Zazu Restaurant + Farm’s Cochon 555-winning Bacon in the Batter Waffles inspired my home version of this handy all-in-one waffle. With eggs, butter and bacon mixed in, all you need is a little drip of pure maple syrup or a drizzle of brown butter on these babies and you’ll be singing the praises of the breakfast gods.
Now, some folks may suggest whole strips of bacon rather than the crumbles, but I say, Nay! I love getting little bits of crispy bacon in each bite rather than playing tug-of-war with a rubbery strip of pork that inevitably evades my knife. That or having a bacon tongue wagging at my chin with one poorly-timed bite.
Pro Tools: The secret to fluffy Belgian Waffles involves whipping your egg whites and using the right amount of leavening (powder/soda). If you’re confused about the difference between baking powder and baking soda check out this article on Serious Eats.
Inspiration: Admittedly, I’ve always thought that Martha Stewart gets it so right when it comes to pancakes and waffles. Her high ratio of butter and use of brown sugar along with the egg white trick makes them my go to. I’ve adapted her buttermilk waffle recipe (which is pretty similar to a number of others online) with some additions of my own. I tried a number of other versions, but they just didn’t have the same richness.
Bacon + Buttermilk Belgian Waffles
adapted from Martha Stewart Living
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
3 eggs, separated
6 tablespoons butter
2 cups buttermilk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
8 strips bacon, crumbled
Method
Set up your waffle iron and medium high. Don’t forget a spritz of oil. Melt butter, set aside. Separate eggs, set aside.
Sift together dry ingredients (flour, salt, brown sugar, soda, baking powder, cinnamon) in a large bowl. In a smaller bowl, whisk together egg yolks, buttermilk, melted butter, vanilla. Pour wet mixture into dry and combine. Incorporate crumbled bacon to mixture.
In another bowl, beat egg whites until stiff, but don’t over beat. Fold gently into the batter.
Spoon about 1/3 cup (or more, depending on the size of your iron) and cook for 3-5 minutes or until crisp and browned on top. Keep in a warmed oven until ready to serve.
Zazu chef Duskie Estes will be serving up these award winning waffles and other amazing dishes at her benefit brunch this Saturday, April 30, for Ceres Community Project. All proceeds from brunch go to this incredible organization that cooks and delivers free, nutritious meals to people throughout Sonoma County with cancer and other life threatening illnesses. Cerescommunityproject.org has more details. Tables are filling up, so reservs at Zazu are recommended.
*LOVE*
The Bacon Waffle is a true American original and has been an object of great reverie in our home for years!
Our absolute favorite version is in a Cornmeal Waffle, however: The cornmeal batter turns into a sort of griddled cornbread, and the sweetness and chewy crust match the bacon perfectly. To gild the lily, add a handful of course-grated cheese, ideally Fiscalini Cheddar or a well-aged Gouda – it turns into little pockets of tangy melted cheese inside the cornmeal.
Tubby’s Restaurant in Cotati has been serving Bacon Waffles for YEARS… and they are absolutely delicious. One thing that Tubby’s does is serve the bacon waffles with chopped bananas on top, this added touch pairs amazingly with the bacon inside. Any person who loves bacon should experience this!!!
Awesome. Thanks for the heads up. Now why didn’t I think of that? Brilliant.
We serve Bacon Maple Waffles each Saturday morning at our shop, The Epicurean Connection~
See you in the Springs!
Sheana