Cooking My First Waffles

My kitchen supplies have been growing like crazy recently. Hand-mixer, stand-alone mixer, George Foreman grill, popcorn machine, measuring spoons and cups, pizza slicer, oven mits...I feel like the list could go on and on. Every new piece, big and small, is so fun to play with in the kitchen and makes me feel less of an amateur every day.

My most recent addition has already proven to be a major winner. Part of my shopping this past weekend with Greg's mom included a trip to Williams-Sonoma for a birthday gift of my choice. After perusing the store for awhile, I picked out the most perfect waffle iron. 

So, obviously this week called for BFD again. Since I wanted my first homemade waffles to be a guaranteed success, I stuck with a very reliable source. Annie's blog is how I discovered the food blogging world in the first place and her recipes never disappoint. Not to mention the gorgeous pictures.

I followed her recipe for Waffles of Insane Greatness and have to agree with the name...these were insanely great. I have heard of Waffles of Insane Greatness before and know that there are several recipes floating all over the internet. I think it's actually a spin off from a restaurant's recipe, because I remember Rachael Ray eating them on one of her shows. Anyway, back to MY waffles...

I was so excited when I opened the waffle iron after cooking the first waffle. It was perfectly golden brown and looked just like the ones from Waffle House. 

Pancakes are still #1 for me, but these waffles are a CLOSE second. 

Oh yeah, and did I mention we had a side of venison sausage links on the side? These were part of the venison meat pack Greg got from one of his clients. We have tried the steaks, and Greg made some burgers while I was out of town. They were surprisingly SO good! I think I liked them more than regular sausage links. I couldn't figure out how to describe the taste, but Greg nailed it right on the head- smokey. Mmm. 

Waffles of Insane Greatness

(Adapted from Annie's Eats and the Food Network)

Makes about 4 medium waffles

Ingredients:

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup cornstarch

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoon sugar

1 cup skim milk

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1 egg, beaten

3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Add the first 6 ingredients to a medium bowl. Stir to combine.

2. In a separate bowl, add remaining 4 ingredients. Whisk to combine.

3. Add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet mixture and whisk until just combined. Let sit at least 5-10 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, preheat waffle iron. Once heated, use a ladle to pour batter onto the center of the iron. Cook until golden brown, about 3-5 minutes depending on iron temperature.