Blueberry Waffles

Are you allowed to get homesick when you are a 21-year-old senior in college?

Because these waffles really make me miss my dad.

I would give anything to be seven years old again, watching Tom & Jerry in my pjs on a cold Saturday morning in the fall, while my tall, lanky dad, still in his bathrobe and armed with a whisk, cooked up stacks of steaming waffles.

He used the same pancake and waffle mix throughout my entire childhood – from a local place called New Hope Mills. We always used to argue over syrup: I wanted the sticky sweet fake-o Log Cabin stuff, and he insisted on, you know, high-quality real syrup from upstate New York. Let’s just say breakfast was always a big hit at the Lane house sleepovers.

Unfortunately, my dad didn’t make me these waffles, although it was a cold October Saturday morning and I did watch cartoons. I made them from scratch, which I had never done before. Don’t let the whipped egg whites scare you away. The easiest way to separate an egg is to gently crack it in half and transfer the yolk back and forth, letting the white part siphon off into a bowl. Then use an electric hand mixer to whip those eggs whites until they become stiff and fluffy. It’s totally worth it!

I did use some frozen blueberries that my dad gave me at the end of the summer, which were a pain to clean out of the waffle maker (Oops, I don’t think I ever did finish that… sorry housemates).

I have to say though, these were some seriously good waffles – fluffy and light. I hate dry waffles, and these were moist and perfectly sweet. If I could make one change, I would have used buttermilk instead of regular milk, but I didn’t have any on hand. Although I don’t think buttermilk changes the consistency too much, it gives them a nice tangy taste that would have been great with the berries

Oh, and I think my dad would be proud: I bought some local REAL maple syrup from the Saratoga Farmer’s Market and heated it up in a glass measuring cup just like he always did. Thanks for teaching me how to do breakfast right!

Blueberry Waffles
Adapted from Average Betty

Makes 10-12 waffles

Ingredients:
1 3/4 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 cups milk
2 beaten egg yolks
1/2 cup canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 egg whites whipped till stiff
1.5 – 2 cups blue berries, rinsed

Directions:
Set waffle iron to heat. Mix together flower, baking powder, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Add in milk, egg yolks, oil, and vanilla and stir until just combined. Batter will be lumpy – don’t over mix. Stir in blueberries gently. Fold in whipped egg whites until incorporated (batter will still be very lumpy).

Cook in waffle iron according to maker’s instructions. Enjoy with maple syrup (I’ll let you choose what kind) and enjoy on a Saturday morning with people you love!

Printed in SkidNews on 11/5/2010