Stacey - The best of waffles and pancakes: a cookbook

Thousands of years have passed since man first learned that adding water to crushed grain and heating the mixture on a flat surface would produce a delicious breadlike food. With the discovery of leavening and honey and other sweeteners, the pancakes place in almost every cultures cuisine was assured. In China, the pancakes are rolled thin by hand, steamed, stuffed with meat or vegetables, and folded for serving. In Japan, they are studded with chopped oysters and served with a hot chile dipping sauce. South Africa and Bulgaria both have pumpkin pancakes; Finland boasts a baked version with shredded carrots, eggs, and cream. The potato pancake is truly international: In Ireland it is the boxty, in France the pachade, in Switzerland the resti, in Eastern Europe the latke.

With the availability of a wide variety of grains, flours, and dairy products and year-round fresh fruits and vegetables, we need not be limited when it comes to creating waffles and pancakes. Once considered only breakfast fare, they can now be served at any time of day as snacks, side dishes, main courses, and desserts. The recipes that follow offer all the classic dishes and some surprising new inventions as well. By all means treasure those blueberry pancakes you loved as a child, but do try a tiny potato pancake with a dollop of sour cream as an hors doeuvre or herbed waffles with chicken salad for your next luncheon. At dinner, replace the usual side dish of rice with a wild rice pancake, ginger and carrot skillet pancake, or a chunky sweet corn cake. Onion cheddar waffles and curried corn waffles are great for a snack and are perfect as sandwich material. And ultrathin crpes, surprisingly easy to make, provide a light and interesting wrapping for all kinds of fillings, both sweet and savory.

For lovers of sweets, pancakes and waffles are endlessly versatile. Spread with butter and sprinkled with sugar or drizzled with honey and cinnamon, plain crpes, pear-almond waffles, or honey-hazelnut pancakes deliciously complement coffee any time of the day. A more luxuriant fare of mocha waffles, chocolate crpes, or panettone pancakes will make a perfect finale to even the most formal dinner party.

Many of us treasure childhood memories of waking to the warm, yeasty smell of pancakes on Sunday morning, or marveling at perfectly patterned squares of waffles on our dinner plate. My hope is that the recipes in this book will inspire you to re-create those wonderful moments any time the spirit moves you.

Jane Stacey

NOTE: All of the following recipes were tested with unsalted butter, large eggs, heavy cream, whole milk, sugar, and honey. If necessary they can be modified easily for dietary considerations. Low-fat or skim milk can be substituted for whole milk, half-and-half, or sour cream, and toppings made of heavy cream or sour cream can be replaced with low-fat sour cream or nonfat yogurt. In many cases, especially with waffles, egg yolks can be omitted, since the whipped egg whites will keep the waffle light and the lower fat content will keep it crisp. The melted butter called for by most of the recipes can be replaced by melted margarine or vegetable oil and can be reduced to one tablespoon.

If you want to accommodate a crowd, try serving these with a choice of toppings such as sliced fruit, jam, chopped nuts, or flavored yogurt.

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup whole-wheat flour

cup packed light brown sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

teaspoon cinnamon

teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

teaspoon salt

1 cups buttermilk

2 large eggs, separated, at room temperature

cup (I stick) butter, melted

2 tablespoons honey

Butter & maple syrup, for topping

Preheat the oven to 200F. Preheat a waffle iron. In a medium-size bowl, combine both flours, brown sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.

In another medium-size bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, egg yolks, butter, and honey. Pour this mixture into the dry ingredients, stirring with a few quick strokes to form a lumpy batter.

In a small bowl, using an electric mixer set at high, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Using a rubber spatula, gently and thoroughly fold the egg whites into the batter.

Lightly grease or spray the grids of the waffle iron. Follow the manufacturers instructions, or spoon about cup batter (amount varies with size of iron) onto the hot iron and spread it almost to the corners of the grids. Close the lid and bake for 1 to 2 minutes, or until the waffles are golden brown, their edges look dry, and they do not stick to the grids. Transfer the waffles to the oven, placing them directly on the rack so they will stay crisp. Repeat with the remaining batter.

Transfer the waffles to warmed serving plates and top each serving with butter and syrup. Makes 8 to 10 waffles.

Yellow cornmeal not only gives these waffles a sweet taste and crunchy texture but also makes them sturdy enough for freezing and reheating. Individually wrap cooled waffles in plastic wrap and freeze for up to 1 month. Reheat unwrapped waffles in a toaster or conventional oven.

Fresh Peach Topping:

3 ripe medium peaches, peeled, pitted & sliced

2 tablespoons honey

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

Cornmeal Waffles:

1 cup yellow cornmeal

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

teaspoon baking powder

teaspoon baking soda

1 cup buttermilk

3 large eggs, separated, at room temperature

3 tablespoons butter, melted

Confectioners sugar, for dusting

Thin strips lemon zest, for decoration (optional)

Prepare the topping: In a medium-size bowl, combine all of the ingredients for the topping. Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes, or until ready to serve.

Prepare the waffles: Preheat the oven to 200F. Preheat a waffle iron. In a medium-size bowl, combine the cornmeal, flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, and baking soda.

In a small bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, egg yolks, and butter. Pour this mixture into the dry ingredients, stirring with a few quick strokes to form a lumpy batter.

In a medium-size bowl, using an electric mixer set at high, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Using a rubber spatula, gently and thoroughly fold the egg whites into the batter.

Lightly grease or spray the grids of the waffle iron. Follow the manufacturers instructions, or spoon about cup batter (amount varies with size of iron) onto the hot iron and spread it almost to the corners of the grids. Close the lid and bake for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the waffles are golden brown, their edges look dry, and they do not stick to the grids. Transfer the baked waffles to the oven, placing them directly on the rack so they will stay crisp. Repeat with the remaining batter.

Transfer the waffles to warmed serving plates and top each serving with the peaches. Dust with confectioners sugar and decorate with lemon zest, if desired. Makes 6 to 8 waffles.

Theres plenty of lemon flavor in these slightly sweet, cakelike waffles. Their pale yellow color contrasts beautifully with the deep purple blackberries. Fresh berries are best, but frozen or canned can be substituted. Set out additional lemon-flavored yogurt or unsweetened whipped cream to serve with the waffles.