Baby, it’s cold outside. Entirely too cold for my liking.

I'm a warm weather kinda gal, and if you visit this blog frequently you probably already know that. Temperatures have been dancing around the freezing mark for the past few days and I think that is just too cold for November... Or, well, ever! But unusually cold weather makes a good excuse to cozy up at home and make a nice big batch of warm, crispy waffles.

Mmmm... Waffles. As if you need an excuse. 

Homemade waffles are a surefire way to warm the heart of even the crankiest cold-weather-hating person… Which happens to be me.

I've never been a fan of cold weather, which is just one reason why I miss living in Louisiana so much (all other reasons involve food). When given the choice of pancakes, french toast or waffles I will always choose the latter. When made really well they'll trump the other two breakfast confections any day.Maybe you're grumbling, "No way! Pancakes/French toast rule!!" I respect your opinion... sort of. Give this recipe a try, and then lets talk.

These waffles are light, super crispy and scented with vanilla. They get served with a hot bath of maple brown butter for dipping and drizzling.

...Because why fuss with spreading butter and pouring syrup when you can brown the butter and combine them both into one magical nectar? I like killing two birds with one stone. And I really like warm, buttery maple syrup baths. We're totally winning today.

Can you believe Thanksgiving is only a week away? I can't. Time really flies when you're redesigning a kitchen. I bet lots of you are silently freaking out about dry turkeys, lumpy mashed potatoes, tough pie crusts and having to spend more than five minutes in a room with smelly cousin Larry.

I get it. We all have a "smelly cousin Larry." At least metaphorically speaking.

Immediately following a day dedicated to family and appreciating what we have, we delve into a month-long materialistic frenzy known as "The Holiday Season." We run all around creation buying up gifts intended to treat everyone but ourselves.  We endure paper cuts and finger cramps as we wrap present after present.

Some of us even wrestle giant trees into our homes and lie to children about a mystical man that's allowed enter our homes via an entrance that's not the front door, in order to leave presents under said tree (because that's not at all creepy or misleading).  I too am guilty of following even the most ridiculous of traditions.

Then, just about every night there’s a new party to attend and every morning a new hangover to suffer through. Okay, maybe some of us are better at demonstrating self control than others...

I love the holidays, I do! But they can be a lot to deal with. So before the madness hits next week, why not take this weekend to chill out and just be. Put on a pot of coffee, make a lil' bacon, and definitely make these waffles and maple brown butter.

Be lazy all day. Stay in your PJ's. Be present in the moment and take a little pleasure in doing nothing for a change.Maybe even pour a little heavy cream in your coffee. Or some whiskey. No one has to know. It can be our little secret.

Life's going to get crazy real soon, so take this weekend to appreciate stillness, warmth and of course, waffles.

this will inevitably happen. let it!

Waffles with Maple Brown Butter

Print Recipe

★★★★★

5 from 1 reviews

This is THE waffle recipe to trump all other waffle recipes! They are light and crisp and soooo flavorful. You'll never make another waffle recipe again!

• Author: Coley Gaffney
• Prep Time: 30 minutes
• Cook Time: 10 minutes
• Total Time: 40 minutes
• Yield: 6 waffles 1x
• Category: breakfast
• Method: cooked
• Cuisine: American
• Diet: Vegetarian

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• ¾ cup flour (all purpose, whole wheat or a combination)
• ¼ cup cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt, divided
• 6 tablespoons butter plus 3 tablespoons for maple brown butter
• 1 cup buttermilk (can substitute whole milk or a combination)
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ cup pure maple syrup

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Instructions

1. Combine the flour, corn starch, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and half of the salt in a medium bowl. Whisk together and set aside.
2. Melt the 6 tablespoons of butter in a small saucepan over medium heat until it foams and begins to turn brown. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside to cool slightly.
3. Add the butter, buttermilk, egg and vanilla to the dry ingredients and mix until there are no lumps remaining, but do not over mix. Let the batter rest for 15-30 minutes.
4. Preheat a waffle iron and cook the waffles according to the manufacturer's directions.
5. While the waffles are cooking, make the maple brown butter: Melt the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter in a small saucepan (I used the same one as before, no need to wash it) until it foams and begins to brown. Whisk in the remaining half teaspoon of salt and maple syrup until they're totally combined. Keep warm until ready to serve (and whisk again before serving if separation occurs).
6. Serve the waffles immediately with maple brown butter on the side for drizzling and dipping. If not serving immediately, waffles may be held in a 200 degree oven on a rack (they will get soggy if stacked).
7. Leftovers freeze beautifully wrapped in plastic and are perfect reheated in the toaster. Leftover maple brown butter can be stored in the refrigerator. Whisk well after reheating.

Notes

• I altered this recipe in a few ways: increasing the butter for extra crispiness and browning it for depth of flavor, adding in a little whole wheat flour to pretend these are healthy, and just a smidge more sugar and vanilla for good measure.
• If you're used to using a box mix, give this recipe a try instead. It only requires measuring out a few more dry ingredients and does not call for separating eggs and whipping the whites as waffle recipes often do. The flavor and texture of a box mix can't hold a candle to these.

Nutrition

• Serving Size:
• Calories: 295
• Sugar: 20.1 g
• Sodium: 501.1 mg
• Fat: 13.8 g
• Carbohydrates: 39 g
• Protein: 4.1 g
• Cholesterol: 66 mg

Keywords: best, crispy, waffle, brown butter, maple, brunch