Waffles, Belgian Waffles in my Waring Pro Belgian Waffle maker... the experiment and the results

I sort of feel like I'm in theory debunk mode.  I've cooked things in my Nesco Pressure Cooker that you really shouldn't cook in there and now I'm onto Waffles.  I love waffles.  I prefer round ones.  OK, that being said, I do realize there's no difference in flavor between round waffles and square waffles, I just think that waffles should be round.  It's my thing, I apologize to the square waffle people but here, in my world and on my blog, waffles are round from this point forth. 

My favorite hotel moment on any vacation is the waffle maker.  I stand there and the smell is sweet and eggy and I wanted the same effect here. I received my first Christmas present yesterday, the Waring Pro Belgian Waffle Maker, thanks mom!  

OK, hotel waffles, here we come. 

Now I have some waffle recipes and I read some waffle recipes and I could not believe that the only way I was going to get a light, airy, fluffy and flavorful waffle was to enter "separate eggs" land.  If I want a waffle, I do not, not, not, want to spend time separating eggs and whipping white and, perish the thought, folding anything into anything in the morning.  I don't want to use machinery, effort, or in fact, use anything other than a bowl, a spoon and my new, fabulously beautiful, waffle maker. OH and when I want waffles, I don't want to have to think about them the night before, either. 

I unpacked the thing of beauty this morning.  Connor came downstairs and sat at the bar...watching me... 
"making waffles, mom?" (he's the 14 year old master of the obvious)
"Oh yeah, we're going to have hotel waffles"
"sweet, do you have a recipe?"
"no... I'm going to wing it, ready to test?"
"you know it!"

TRACY'S BELGIAN WAFFLES 

HEAT up your fancy Belgian Waffle Maker

In a 4 cup measuring bowl:
2 eggs
2 Tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
a glug or two of vanilla

WHISK like crazy to lighten the color and make fabulous whisk against a glass bowl kitchen noises

Add 
1/4 cup melted (and cooled) butter (c'mon, it's breakfast!)
1/2 cup milk

WHISK some more

Dump, all at one time
2 cups self raising flour

MIX with a spoon, slowly, adding milk (up to another 3/4 cup) as needed to make a thick batter.  Don't worry about small lumps. 

Drop it onto the hot waffle maker, set to 4,  close the lid and spin and immediately smell the sweet eggy goodness, just like the hotel!

DING DING!  (* ALREADY ??   wow that's fast!)  So, here we are; the moment of truth!  

BEHOLD!!  **delighted** 

I made the whole batch, it made 5 waffles.  I sprayed it before the first waffle and then redid the bottom grid after the third.  Connor and I split the first waffle, he ate the second and we have 3 left, cooling, that I'm going to toss in the freezer and he can toast them at will. 

Here's the pics! 

This is one of the easiest appliances I have EVER opened.  Out of the box, a quick wipe and plug in.  It also beeped exactly as the instructions indicated it would and I'm 3 minutes from waffles... this is all good.

Here it is, unpacked, what a beauty.  Oh cute bomb, Connor!  And yes, that's a vodka bottle,  My mother brings, me Canadian maple syrup, from Quebec, in vodka bottles when she comes to visit.  There's nothing finer than having a table full of teens for breakfast and plunking the vodka bottle in the middle of the table.  :)  My reputation is in tact!
  

The only batter shot, it's quick and easy and makes SUPER light and fluffy waffles without ANY culinary drama!  Oh and look, the maker came with it's own little server cup, sweet!
  

I sprayed the grills lightly with canola spray.  I poured the batter in the maker (I was a little skimpy the first one,..)  Close it, flip it, wait.....
   

DING DING DING! wow that's fast and look, we have WAFFLES!!  Blobs of butter and a drowning with "vodka bottle" syrup.  DELICIOUS! Perfectly cooked, crisp and tender.  There's nothing about this I don't love.
   

Ready for the next one... and the next and the next
  

The machine cleaned up easily with a wipe and it's cooling and I'll put it away.  Sure, it's big and might be a pain to store but I knew that when I bought it so no surprise there.  I'll find somewhere for it to live.  That place will be close though, I see me using this OFTEN! 

So, the VERDICT: 

BRILLIANT!  A solid thumbs up from me and from the teenage boy. 

It's SUPER easy to use, fast, easy to clean, easy to cook with.  The result, on level 4, was perfectly crisp, tender waffles.  Sure, all these accolades are only from the first use but there's no reason the outcome is going to change.  

I am already thinking of OTHER things I can cook in this...  bread dough? pizza dough? bread? stuffing? cake batter? cookies?  My alchemy committee is already very busy.  I'll link from here when I do what it is I'm about to do with my new toy... 

So, go make some waffles.  Easy, light, and no egg separating, no white whipping, folding or machinery use.  Just a bowl, a whisk and a spoon and you will be in waffle heaven in absolutely no time at all.

/enjoy

UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE

The leftover, frozen, waffles toasted up a DREAM!  They came out of the toaster oven crispy on the outside and remained tender and fluffy on the inside.  Absolutely perfect leftover breakfasts!  The teenager has already asked me to cook up a double batch to keep in the freezer so he can nosh at will.  Oh yes we are happy happy happy with this machine.  

/enjoy again!

Pressure cooker steamed pudding

YES WAY! 

So, I love steamed pudding from back in the day from across the pond. My British family are steamed pudding machines and can whip one up, steam it for 4-5 hours and produce the most delicious, lovely, unctuous, tender, soft, rich, flavorful pudding you'll ever eat.

I did futz my way to a great recipe which is on the blog here: http://www.tracycooksinaustin.com/2010/12/steamed-syrup-pudding-oh-yes-baby.html

My international tester (it's my mom!) was playing with the steamed syrup pudding and had the brainstorm to pressure cook it. NOT only to pressure cook it but then to freeze it both before and after it was cooked. Guess what? BRILLIANT! We are always trying to figure out what we'll test next in the pressure cooker and she hit the jackpot with this one.

The recipe works perfectly in the pressure cooker, in individual jars (I have to have my jar fix) and you can cook it fresh, prepare the batter then freeze it in the jars and cook it from FROZEN, you can prepare the batter, freeze the whole batch, then defrost and divide and then cook it. Seriously, she's one hell of a thorough tester.

Here's the recipe again:
In a bowl, cream
120 g sugar (4 oz)
120 g butter (4 oz)
ADD
2 beaten eggs
120 g a/p flour (4 oz)
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
drop/s of vanilla

golden syrup or jam or marmalade or fruit

Cream the sugar and butter, add the rest of the ingredients and beat until it's a thick, smooth, batter. I never bother with the Kitchen Aid, I just use beaters. 

Butter 5 mini jars or ramekins and put a tablespoon of your favorite gooey treat... jam, marmalade  golden syrup, maple syrup, pie filling.... whatever you think of you'd love warm and on top of a steamed pudding. 

Divide the batter between 5 mini jars (or ramekins), put lids on (or cover with plastic wrap) and freeze.

When you are ready to use them, remove the lids and cover loosely with greased foil. Place then in a pressure cooker over 4 1/2 cups of water, set the STEAM timer for 35 minutes. When the timer goes off, release immediately, remove from steamer, turn into a vessel for eating and EAT IT!!
Here is the long winded, picture heavy, play by play: 

Cream the butter and sugar, then add the rest of the ingredients.  I love my beaters ;)

  
Here are my 5 little jars, all buttered.  In two of them, I put raspberry jam, about a tablespoon.  In two of them, I poured the nectar of the Gods, Golden Syrup and one I left plain... all for science.
 
Beat the batter until it's smooth and creamy and very thick!
    

Spoon the mixture into the jars, over the filling which will be the topping!

  
Put the lids on, put them into a circle to take their picture then pop them into the freezer!
  

Take the frozen puddings out of the freezer and remove the lids.  Solid as a rock!  Make very tall tinfoil hats for them and seal around the side of the jar, we're just trying to stop water from getting in/on top.

   

Awww... little foil hats.  Now then, put them on a rack in your pressure cooker over at least 4 1/2 cups of water.  

  

LOCK AND LOAD!  Set the rocker to VENT and the STEAM timer for 35 minutes. 

 

DING!  *I'm dying to see how these worked!!
  
TA DA!  LOOK!!  Look at them! HAHAHA  They rose like CRAZY!

  

I grabbed the jam one first... Run a thin knife around the edge and tip into a beautiful vessel...OOOOOOOH!!!   
It looks stodgy but it's NOT!  It's light and delicious and warm and tender and absolutely perfect.  Yeah, I ate it.
 
Golden Syrup time!!!!! OH MY GOD
  
LOOK how perfectly this came out!!  Just as light, just as tender, as delicious, as easy.

 

WELL, well, well. 

I think we've learned something here.  There's no reason on earth NOT to eat a steamed pudding every.single.day.  Make a batch in jars and shove them in the freezer, bring one, two, three out when you want and steam them in half an hour and you have the perfect dessert/treat without having to steam it for 4-6 hours.  Seriously. 

OH and Tester advises that you can make the batter and freeze the whole batch in a bag, thaw it in the fridge and then steam it in the pressure cooker in individual servings the same way and it comes out just as perfectly.  *we skype cooked today so I saw how well hers rose too. 

Go and get some jars and make yourself a steamed syrup pudding. 

/enjoy