Ode to a Perfect Waffle: Maine Maple Syrup Meets Southern Pecans

Maine, Maine, Maine, Maine, Maine.

Sigh.  I love Maine.  And, not to get terribly nostalgic, I miss it everyday.

I love the lobster, the summer weather, the fall colors, the endless amounts of seafood, the way people say “car,” the Lobster Festival in Rockland each year, my family, oh, and of course the maple syrup.  I love the maple syrup.

Maine maple syrup is unlike any other maple syrup.  It’s earthy, woody (extra woody depending on what part of the state it originates), naturally sweet, thick, dark, and warm.  Waffles and Pancakes require very little of the maple syrup (as it’s so naturally sweet) and I often find myself eating pancakes and waffles just so I can eat the syrup.

Let’s be real–waffles are delicious; they have fun square ridges, they’re easy to cut into, and they’re so satisfyingly decadent.  But when I want waffles, I must realize that no matter how great the breakfast cake-like batter may be, it doesn’t matter.   What I really want is the syrup, the toppings, the sugar.  The waffles just happen to be the vehicle through which I have an opportunity to eat these things.

Thus, I suggest this easy, yummy waffle recipe under one condition: readers indulge in their waffle cravings with me, so long as they use the right syrup.  Maine maple syrup is a sugary gateway drug to a perfectly decadent breakfast.  Mix with southern pecans, and you’re bound to have two unlikely ingredients from two very different parts of the country creating the perfect waffle.

And this perfect waffle with its dark, rich syrup and naturally sweet and earthy pecans makes for quite a show.

Waffles: North Meets South

This recipe comes from the Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook, page 130.

Ingredients:

* 1 3/4 cup all purpose flour

* 2 tablespoons sugar

* 1 tablespoon baking powder

* 2 eggs

* 1 3/4 cup milk

* 1/2 cup butter, melted

* 1 teaspoon vanilla

* Powdered Sugar, Pecans, & Maine Maple Syrup, to taste

Special Equipment Needed:

* Belgian Waffle Iron

* Square Waffle Iron

* Maine Maple Syrup

1.) In a separate bowl, sift together dry ingredients–flour, sugar, baking powder.  Set aside.

2.) In another bowl, beat eggs slightly and add milk, butter, and vanilla.  Slowly, add dry mixture to wet mixture and stir to combine.

3.) Preheat your waffle iron on medium-high.  When batter is ready and iron is hot, spray down the iron with non-stick cooking spray and add enough batter to cover the hot griddle (you want the griddle to be covered in batter, but you don’t want to put so much that it seeps out the sides when you press down the top).

4.) Cook until waffles are golden brown and done all the way through (you may need to check them at two minutes).  Serve with Maine Maple Syrup, powdered sugar, and pecans.

Enjoy! Makes 6-8 waffles (depending on the size of your iron).

–Helana Brigman