Pancakes and Waffles

Shrove Tuesday, the day before Ash Wednesday is coming up and I love the traditional foods for that day which are pancakes and waffles (unless you live in New Orleans). Pancakes are more traditional, but I love waffles. The waffle irons are fired up and my mouth is watering—what a great party idea!

There are so many variations on this theme that I hardly know where to begin: crisp traditional waffles, Belgian waffles (made with yeast and needing an especially deep waffle iron), waffles with pumpkin added or pecans or both; as well as lots of ways to serve them. You can make waffles a savory main dish by pouring creamed chicken over them or make a wonderful dessert with fruit and ice cream additions.

Because I have several irons (a luxury, I know), I am creating a menu of three courses—all made with waffles baked and served differently.

Appetizer: Heart-shaped corn canapés with spicy cheese

Main course: Walnut Waffles with chicken and artichokes
Dessert: Dessert Waffles with chocolate and ice cream

Each course uses a different batter, but they have one thing in common—lots of fat. As a matter of fact the reason that Shrove Tuesday is also known as Mardi gras (fat Tuesday) is that observant Christians wanted a way to use up the fat in their kitchens in preparation for lean Lent. If you cut back on the fat in a waffle recipe you will be disappointed in the results. Trust me.

I decided to skip the Belgian (yeast-raised) waffle for this column because I really prefer the flavor of the quick-type batter. But I used two different types of irons—one the Belgian style that has deep pockets and a Norwegian shallow iron with waffles shaped like hearts. The shallow iron is great for a cornmeal waffle because both the cornmeal and the iron produce an extra-crispy waffle which is perfect for a canapé-like base for the appetizer course.

Hot Cheddar Waffles

Cornmeal batter:

1 cup flour

2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. soda
1 tsp. sugar

½ tsp. salt

1 cup yellow cornmeal
2 beaten eggs
2 cups buttermilk
¼ cup canola oil

Spread:

2 Tbsp. soft butter

½ lb. sharp Cheddar cheese
1 Tbsp. sherry
1 green onion sliced, green and white
Cayenne pepper

Whisk together flour, baking powder, soda, sugar and salt; stir in corn meal. Combine remaining ingredients; add, mixing just till moistened. Bake in shallow waffle iron. Cool on rack. Cut into small sections, dependent on your waffle iron design.

In food processor, put butter, cheese and sherry and process until very smooth. Spread on waffles; sprinkle with cayenne to taste and a few green onion slices. Broil until spread bubbles but waffles are not burned.

Walnut Waffles with Chicken and Artichokes

Chicken Artichoke Topping
2 chicken breast halves, skinned and boned
1 cup white Zinfandel wine
1 ½ Tbsp olive oil
½ cup finely chopped onion
1 Tbsp. minced garlic
1 Tbsp fresh or pickled jalapeno pepper
½ cup green or red pepper, julienned
2 Tbsp diced carrot
1 4-oz can mushrooms, drained
½ cup chicken broth
1 14-oz. can artichoke hearts, rinsed, drained and quartered
1 Tbsp butter and 1 Tbsp flour, kneaded together
Fresh parsley leaves, minced

Poach chicken breasts in wine until tender, but still pink (about 5 minutes). Drain chicken, saving poaching liquid. Dice into 1-inch cubes; set aside. Heat olive oil in large skillet and add onion, garlic and jalapeno, green pepper and carrots until onion is just transparent, being careful not to burn garlic. Add chicken broth, wine poaching liquid and mushrooms. Cover and cook gently for 10 minutes. Add butter-flour lump and whisk into liquid and cook until thick. Add chicken pieces and cook until heated through. Serve over walnut waffles. Garnish with fresh parsley.

Waffle Batter

2 ¼ cups flour
4 tsp. baking powder
¾ tsp. salt
1 ½ Tbsp sugar
2 beaten eggs
2 ¼ cups milk
¾ cup canola oil
½ cup toasted broken walnuts

Preheat a deep-pocket, Belgian-style waffle iron. Spray with vegetable spray. Bake waffles as per your iron’s capacity, sprinkling a few walnuts on batter before closing lid. Keep waffles warm on oven-proof cooling rack set in 170 degree oven (warm) until ready to serve.

Dessert Waffles

1 ¼ cups sifted cake flour

½ tsp. salt

3 tsp. baking powder

2 whole eggs, beaten

1 cup half and half

¼ cup melted butter

2 stiff-beaten egg whites

Semisweet chocolate chips

Whisk dry ingredients. Blend whole eggs and cream; stir in. Add butter. Fold in egg whites. Sprinkle chocolate chips over batter in baker. Serve with vanilla ice cream and chocolate syrup.