Cornmeal Waffles

My favorite meal of the day is breakfast. Don't forget what they say about its importance, either. But I hate going out for breakfast, because I know how easy it is to make and it kills me to pay $9 for a waffle with some strawberries on top, when I know I can make one at home for less than one-tenth of that price.

Yes, waffles are among my preferred breakfast dishes, and thanks to my friends at Bisquick, I can typically whip up a batch in under a minute, using just a few ingredients that we always have on hand, and feed a horde of hungry teenagers, or just fix myself a filling meal with plenty left over for the next day.

I used to be a butter and syrup guy, but then I discovered peanut butter and everything changed in an instant. The way it spreads made it a vast improvement over butter that, when cold, often left chunks melting in some of the waffle wells, while elsewhere, the waffle stayed warm and dry. When peanut butter melts into the waffle, there is a confluence of textures and flavors that shouldn't be missed. Then I regressed back into my childhood and discovered jam to go with my peanut butter and it was over. The classic PB&J waffle has been a staple of mine for years, and only recently has it been challenged by the PB& chocolate syrup combination that makes me think I'm eating a Reese's Peanut Butter Waffle.

But enough about my waffle fetishes. Today I tried a Cornmeal Waffle recipe I also pulled out of the USA Weekend a few years back. It was from a Labor Day issue on brunches, and what appealed most to me was the inclusion of cornmeal. I love the flavor and texture of cornmeal, from muffins, to polenta, to just sitting there licking the batter out of the bowl. So this seemed like the perfect combination for me. I was wrong.

The first problem was the list of ingredients. Any time it takes more than 10 ingredients to make a dish, I get nervous. I'm not that great a cook, and I start to lose interest after about 5-6 ingredients. Luckily, we had everything on hand (well, with one small exception), but even so, I was little put off by the list. The one ingredient we didn't have was buttermilk (does anyone actually keep buttermilk on hand anymore?) But I remembered that you can make a fake buttermilk using regular milk and vinegar, so I forged onward. The next problem was the complexity of the recipe. Remember, I'm an inexperienced cook. The last thing I want to be is an inexperienced angry cook. But that is just what I became.

The recipe has to be made in three parts: dry ingredients mixed together (no problem), wet ingredients mixed separately (not a huge problem, but the buttermilk went in there, and there was the small issue of separating the egg yolks. Again, not a big deal, but whisking the yolks into the wet mixture started to test my patience), and finally, egg whites, whipped into a frenzy of soft peaks, to be joined by sugar. Whoa - are we making meringue now? The thing is, to do that would require me to either pull out my Kitchenaid mixer (for two egg whites?), or find the hand mixer, track down the blades that are stored somewhere in a drawer, and put it all together, only to take it apart minutes later and clean it all. Really? For two egg whites? So I compromised. I used a whisk and whipped those egg whites with as much anger as I could muster (without spilling the eggs out of the bowl they were in). They sort of got peak-y.

So finally, we mix everything together and it looks like....waffle batter. I made my first waffle, waited for it to cook (thankfully, waffles cook very quickly), pulled it out, put on my PB&J and took my first bite. The verdict? It tasted like a waffle. Good, not great. Not bad, just a waffle. For the amount of work it took, not to mention the anger it elicited from me, I wsa expecting a waffle worth writing stories about. This wasn't it.

So in the end, it was an ok waffle. I can do just as well in 3 minutes or less with 3 ingredients or less straight from the box. I will say that this waffle was noticeably heartier than my usual. Two of them completely filled me up, where typically I'm into 3 or 4 before I start to slow down. And the recipe makes a good amount, so there is plenty for the kids tomorrow. But in the end, if it's not fast, not easy, and if it angers me to make it, it's not going to make the cut.

Verdict: Miss

Score:

Hits - 1

Misses - 2