saucepan. Split vanilla bean lengthwise and, using tip of small sharp knife, scrape seeds into saucepan. Add bean husk and cloves to saucepan and continue cooking 5 minutes.

Reduce heat to low and add apricots, prunes and cherries. Cook at bare simmer just until fruit plumps and softens, about 10 to 15 minutes. Remove vanilla bean husk before serving. Leftovers can be stored, covered and refrigerated. Makes 3 cups.

Each 1/2-cup serving contains about:

251 calories; 4 mg sodium; 0 cholesterol; 0 fat; 65 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams protein; 1.22 grams fiber.