Kitchen Gadgets

On my last vacation I traveled to Turkey to an all-inclusive resort on Bodrum. I must shamefully admit that I spent way more time exploring the endless breakfast buffet than sightseeing or any other activity offered on this marvelous location. And as part of my daily buffet sightseeing tours I never neglected to visit the do-it-yourself Belgian waffle stand. Nothing beats a steaming hot freshly made waffle, brownish on the outside, deliciously soft and steamy on the inside, topped with maple/chocolate/fruits of the forest sauce (actually why choose, just put all of them together) some fresh cream, a ball of ice-cream and some chopped caramelized pecans. I’d try something new every day but the Belgian waffle stand was a must stop every single day of my vacation.

I recently remembered my vacation when I came across Waring Pro WMK300A Professional Stainless-Steel Belgian Waffle Maker. Waring is a veteran professional kitchen equipment maker that recently started to produce home versions of popular pro kitchen gadgets. Their Belgian waffle maker is actually no different than a professional one. The only notable different is the folding handle which makes it easy to store in a limited home kitchen.
The unit features professional options such as 180 degrees rotation to make sure the batter fully covers the mold, deep pockets form to accommodate your choice of sauces and toppings, and browning control that lets you choose your preference of color – from light to dark brown. The unit will let you know using beeps when it is ready to use and when the waffles are ready. The unit is attractively housed in brushed stainless steel, and to top it all – one year warranty.
Here is a quick Belgian waffle batter recipe for those who already onw the unit and for those who intend to:

Belgian Waffle Batter

Ingredients:
• 1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
• 1/4 cup warm milk (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
• 3 egg yolks
• 2 3/4 cups warm milk (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
• 3/4 cup butter, melted and cooled to lukewarm
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 egg whites
Method:
1. In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in 1/4 cup warm milk. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, 1/4 cup of the warm milk and the melted butter. Stir in the yeast mixture, sugar, salt and vanilla. Stir in the remaining 2 1/2 cups milk alternately with the flour, ending with the flour. Beat the egg whites until they form soft peaks; fold into the batter. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.
3. Preheat the waffle iron. Brush with oil and spoon about 1/2 cup (or as recommended by manufacturer) onto center of iron. Close the lid and bake until it stops steaming and the waffle is golden brown. Serve immediately or keep warm in 200 degree oven.

You can get the Waring Pro WMK300A Professional Stainless-Steel Belgian Waffle Maker now on amazon for only 69.99$ (true to the time of this post’s publishing). They also offer free shipping if you use their super saver plan (which basically means the unit is delivered within 5-9 business days).