Wafflemania!

Once in a while, I get a craving for waffles and then nothing else will do. I don’t need to worry about food allergies, but I know any number of people on gluten-free diets who have had to avoid the toasty decadence of this brunch favorite. 

In an effort to end this tragic situation, I got together with a friend and tried three different gluten-free waffle recipes to see what we could learn. Note:  we greased the waffle irons with olive oil for all the recipes

In the picture, from left to right, are recipes #1, #3, and #2. Note #1 used a small waffle iron.

Test Recipe #1:

My go-to recipe is from a 1907 Lowney’s cookbook. The page is covered with stains and splashes, which indicates it was used a lot. As is more common in these old recipes, it’s sugar-free and so can be used for sweet or savory combos–and if I’m smothering my breakfast in syrup anyway, I don’t need sweetness in the batter. The real secret to this recipe is whipping the eggs whites and folding them in last. This gives the waffle a fluffy, light tenderness that remained in a gluten free state. The only change I made was substituting Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 baking flour.

Sift:

2 cups of flour (gluten free, see above)

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt.

Add:

3 tablespoons melted butter

1 cup plus 1/3 cup milk

3 egg yolks

Beat the egg whites to a stiff peak and fold into the batter.  Cook to golden brown perfection!

Test Recipe #2:

Sift:

1.5 cups amaranth flour

1/4 cup tapioca flour

1/4 cup arrowroot flour

1 tsp baking powder

pinch each of salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg

In another bowl, mix:

1/3 cup apple juice

3 beaten eggs

1 tablespoon melted butter or vegetable oil

1/3 cup water

Add the dry ingredients into the wet and mix thoroughly. Add more liquid if the batter is too thick. Proceed to the waffle iron.

Test Recipe #3:

Follow Recipe #2, but use teff flour instead.

Our Findings:

All three recipes produced waffles that could be frozen and reheated. The first recipe was very close to a “traditional” waffle. The teff waffles had a nice nutty flavor, but were quite dense. These would be best served with a juicy berry mixture or other topping that needs a firmer base. I would like to try this one again and beat the egg whites separately as per recipe #1. The amaranth waffles were also sturdy, but had a lighter flavor I liked a lot.  I think there’s more experimenting to be done, but overall this session produced a tasty product sensitive to gluten-free requirements.