Rice Griddle Cakes and Waffles

This is a variation rather than a standalone formula: cooked rice folded into a batter you already know. A few things govern whether it turns out tender or gluey.

• How much riceThe recipe specifies 1 cup of cooked rice. A batter built on roughly 1 to 1 1/2 cups of flour, the usual size of a household pancake recipe, will carry that amount; much more rice and the cakes may struggle to hold together on the turn.
• Cold rice onlyCold rice -- Leftover rice will usually be cold, and cold grains tend to stay separate in the batter; warm, freshly cooked rice is stickier and can make the cakes pasty.
• Fold, do not stirAdd the rice at the very end with a few strokes. Overworking breaks the grains down and develops the flour, giving tough cakes.
• Griddle heatMedium, a surface where a drop of water skitters rather than vanishes instantly. Rice cakes are heavier than plain pancakes and will need a little longer per side to set through the middle.
• Waffle ironBatter with rice in it needs a well greased iron and a bit more baking time than plain waffle batter. Do not lift the lid early; the grains hold steam and the crust needs the full cycle to crisp.
• Thin the batter slightlyThin the batter if needed -- Cooked rice can take up some liquid as the batter stands, so a batter that looked right when mixed may thicken. Keep a little extra milk to hand in case it needs loosening between batches.