October: Rosemary Parmesan Waffles
We had a waffle iron growing up, but I rarely remember using it. If my family was going to have some sweet breakfast treat, it was always pancakes, made with a box of Bisquick and smothered in Log Cabin syrup. For a very long time, I thought the best waffles were Eggo waffles (the mini ones were my favorite). And so it is not tradition that has turned me into a waffle queen. It actually happened on a date in my early twenties.
I briefly dated someone who one afternoon brought me to their friend’s birthday party on a Sunday afternoon. But this wasn’t just any birthday party. It was a waffle party. The apartment was crammed with friends and the buttery smell of waffles. A table in the living room held stacks of plates, collections of syrup and juices, and a bowl of pomegranate seeds. (I’d never seen them before and declined to sprinkle them over my waffle, as I watched other people do.) Not many habits from my very early twenties have survived (thank god), but after that day, I adopted the waffle birthday party tradition and made it my own.
I “borrowed” my father’s waffle iron from him, and it’s been with me ever since. (Thanks, Pops!) It’s a rectangular iron that makes two square waffles, with a little red light on the top and a beep like a small truck backing up to let you know that the waffles are ready. Fifteen years later, the waffle iron has outlived coffee grinders, hand blenders, and so many other appliances. My first real waffle party took place at my apartment on Pacific Street, where I lived with two roommates, but in which I still was able to gather a menagerie of friends and waffle batters and host a festive gathering around this delicious brunch item. The menu at these annual birthday waffle parties grew from plain waffles, to plain waffles and pumpkin waffles, to eventually five different kinds of waffles, including a different wild card flavor (one year it was speculoos; another year, pear cardamom). But by far, the runaway favorite year after year, is a savory waffle that makes my apartment smell like heaven for one afternoon every October: the rosemary parmesan waffle.
Everyone’s first question is: what do you put on a savory waffle? With this waffle, you can kind of put whatever you want and it’s going to be delicious. I’ve often made them on their own with a side of tomato soup for dinner. A random jar of Anarchy In A Jar’s Spicy Pear Jam one year turned out to be an addictive and perfect topping. And Trader Joe’s agave maple syrup drizzled over it adds the perfect light sweetness to these golden and fragrant waffles. But most waffle parties, folks eat these hot from the waffle iron, eyes wide at how much awesomeness one little waffle can contain.
In my home, it’s not October until the waffle party arrives. And I can picture all of my different apartments over the years by their waffle party memories. There was the year friends made a haphazard game of Top Waffle, a la Top Chef, ransacking the cabinets and freezer for waffle add ons to impress a randomly chosen judge. (The blueberry sausage cheddar waffle was the loser, if I remember correctly). Another year my roommate ran around with a pen and paper, taking orders, like our apartment was the newest hip brunch spot (it kind of was). Friends have brought babies, flowers, apples, coffee, balloons, bacon and more kinds of syrup than one could know what to do with. It’s tradition. It’s my favorite definition of a birthday party. And it’s the best kind of recipe I could share.
xo,
c
Rosemary Parmesan Waffles
adapted from marthastewart.com / The Martha Stewart Show, April 2012
(Confession: I’ve always called these rosemary cheddar waffles, but when I went back to the recipe, it looks like I use an Italian cheese blend, not cheddar. I think you could use white cheddar and these would be just as good, but the saltiness of a parmesan is heaven in this recipe).
2 c. flour
1 1/2 tp. baking powder
1 tp. baking soda
2 large eggs
1 1/2 to 2 1/2 c. buttermilk
5 TB butter, melted
1 1/2 c. shredded Italian cheese blend (I always use the Trader Joe’s Quattro Formaggio blend; Martha’s recipe calls for 3/4 c. grated parmesan and 3/4 c. grated gruyere, which would be decadent and incredible, of course)
2 TB. chopped rosemary (I always eyeball this amount; anything less than 2 TB. I can’t taste, but I have yet to add so much that it over powers it)
1 tp. sugar
pinch of salt & grind of fresh pepper
Whisk dry ingredients in a bowl and set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk eggs, butter and 1 1/2 c. buttermilk. Add flour mixture and whisk until smooth. Batter should have a pudding-like consistency. If necessary, add more buttermilk, 1/4 c. at a time, until it’s pudding-like. Stir in rosemary, cheese, sugar, salt and pepper. If you’re making it ahead, you can pop it in the fridge and just give it a good stir before it hits the waffle iron. Otherwise, fire up your waffle iron and wait for your house to smell over-the-moon incredible.
Makes 6 - 8 waffles (depending on the size of your waffle iron).
(Could you make these as pancakes? I’ve been wondering that, and I think the batter is thick enough that it would hold up, but what you’d be missing would be the super crispy outside that the waffle iron gives it. If anyone tries, though, let me know how it goes!)
xoxo,
c
p.s.
* Save the date: I’ll be reading at Cornelia Street Cafe on November 29th with some friends! We promise good stories and a fun evening during which you can unwind between Thanksgiving and the winter holidays.
* One of the best novels I’ve read this year comes out this month: Brit Bennett’s The Mothers. You can read an excerpt here. Truly, even if you buy it just for the cover art, you won’t be disappointed.
* I know 2017 is several months away, but Lisa Congdon’s new calendar is for sale (limited edition!) and I can’t stop coveting it.
* Boop. Plz no boop. = my relationship with my cats
* Bonus Waffle Recipe!
Lemon Cornbread Waffles (gluten free and vegan)
I am always proud of this recipe because it’s the first time I manufactured a recipe on my own, and it is so, so good. These are another beloved favorite at waffle party, and their crunchiness and lemon flavor make them all the more memorable.
1 1/4 c. of Bob Red Mill’s Gluten Free Cornbread Mix (there’s something magical in this mix that makes these waffles turn out, so in this case, the brand is important)
2 TB. sugar
1 tp. baking powder
2 tp. lemon zest
1/2 tp. salt
1 c. soy milk (…could you do almond milk? I bet you could, but I’m unsure what it would do to the flavor)
1/2 c. vegetable oil
1/3 c. apple sauce (one of those little plastic cups of apple sauces is the perfect amount
Mix dry ingredients in one bowl. Add the lemon zest and soy milk and stir. Then add the vegetable oil and the apple sauce and stir until well combined. Mixture will be a bit lumpy. If it’s too thin, add 1/8 c. of the cornbread mix until it thickens up. Fire up your waffle iron and you’re good to go.
[Top photo from kitchenkonfidence.com]