Sugar Waffles with Mascarpone and Marsala

Do you guys ever make waffles and they look a little pale? Leave them in too long and they burn, or your waffle iron is a communist and doesn't let you control your timing or temp? (okay ignore that).

Instead of buying specialty sugar for sugar waffles, called pearl sugar, which is broken down from refined sugar blocks, and is the left over sediments when sugar has been granulated, I have a solution to get a candied, sweet waffle.

Why can't I just add extra sugar? Pearl sugar is able to sustain higher temperatures, without burning. granulated sugar caramelizes too quickly in waffle irons, which results in the obvious. Problem is, pearl sugar isn't a practical ingredient in most homes. Solution granted!

Instant waffle mixes won't work with this method. They're mostly flour,& baking powder, then just add water or milk. There isn't enough fat to keep the waffle tender in the middle when you caramelize it. Make your batter from scratch. Belgian or regular is fine.

What's the difference between a Belgian waffle and a regular waffle? Belgian waffles are made with a yeast dough, while regular waffles, with a quick dough by using baking powder as a leavening. Belgian waffles knead in softened butter, while melted butter is tempered into egg yolks in a regular waffle recipe. Some argue that the size plays a huge part in the distinction, but it's really the technique. For the record, Belgian waffles did not originate in Belgium. 


Waffle Recipe: 

1 1/4 C All Purpose or Pastry Flour
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 tbsp baking powder

3 egg yolks
1 1/8 C milk
1 stick of butter (melted)

3 egg whites
2 tbsp sugar

1. Sift dry ingredients together
2. In separate bowl, mix beaten egg yolks, milk, and butter
3. Combine liquid ingredients to dry ingredients
4. In separate bowl (do not use bowl where egg yolks were), whip egg whites until they form soft peaks. Add sugar until stiff peaks form.
5. Fold egg whites gently into the batter, a spatula full at a time. Do not stir, or egg whites will completely collapse!

Follow manufacture's instructions on your waffle iron. Once waffles are made, set aside to cool. We are going to sweeten them up!

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Make a simple syrup using equal parts sugar and water.
3. Let reduce in half. Baste waffles with simple syrup, and dust with granulated sugar lightly.
4. Bake for 5 minutes each side. They should be slightly caramelized to a nice amber color.

Mascarpone Beurre Blanc & Marsala Syrup: This was my take on butter and syrup.

Ingredients:
4 oz softened mascarpone cheese (at room temp)
1/4 cup confectioner's sugar
1/2 C half and half (or equal parts of milk and heavy whipping cream)
lemon zest
freshly grated nutmeg
1/8 tsp kosher salt
2 oz butter & 1 oz flour kneaded together (French culinary technique and term called "Beurre manie`)
About 2 TBS lemon juice

1.In a saucepan, on medium heat, warm half & half
2.Gradually add confectioner's sugar.
3. Whisk until completely combined and dissolved
4. Add nutmeg, lemon zest, and salt
5. Have mascarpone in a bowl, and gradually pour in mixture, while gently stirring.
6. Place back into clean saucepan, on low heat, and gently whisk.
7. Add lemon juice (it wont curdle as people assume)
8. Kill heat, and add in beurre manie` and continue whisking.
9. Strain sauce for an extra velvety texture.

What is beurre manie`? Its a technique used to finish and thicken sauces. Flour is kneaded into softened butter, and when added to a sauce, will release and dissolve, resulting into a glossy, consistent sauce, without clumping.

Marsala Syrup:
2 oz Marsala wine
2 oz apple juice (the real stuff in the produce section)
2 tbps (1 oz)  sugar
Orange zest (optional)

1. In a saucepan, heat Marsala wine and cook out alcohol.
2. Add remaining ingredients, and reduce.
3. Strain & set aside

How I plated this, was by adding a bit of the Mascarpone beurre (bur) blanc sauce at the bottom of a pasta bowl, and using a chop stick, dotted in the syrup, then in a circular motion, made little waves. Marsala is pretty strong, so you don't need a lot in this recipe. When making what seems like a rich dish, everything in moderation, and everything balanced. This is why we add lemon juice to our sauce, to cut the richness out of it. Serve with fresh berries, stone fruits, green apples, or firm pears. Enjoy!

Amber~

Rainbow Meringue

Hey everyone! I wanted to share a really fun recipe that is kid friendly, colorful and simple. I love including my children when cooking or baking therapeutically. This is the time where I live in the moment while doing what I love, with the people I love.

I believe sharing different aspects of your personality can be reflected by the food you create. At least that is my experience.


Ingredients:

Egg whites
Caster sugar (bakers sugar)
Cream of tartar
Extract (vanilla etc)

Food coloring ( I suggest food gels)


For every 2 egg whites, you need 1/4 of sugar and 1/8 tbs of cream of tartar. 1/2 tsp vanilla extract.

When egg whites are at room temperature, take your stand or hand mixer, and at a low speed, beat egg whites & cream of tartar until foamy. Then gradually add in sugar, at medium high speed. Add in vanilla. When your peaks are glossy, stiff, and the sugar is dissolved, you're done.

What is cream of tartar, and why is it needed for meringue?  Cream of tartar, or potassium bitartrate, is a  sediment that occurs by means of crystallization during wine fermentation. It is derived from tartaric acid, which is found in grapes, and it does regulate the Ph in the fermentation process. It is harvested from wine barrels in it's crystallized form, and I believe then turned into a powder. I have no idea who has that job, but it must be tedious!

It is an important ingredient for meringue, because of its Ph, which is around 3, meaning pretty acidic, it is able to prevent the sugar from crystallizing during the cooking process, while keeping egg whites stable. Sugar always competes with protein, so without the acid in its powdered form, your meringue quickly turns into a weeping mess. If you're lucky enough to get your combative meringue into the oven, the sugar will win the battle by crystallizing.

So boom! Now ya know! back to the recipe! ;D


We did a bit of experimentation when trying to come up with fun colors for our meringue. So this is what we ended up doing:

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For each color used, we used a chopstick to swirl in our colors. I don't recommend using fancy chopsticks, since food gel is notorious for staining the hell out of everything nice. I bought a pack of these cute pink, plastic chopsticks in the Asian district in my city. They were $2 for like 10 pair.

Simply drag your coloring by means of chopstick, around gently, and slowly your meringue. Alternate colors. Have paper towels near by. This can get messy, especially with little ones helping out. It's SO much fun though.

Then when you have your pretty colors mixed and swirled, gently With a spoon, gently scoop the top of your pretty meringue, and drop it onto a parchment lined sheet pan.




Set your oven to 200 F ( 93 C) Low and slow. This is going to take some time if you want your meringue to maintain it's glossy, white finish. To prevent too much coloring on the bottom, you can use the double sheet tray. It may take up to an hour to get these cookies done. Don't panic though. Check on them every so often, but please for the love of the universe do not open and close your oven the entire time. Your meringue will take forever to cook, and because of the crazy temperature changes, you're going to cause shrinkage. Keep your timer handy.

If your little ones are helping out, let them go a little crazy. I wanted to use a piping bag, just to test everything out, but I'm fresh out of piping bags, and I am going to assume that it would be a ridiculous mess. I am willing to give it a shot in the future though, so if it all works out some how, I'll take back everything I said! I know there is a way to do it. There has to be!