blueberry waffles

Waffles are a good Sunday morning breakfast. We still have about a gallon bag full of frozen blueberries we picked from a nearby farm last year and I wanted to use them up. Plus, the hyacinth and rhododendron are all blooming in the garden and I wanted to take advantage of the lilacs and purples :)

Any basic waffle recipe would work, but over the years, I've noticed just a few things that make a difference - viz., heat the waffle iron to pretty high temperature before pouring the batter in, not cut back on the butter or oil too much as it compromises the texture, milk or buttermilk work better than plain water, use baking soda if using buttermilk, baking powder if using milk, egg yolks can be left out, just whites alone when well beaten add some nice fluffiness, also, freshness of the baking powder and baking soda matters - if they are a bit stale, I increase the quantity a bit...

My mom being a chemistry teacher taught me about sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) and how it reacts, but until I started meddling with baking recipes I didn't quite understand the role baking soda and baking powder play in these recipes. Baking soda is an alkali and likes to react with acid to produce gas (CO₂) which acts as leavening agent in baking. So, usually, recipes that call for baking soda also use yogurt or buttermilk to provide acidity. Baking powder usually has baking soda, plus an acid, plus some starch; most commercial baking powders are double acting - an acidic agent that reacts at room temperature, and another at a higher temperature during baking, thus providing the rise and fluffiness.

Ingredients
2 cups of flour
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
4 Tbsp applesauce (optional)
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp baking soda
2-4 Tbsp brown sugar or molasses
4 Tbsp of cooking oil or butter
1 cup frozen blueberries

Preparation

heat the waffle iron - even after the light goes off, I let mine heat up some more before pouring the batter

thaw the blueberries in the microwave till just ready, not mushy; reserve some for topping, use the rest in the batter

combine all the ingredients and whisk well; if preferred, beat the egg whites separately till fluffy and fold it into the batter; it is best if batter is made right before cooking

cook per instructions on the waffle iron; sometimes I let it sit longer, even after the light goes out :)

Serve warm with just a touch of maple syrup, or home-made berry syrup (just throw in some berries in a pan with a little water, cover, simmer till mushy, add sugar if preferred, serve warm).