Waffles (German style)

At breakfast this morning, I realized that I don't have my waffles recipe here. We use this one all the time and got it from the elementary school that my kids attended. Once a month they had "Waffeltag" (waffle day). Us parents donated the batter and our time to make the waffles and then they were sold to the children for 50 cents. Your typical PTA fund raiser (although here the teachers are not involved in a PTA). My kids are long out of elementary school but we still use the same recipe. I have not yet found a better one. If you want to eat the waffles with curry leave out the sugar.

Preparation time: 35 minutes ; makes 8/12/16

Ingredients:

125/187.5/250 g	Butter - melted (works with margarine too, just does not taste as good)
50/75/100 g	Sugar
250/375/500 g	Flour
1/1/2 pkt.	Vanilla sugar (substitute with any type of vanilla flavouring)
3M/4L/6M	Eggs (M-medium; L-large), lightly beaten
1 pinch	Salt
1.5/2.25/3 tsp.	Baking powder
0.25/0.375/0.5 l	Milk (can substitute with soya milk)

Method:
This is super easy if you have a blender. You just put all the ingredients in the blender and pulse it until it everything is just combined.

Prepare some fruit to have with your waffles

My blender broke a couple of years back (so don't ask me why I still have it in my kitchen cupboard!) so I make my batter by hand.

The butter I melt in the microwave. This way the butter does not get over heated. If it gets overheated it has a tendency to cook the eggs, which is bad. So chop up the butter and microwave it for around 30 seconds. Then take it out and stir it. If it's not all liquid put it back in for another 15-20 seconds. Keep repeating until the butter is liquid.

Then put the sugar, flour, vanilla, salt and baking powder in a large bowl and mix briefly. Make a well in the middle and add the melted butter. Work the flour into the butter by stirring and slowly incorporating the flour from the edge of the well. Once you have a thick paste add the eggs and keep going. If you notice that it gets lumpy just mix more vigorously. Finally add the milk about 100 ml at a time, working it into the dough. You should end up with a non-lumpy batter.

Heat up your waffle iron and follow the irons instructions.

My waffle iron

When your waffles come out of the iron put them on a wire mesh. They will cool quicker but will not turn soggy. Its the same philosophy as with a toast rack.

Waffles on a sunny Saturday in Bochum!

The typical way to eat waffles in Germany is with icing sugar,

but we also like nutella with fruit and whipped cream.