WAFFLES AND PANCAKES

It's usually waffles or puri, motta roast for breakfast on Saturdays. Usually, we stock up the freezer with frozen waffles. Just take it out and heat it up on the tawa or in the oven as per the instructions. When this became a regular in our house, I thought I would make it from scratch. First thing I did even before looking up for recipes was buy a waffles maker. An iron waffle maker would have been nice, but I bought an ordinary, ceramic one.
                                                         Now I had to come up with a recipe. I searched for many recipes and found an apt one, that fit my requirements on the site dishinwithdi. The recipe book that came with the waffle maker also had good ones.
                                                Gradually I came up with one of mine. Come to think of it, pancake is  just cake batter poured in a  pan. And pancakes and waffles are like the thick (thattu) dosa and the crispy ones (well technically) respectively. So I just tweaked my favorite cake batter (chiffon cake) to make waffles.
         My son introduced me to this combination of waffles, whipped cream and fresh sliced strawberries.

WAFFLES/ PANCAKES RECIPE

1. 1 cup cake flour or 1 cup minus 2 Tbsp. whole wheat flour (see Notes for cake flour)
2. 1 teaspoon baking powder (required, don't skip)
3. 1/2 tsp salt
4. 1/4 cup vegetable oil (2 Tbsp oil for pancakes)
5. 1/2 cup water (1/3 cup for pancakes)
6. 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
7. 3 large eggs, whites and yolks separated
8. 1/4 cup sugar (This is the minimum required, don't decrease more) 

Method

1. Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl to combine; set aside.
2. Pour vanilla essence into the separated yolks and keep aside.
   
3. Take the separated egg whites into a bowl big enough., because it is in that bowl that the rest of the ingredients will be combined. 
   
   
   
4. Beat the egg white using a cake mixer on high speed until frothy and the volume has increased, about a minute.
   
   Now on maximum speed beat the egg whites and while beating, gradually add the sugar, maybe 2 Tbsp at a time. Put in all the sugar. The egg whites should be whipped till stiff peaks are formed.
   
5. Put in the egg yolks and essence all at once and beat on high speed for about 5 seconds.
   
6. Add the oil and again beat on high for 5 seconds.
   
7. Add the flour mixture all at once and beat on lowest speed for 5 seconds, then gradually increasing the speed to maximum. Beat until the flour is just incorporated. Then pour in the 1/2 cup water and beat on high speed for about 2 seconds or until just combined. Don't over mix. 
   
   
   
8. Before making the waffles, keep the batter aside for atleast 20 minutes (in the fridge preferably), so that the flour may absorb the liquids. The batter can be made ahead and kept in the fridge for up to 3 hours.

MAKING THE WAFFLES

• Turn on the waffle maker with the knob on medium high position until the ready light is on.
  
  
  
  
  

          

Pour 3 laddleful (almost 3/4 cup) of batter into the waffle maker. (This is the ladle that I use.)

• Wait 5 seconds for the batter to spread, close the maker lid. Keep the knob on medium high position for 1 minute. (Use the timer)
• After 1 minute, turn the knob to the medium position (In the middle position), for 2 minutes. (use the timer)



• After 2 minutes in the middle position, turn the knob back to the medium high position, for 2 minutes. The waffle will be ready in a total of 5 minutes.

•  The top part won't be evenly browned but the bottom is.
  
  
  

         

NOTES

• Instead of vanilla essence, add 1/4 orange essence for a change.
• Substitute 2 Tbsp of almond flour instead of 1 Tbsp all-purpose flour. Combination of orange essence and almond flour tastes good. The same can be used for pancakes.
• Substituting grated frozen orange instead of water and 1/4 tsp cinnamon powder instead of the vanilla essence is a good flavor combination for orange-cinnamon pancakes/waffles.
• Keeping the batter in the fridge makes the waffles crispy.
• Makes 4, seven-inch waffles.



MAKING THE PANCAKES

• Reduce the water to 1/3 cup and use the same recipe to make pancakes on a griddle.
• Keep a griddle on the stove. I use my dosa tawa for making pancakes. Heat the griddle on medium  heat. Put a few drops of water on the griddle. When the drops disappear the  griddle is hot enough. Pour a ladleful of pancake batter on the tawa.
  
  
  
  

           

           

• Cover and cook for 40 seconds.

            

• After 40 seconds flip over the pancake.
  
• Cover and cook for 30 seconds. The pancake will be done by this time. After the first pancake, reduce the temperature to medium low. This will maintain a constant temperature for the pancakes to be done perfectly. 
  
• Continue making the pancakes in the same way. You will get 11 pancakes.

                                 

NOTES

• When you take off the pancake from the tawa, into the serving plate, place it with the bottom side down. This will keep the pancakes fluffy and soft.

• Don't flip the pancakes more than once.
• 1 cup cake flour = 3/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour plus 2 Tbsp. corn flour.
• I like eating it, as is, but my kids like the waffles with whipped cream and strawberries, and the pancakes with maple syrup. Or both waffles and pancakes with ICECREAM!!!!!!
• I have tried the same recipe without baking powder, works well too. If skipping the baking powder, then reduce the water to 1/3 cup for waffles.  For pancakes, the same amount of water is used. 
• The batter can be refrigerated for up to 30 minutes, not more than that. 
• Substitute for 1 tsp baking powder = 1/4 tsp baking soda plus 1 Tbsp lemon juice.
• Want to go natural!!! Here's the recipe: Using whole wheat flour and no baking powder!! but be aware that baking powder/baking soda gives that extra lift to the pancakes/waffle.
• Whole wheat pancakes and waffle recipe needs more water.

Recipe using whole wheat flour and no leavening agents

1. 1 cup minus 2 Tbsp. whole wheat flour (I have used chappathi flour)
2. 1/2 tsp fine salt
3. 1/4 cup vegetable oil (2 Tbsp oil for pancakes)
4. 1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp.  water (1/3 cup plus 2 Tbsp for pancakes)
5. 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
6. 3 large eggs, whites and yolks separated
7. 1/4 cup sugar