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Pecan Waffles (Cashew makes a good chew but)
The cashew makes a good chew, but nothing can touch the pecan in popularity. Pecans are perfect for nougats, creole pralines, clusters and candies too fancy in general to make out-of-doors. But you might take the electric waffle iron out on the porch for an airing and connect it with the porch light socket. But don't take it too far from a plug-in, like the little boy who lugged his mother's electric toaster deep into the forest to a meeting of the jolly greenwoodsmen of his Robin Hood Club and was surprised when it didn't work because he couldn't find a plug on a tree. 2 CUPS FLOUR 2 EGGS I CUP GRATED PECANS 4 TABLESPOONS MELTED BUTTER The Batter 1½ CUPS MILK I 2 TABLESPOONS SUGAR 4 TEASPOONS BAKING POWDER A PINCH OF SALT In cooking these crunchy waffles it might be better to do the job on the back porch, or maybe down cellar, for if the neighbors get a whiff of what's going on they'll be right over.
A standard waffle batter enriched with a full cup of ground pecans. The ingredient list is set in two columns that run together, so read it as flour, eggs, pecans, butter, milk, sugar, baking powder and salt.
- Grated pecans"Grated" means ground fine and dry, not chopped and not pasted. Pulse in short bursts in a food processor or use a rotary nut grater; if the nuts warm up and begin to release oil they will weigh the batter down.
- Waffle iron heatThe recipe gives no setting. A modern iron on medium-high (many run in the neighbourhood of 375F) suits this batter; nut-heavy waffles tend to brown faster than plain ones because of the oil in the nuts, so check the first one early.
- Mixing orderBeat the eggs into the milk, add the melted butter, then stir in the combined dry ingredients and the pecans. Stop while the batter is still slightly lumpy; overworking gives a tough waffle.
- Baking powder quantityFour teaspoons to two cups of flour is heavy by current practice, where two to three teaspoons is usual. The extra lift may have been meant to carry the weight of the nuts, but it can leave a faint metallic taste with some brands.
- YieldAbout six to eight waffles in a standard square iron, depending on depth. Serve at once, straight from the iron, rather than stacking them, which steams the crust soft.
- The porch electricityThe joke about the plug in a tree is dated, but the practical point stands: an outdoor waffle iron wants a proper grounded exterior outlet or GFCI-protected extension cord, not a light socket adapter.