Waffles and maple syrup were not something I was accustomed to having when growing up, however, skinny pancakes with a squeeze of lemon juice and sprinkled with caster sugar were always a treat and Dad was chief pancake maker in our home. There are many variations and flavours of waffle batters, some have different flours mixed together, some with added oil and vegetable shortening, others need the egg white beaten separately and some waffles are made with yeast.
Lighter and crisper on the outside I prefer waffles over pancakes for breakfast. Waffles contain a lot more added fat than pancakes and serving a simple topping like real maple syrup with fresh berries is my preference. Waffles with mascarpone cheese, greek yoghurt, ice cream and chocolate I will keep for desserts.
As I do not own a waffle iron this is where my old electric Tefal grill comes in as a handy substitute. Using the electric grill with its ridged plates does not turn out perfectly shaped waffles with the signature indentations… but I do think these ridged waffles look perfectly acceptable when cut and arranged neatly on a plate. This recipe can easily be doubled for more servings. If you need to keep waffles warm and crisp, place the waffles in a single layer on a wire rack and place them into a pre-heated oven at 200C/400F/180fan/Gas 6 for about five minutes. I think weekends are perfect for leisurely breakfasts and delicious waffles… don’t you?
Waffles on a Grill with Maple Syrup and Blueberries
(serves 3 to 4)
Ingredients:
- 100g all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
- 1 tablespoon caster sugar
- 10g cornflour
- pinch of salt
- 1 egg
- 250ml of fresh laban or buttermilk
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 50g un-salted butter, melted
- vegetable oil, for greasing
for serving
- powdered sugar, for dusting
- real maple syrup
- a handful of fresh blueberries
How to make: Sieve the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, castor sugar, cornflour and salt into a medium bowl. Add the egg, pour in the laban/buttermilk, vanilla and melted butter. Using a whisk, quickly but gently, stir all the ingredients together until combined. The batter may have a few small lumps but that is fine. Leave the batter to rest while heating up the electric grill (close it over) to its hottest setting.
Open the grill and lightly grease the grill plates with some vegetable oil. Using a ladle pour some of the batter over the bottom plate along the middle and towards the edges, do not cover the entire plate as the batter spreads. Once you notice small bubbles forming (a minute to a minute and a half) around the outer edges of the batter and the surface has lost some of its shiny appearance, gently close the grill.
After about a minute, open the grill (be careful of hot steam) a little and check if the waffle is nicely browned and crisp. If not, cook for another 20 to 30 seconds. The waffle should easily come away from the grill plates when done. Lightly grease the grill plates before repeating the process once again or until all the batter has been used. Cut waffles into desired lengths and place onto serving plates. Dust over some powdered sugar and serve immediately with some maple syrup and blueberries.
Food and Tools 
Very beautiful presentation and a lovely way to have waffles!
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