I woke up early this morning to drop Kevin off at a friend’s home. He is carpooling with a few friends to Boston for a work trip. When I got home, I was especially craving waffles and have been wanting to make waffles for some time now. Waffles were a breakfast treat I ate a lot of growing up. My parents didn’t actually make waffles from scratch. Instead, they bought the prepared Eggo Homestyle waffles from the store for my brothers and I. On Saturday mornings, my brothers and I would wake up early, turn on the television to the cartoon channel, pop a few pieces of Eggo waffles into the toaster, and wait impatiently for the waffles to cook while holding a plate, fork, and maple syrup. Three minutes later, when the waffles are fresh out of the toaster, we would drench the waffles in maple syrup. Thirty seconds later, the waffles were gone. A couple years ago, I started experimenting with making waffles using different techniques. One method I learned was to separate the egg yolks from egg whites when preparing waffles. The yolks would get worked into the waffle batter, while the whites would get whipped with a handheld mixer until soft peaks form. The entire waffle batter is then folded into the whipped egg whites before the waffles are cooked in the waffle maker. I found this method to yield golden brown, crispy waffles. I was feeling extra tired this morning after a weekend of cookie decorating and Friendsgiving, so I wanted to incorporate some green tea into my breakfast. I decided to make my own for breakfast. I incorporated some matcha green tea powder and blueberries I had in the refrigerator into the batter for the waffles. The waffles were very quick to whip together. I couldn’t help myself from eating a few pieces in between making the waffles in my waffle maker. Homemade waffles are so easy to make, I no longer need to stock up on premade waffles.
Matcha Green Tea and Blueberry Waffles
· 1 cup all-purpose flour
· 1 tablespoon baking powder
· 2 tablespoons fine sugar
· 1 teaspoon matcha green tea powder
· 2 eggs, whites and yolks separated
· 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
· ¾ cup whole milk
· ½ cup fresh blueberries
· Confectioners’ sugar, for serving
· Maple syrup, for serving
Directions:
1) Preheat a waffle maker on high heat.
2) In a bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, sugar, and green tea powder. Set aside.
3) In a large bowl, add the egg whites. Using a handheld mixer and whisk attachment, whisk the egg whites on medium speed until soft peaks form, about 5 minutes. I checked to make sure the egg whites are ready by flipping the bowl upside down and making sure the egg whites stay put without falling. Set aside.
4) Add the egg yolks and melted butter into the flour mixture. Mix until a batter starts to form. Slowly stream in the milk and continue to mix the batter until a smooth batter form. Add in the fresh blueberries. Fold the batter into the whipped egg whites until just mixed.
5) Using a ½ cup measure, scoop the batter into the waffle maker. Follow the instructions on the waffle maker to make the waffles. I let my waffles cook for about 5-7 minutes in my waffle maker, until the waffles are golden brown and crispy. Serve with a dusting of confectioners’ sugar and maple syrup.
Takeaways: The method of separating the egg whites from the yolks, and whisking the whites until soft peaks form definitely makes a difference in the waffles. I found folding the waffle batter into the whipped egg whites until just mixed, without fully blended the two mixtures together gives the waffles a delightful texture. Green tea pairs very well with fruits. You can pretty much swap in any berries of your choice when making these waffles.