Buttermilk Waffles

Most nights I have a theme for dinner like for awhile I did meatless Mondays, taco Tuesdays, gourmet Wednesdays, or Cuban/Italian/Mexican/ dinner. The other night I was not inspired to cook at all, it was just one of those days that I did not want to make a mess and I was still tired from my half marathon. However, I didn't want to go out and pick up something for dinner -but it led me to my go-to meal of the day - Breakfast for dinner! It was an easy enough meal to prepare in a short amount of time, and it always hits the spot. Frying up some bacon made the house smell wonderful, and I made a nice batch of waffles from my latest issue of Cooks Illustrated.

I've made lots of waffles before and was eager to try a new one out. The pumpkin waffles are my favorite around the holidays, Annie's wonderful banana bread waffles are a great way to use up ripe bananas, and my favorite go-to recipe is Alton Brown's waffles. This one really stands out because the selzter water and buttermilk powder give a light texture that's similar to whipped egg whites. It really made for a better buttermilk waffle, and I loved every single bite of it! Try it for yourself. ;-)

Buttermilk Waffles
Adapted from Cooks Illustrated - May & June 2010 issue
Ingredients:
2 cups (10 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
3/4 teaspoon table salt
1/2 cup dried buttermilk powder
1/2 cup sour cream
2 large eggs
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 1/3 cups unflavored seltzer water
Preparation:
1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 250 degrees. Set wire rack in rimmed baking sheet and place baking sheet in oven.
2. Whisk flour, sugar, salt, buttermilk powder and baking soda in large bowl to combine.
3. Whisk sour cream, eggs, vanilla, and oil in medium bowl to combine. Gently stir seltzer into wet ingredients.
4. Using a rubber spatula, gently stir until just combined. Batter should remain slightly lumpy with streaks of flour.
5. Heat waffle iron and bake waffles according to manufacturer's instructions (use about 1/3 cup for 7-inch round iron). Transfer waffles to rack in warm oven and hold for up to 10 minutes before serving with butter and maple syrup.

Review: Loved the crispy waffles for dinner, and it would be great for breakfast as well. It was a perfectly crispy yet fluffy waffle and a fried egg and crispy tasty bacon and a cup of freshly squeezed orange juice all paired well. Breakfast is the best way to start and end your day right? I think so. ;-)