Birthday Belgian Waffles

This is our favorite waffle recipe (found here almost randomly several years ago)- it usually shows up on birthdays topped with whipped cream, strawberries, and maple syrup. The trick is the rise time, it needs 60 minutes which translates pretty cleanly to make it before and then cook it after farm chores in the morning.

The above pic is from the Interweb, not ours, but the banana slices and powdered sugar are a nice fancy touch. We love these and we talked it over and this is just a little more intensive than normal waffles - just that rise time.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups water, blood-warm
• 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast (one packet)
• 3 cups sifted flour
• 3 large eggs (separate 3 yolks and 1 egg white)
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 8 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 2 tsp vegetable oil
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups whole milk

Steps

1. Dissolve the yeast in the water (I like a 4 cup measure) and let stand for 10 minutes.
2. Melt the butter in a small pot.
3. Sift the flour and salt in a large bowl; stir to blend and reserve.
4. To the yeast-y mixture, add the 3 egg yolks, one of the egg whites, and sugar.
5. Add the milk, melted butter, oil, and vanilla to the liquid. Stir until the mixture is smooth.
6. Add the liquid mixture into the flour mixture and beat until the mixture is smooth.
7. Beat the 2 separated egg whites until stiff peaks form.
8. Fold the egg whites gently into the batter.
9. Let the batter stand for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes.
10. Preheat the waffle maker; the light will turn off when preheated.
11. Add 1 cup of batter - it looks like too much and it seems too runny to me, but it makes a nice full, fluffy waffle.
12. For best results, do not open the waffle maker and peek - the light goes out when it is done, early views will cause it flop more (and we like 'em tall and fluffy).

Makes about 8 waffles. We can eat 1 each topped with whipped cream, berries, and syrup. Maybe more if you were really really hungry. Like after farm chores.