When cornbread and waffles collide, you get one of my favorite weekend breakfast treats: cornmeal waffles. Similar to crispy buttermilk waffles, they can go sweet or savory, depending how you dress them and hold up well to a number of toppings – powdered sugar, maple syrup, fruit, even fried chicken.
Cornmeal in the batter gives the waffles a nice golden color and unique crunch. And while you can easily mix all the ingredients in one bowl, if you have the time and patience, whip the egg white separately and then fold it into the batter. This extra step results in perfectly light and fluffy (versus dense and rubbery) waffles.
Recipe adapted from Food Republic.
Golden Cornmeal Waffles
Makes about 8 waffles (using a Belgian waffle iron)
Ingredients
- ⅔ cup yellow cornmeal
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- 4 teaspoons sugar
- ¾ + ⅛ teaspoon baking powder
- ⅛ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 large egg, separated
- 1⅙ cups buttermilk, at room temperature (see notes)
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, combine the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt; mix well.
- In a separate bowl, combine the egg yolk and buttermilk; mix well. Gradually whisk in the butter.
- Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture and mix just until the batter is combined.
- In a clean small bowl, beat the egg white until soft peaks form. Then, gently fold the egg white into the batter with a rubber spatula.
- Preheat a waffle iron. Follow the directions on your waffle iron to cook the waffles; you do not need to grease the iron as the butter in the batter will allow the waffles to easily release. Serve immediately, or set aside to cool and freeze for later.
Notes
I rarely buy buttermilk because it's so easy to make with ingredients you likely have on hand. Just pour 1 tablespoon lemon juice or white vinegar in a measuring cup and add enough milk to measure 1⅙ cups. Let the mixture sit at room temperature for 5-10 minutes until curdled.
