Waffling on Waffles for Breakfast

For Christmas, my boyfriend's family does a passing game with small gifts. It's vaguely amusing in that it would be awfully fun with the right people, but between Chris and I being the only people of our generation that participate and the gifts being somewhat...odd, I am not completely fond of it. Nonetheless, there are occasional wonderful gifts. Usually they end up with people that can't use them, but fortunately for the waffle maker that Chris's dad ended up with (he already has one), it found a lovely home with us.

I was a bit skeptical that we would really put it to good use, mainly because I didn't know where we would find room to put it; and if it's shoved in too inconvenient of a place, Chris and I would be unlikely to unbury it to make lovely waffles. Fortunately, Chris and I (read: mostly Chris) found the motivation to rearrange the kitchen/dining area of our apartment (and Chris even cleaned out the closets), so it now has a lovely home beside the yogurt maker and the crock-pot.

Which all leads up to the point of this post, making wonderful waffles. Now, I haven't really made waffles before. I have used pre-made batter back in my college dorm days in the cafeteria, but that's really the extent of it. I know, I'm so deprived, aren't I? Fortunately, I love whipping things with my little hand-cranked beater.

Half-Whole Wheat Waffles
makes about 8

Dries
4-3/8 oz (7/8 cup) whole wheat flour
4-3/8 oz (7/8 cup) pastry flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt

Liquids
4 medium eggs, separated and at room temperature
12 oz (1-1/2 cups) milk, room temperature
8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter--can halve for low-fat or double for rich and amazing
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Measure out and mix together solids.

2. In a separate bowl, melt butter

3. Separate eggs, beat whites until just past the soft-peak stage.

4. Beat yolks until lightened (a couple minutes)

5. Add yolks to the butter, mix

6. Add milk and vanilla to yolks and butter, mix thoroughly

7. Make a well in the solids, pour in milk-mixture

8. Stir until liquids are fully incorporated

9. Fold in egg whites

10. Pour ~1/2 cup into each section in the waffle maker and let it do its thing. (I'm told most take about 4 minutes to properly cook a waffle, but I didn't time mine. I just waited until the green light came back on as per the directions.)

Serve with syrup, fruit, etc.