Overnight Waffles

I love waffles and make them often for my family. Over Christmas break (and the unexpected snow days that followed) I was tempted to try a couple of new waffle recipes that had rave reviews. Both of them were D-E-L-I-C-I-O-U-S seriously delicious! I for one believe if you are going to take the time and make the effort to create something in the kitchen, it should be really GOOD! That is why I am always on the quest to find the best recipe for our favorites. Being a great cook is all about finding the right recipes. Well, I think I have found a great recipe now for waffles for whatever ingredients I happen to have and depending on the amount of time I have to work with. This recipe is my new favorite! They take minutes to make the night before, and then in the morning it is a breeze to make a hot breakfast for your family. They are amazing--perfectly crispy on the outside and soft and tender on the inside. When I don't plan ahead and have some sour cream on hand, I can make the wonderful Sour Cream Waffles. I also love the healthy whole wheat waffles, which are noisy in the blender, so I only use that recipe when everyone is up! We also love these peanut butter chocolate chip waffles with banana cream when the mood strikes. Last, but not least, I have one more insanely good buttermilk recipe that does not have yeast or require a mixing up the night before to share with you (soon). You could say that I now have a waffle recipes to pick from for whatever ingredients, circumstances or mood I find myself in! Yippee for waffles!

Overnight Waffles
Submitted by Melanie ~ The Sisters Cafe
Original recipe from Mark Bitman's 'How to Cook Everything'

1/2 teaspoon Instant yeast
2 cups All purpose flour
1 tablespoon Sugar
1/2 teaspoon Salt
2 cups Milk
8 tablespoon Butter melted and cooled
1/2 teaspoon Vanilla extract optional
Canola Oil for brushing on waffle iron
2 eggs

1. Before going to bed, combine the dry ingredients and stir in the milk, then the butter and vanilla. The mixture will be loose. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside overnight at room temperature (I found a gallon pitcher worked best)

2. Brush the waffle iron lightly with oil and preheat it. Separate the eggs and stir the yolks into the batter. Beat the whites until they hold soft peaks. Stir them gently into the batter. (I just stirred the eggs into the batter without separating them. Seemed to work well.)

3. Pour batter onto the waffle iron and bake until the waffle is done, usually 3 to 5 minutes, depending on your iron. Serve immediately or keep warm for a few minutes in a low oven.

I watch for the steam to stop rising from the waffle iron before I check for doneness. Also, these freeze well if you have extras. A quick toast in the toaster oven crisps them up again and they taste almost as good as fresh.