Crunchy Vanilla Waffles

Crispy on the outside, airy on the inside, this recipe for Crunchy Vanilla Waffles is perfect for all your weekend waffle making.

Laughter erupted from the living room, full-bellied and joyous, a harmony of voices. Someone asking what color they were on. A response. More laughter.

Late one Friday night, as my kids and their friends played an aggressive game of Uno, happiness spread through me.

When we moved to Maine, forming new friendships was something I thought a lot about. Would they find new friends who they connected with like the ones they had back in Connecticut? Would making friends be something easy? Or a great challenge? Would they be okay?

So that laughter in the living room meant success. It meant that we’re all okay.

My house will never be pristine. And there will always be something that gets forgotten (most recently: balloons for my daughter’s party). But that’s okay. I forgive myself for the packed boxes, unhung pictures and sometimes messy kitchen counters. That’s not what’s important in our lives.

Encouraging my kids to have, maintain and grow friendships is.

Those moments, like the ones when they played Uno recently, make life special and memorable and joyous. I am so glad that’s how life is here.

I’m glad my kids have good friends who are fun to have sleepovers with.

I’m Makin’ Waffles — Vanilla Waffles

And on the mornings after sleepovers, I’ve taken to breaking out the waffle maker — my Death Star waffle maker, natch — for my favorite waffles. Because sleepovers and waffles? They go together.

This recipe started as an accident — I had extra heavy cream that needed to be used and not enough milk. Toss in a little vanilla extract and extra baking powder … and you have something pretty great.

These are crunchy on the outside and airy on the inside. These Crunchy Vanilla Waffles are firm enough to stand up to all sorts of toppings but satisfying enough not to need tons of toppings. And they’re easy too — always a good thing.

The heavy cream in the batter makes these rich and hefty. A hearty addition of baking powder makes them airy. And brushing the waffle iron with oil makes them crisp delightfully.

But really, the waffles are just a sweet ending to a good time with friends.

Crunchy Vanilla Waffles

Yield: 6 waffles

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

The addition of heavy cream takes this waffle recipe from good to great, creating a fluffy, vanilla scented waffle that is perfect for enjoying on weekend mornings or whenever the mood strikes. 

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Ingredients

• 2 large eggs
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 tbsp baking powder
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt

Instructions

1. Preheat your waffle iron while making the waffle batter. Also preheat the oven to 250 degrees Fahrenheit with a baking sheet on the middle rack.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the eggs on high until they are pale yellow and fluffy -- about 3-4 minutes.
3. Add the flour, milk, oil, baking powder, sugar, vanilla extract and salt to the bowl of the stand mixer. Beat until just combined, scrapping down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
4. Brush the waffle iron with oil to prevent sticking (and to get that crispy outside). Ladle the batter onto the waffle iron, taking care not to over fill it. Cook until browned and cooked through. Transfer the waffle to the baking sheet. Repeat until all the batter has been used.

Notes

To serve: Offer syrup or syrups, berries, whipped cream and other toppings as desired.