Waffle Debrief

I know Rachel Ray is given to hyperbole, but Waffles of Insane Greatness felt like a dare. Having made them for breakfast yesterday morning I can say one thing: the recipe is insanely easy. The egg whites don’t have to be insanely whipped, the batter doesn’t have to sit for an insanely long time, and you need no insanely hard-to-find flours or meals. And the waffles are good (if not insanely so).

Next time (assuming there is a next time) I’ll use melted butter instead of oil, since I missed the butter flavor. I’ll also add a bit more sugar. And I may cook them a bit longer, since I like mine crisp.

I should add here that a new method needs to be invented for serving waffles. The reason: even the crispiest waffle loses its underside crispness within moments of being laid out on a plate. It’s the steam, you see. It rehydrates the particles that the fat and heat have worked so hard to dry out. What to do? You could let the waffle cool a bit on a toast rack, but then it’s a cold waffle. You could just eat fast, but Sunday brunch is all about leisure.

No, something new is called for. Maybe something like one of those wire loop picture holders that would hold the waffle upright. Or a rack-type deal that would support the waffle from below while still letting some steam escape. But then I suppose you could just go the Dr. Suess route and suspend the waffle from the ceiling by a hook. Granted it would make it harder to get the butter and syrup on, but maybe you could just warm them and put’em in squirt bottles. Everyone sits down to the table wearing plastic tarps. Oh, would my daughter ever love that.