Saturday 29 September 2012

Belgium Fiasco!

This is my 300th blog post (I didn't know I had so many recipes to share!) and I thought it would be a great time to let you have a laugh with me. Are you ready? 

I am calm, cool, and collected when I cook in my own kitchen. I know where all my ingredients are, I keep my shelves well organized, and I'm at home there. But throw me into another kitchen and I'm thrown off balance. 

When I was visiting my family earlier this month, I brought a deep dish Belgian waffle maker with me as a gift. I know you shouldn't give appliances as gifts, but my mom had told me about yeasty, airy, delicious Belgian waffles that she'd been indulging in at her favourite restaurant and I thought she'd love the chance to make them at home. 

I was right about that, but I should have let her make them because what I made was one of the worst things I've ever put in my mouth. It wasn't that I can't make waffles. I really can! It was more that I wasn't used to my mom's kitchen and especially because all the ingredients in her cupboards aren't labeled... 

I pulled out a large jar of white granules, thinking it was sugar, but I managed to add a half cup of salt to the recipe instead! I just thank my lucky stars that I caught my mistake right before that batch of waffles made it to the table! I can't even imagine my mom's face after her first big bite of eating them...

As it turned out, the salty batch was made from a flawed recipe. The batter was way too thick, so we tried again and made another batch with a new recipe- a true Belgian waffle, complete with a light interior. A batch made with a little sugar and without a half cup of salt!

Belgian Waffles (the good recipe!) - serves 4

1 1/2 cups milk, warm
1 1/2 cups butter, melted
3 tablespoons sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs, white and yolk separated
2 cups flour, all purpose or whole wheat
1 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast

1. In a large bowl, beat whites until they form soft peaks. Add the sugar and continue to beat until glossy peaks form.

2. In another large bowl, combine all remaining ingredients. Gently fold in the glossy egg whites. Cover with plastic wrap and let the batter rest for an hour, the mixture will expand in size and begin to bubble so make sure there is space in your bowl.

3. Preheat your waffle iron and spray with non stick cooking spray. Pour 1/2 cup or so of the batter into the centre of the iron and bake until the waffle is golden brown, about 6 minutes. Each waffle iron is different so use your iron's instructions for the amount of batter and baking time.

4. Serve immediately or keep warm in a 200 degree oven. Serve with maple syrup, berries, or whatever else you desire.

Have you ever used salt instead of sugar or made a similar mistake while cooking?

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