Tasty treat for a stormy morning

There's a powerful storm raging outside this morning, in from the Arctic, with cold temperatures, high gusty winds and rain. We're warm and cozy inside, but every time the wind gusts, we look up and wonder if the lights will go out.

This is weather for a nice warm breakfast.

Sognsvann, Kringsja, Oslo, 1991

 In 1991 our family lived in Oslo, Norway for a winter. [The Man I Love] had accepted a visiting professor appointment at the University of Oslo, and Our Son and I joined him. One of the things I remember is a weekend after a long blizzard when the parks and woods around us were covered in a thick blanket of snow that attracted scores of skiers. And near the trails, there was a little wood shed, shuttered until this particular day, now open and selling freshly made waffles, to slake their post-ski hunger. The waffles were cooked in a heart-shaped iron, and served with lingonberry jam and sour cream, and they were delicious.

No Eggos they, those waffles seemed unattainable when we returned to the states. It wasn't until several years later than Our Son, coming home from a sleepover with a friend, requested home-made waffles. His friend's dad had made them for breakfast, he said, and he wanted us to try them.

I bought a cheap American-style waffle-maker, and for the next several weeks, I made fresh waffles for Sunday breakfast. Then, as kids do, Our Son's interest moved to something else, and the waffle iron ended up buried deep in a kitchen cabinet.

This morning, maybe it was the cold wind and the sense of warmth in the house that made me take it out again.

The waffles I made this morning were made with leftover cooked rice from some Thai take-out.

Rice Waffles

1 cup cooked rice
1 1/2 cup flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons melted butter
1 1/2 cup milk
1 egg, divided

Mix together the rice, flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Mix together the milk, melted butter and egg yolk, and combine them with the dry ingredients.

Whip the egg white until it forms soft peaks. Fold the whipped egg white into the batter, and cook in a waffle iron according to the manufacturer directions.

My waffle iron works simply. With non-stick grids, you simply wipe it with a little oil (I sprayed Pam on a paper towel, and wiped the iron with it). Plug in the iron. The indicator light will go on. When it goes off, the iron is hot enough to spoon the batter in.

Steam comes out as the waffle cooks.

 Close the iron - the light will go on again. Wait for it go off again, and gently try to open it. If it sticks, wait a bit, and try again. The waffle should be browned and done.

If I hadn't known they were made with leftover rice, I couldn't have noticed anything different about these waffles, so I'll say it doesn't matter. They were light, and momentarily crispy - you had to eat them fresh before the steam made them soften. I think they could have used a touch of vanilla, sugar, or nutmeg for taste - or a pinch of ground cardamom, as Norwegians like them.

Skiing makes you hungry  -  Our Son and me, 1991

 In Norway they eat them with jam or berries and whipped cream. Here in the US we sweeten them with maple syrup. LA is famous for pairing waffles with fried chicken, at the famous chain of soul food restaurants, Roscoe's Chicken and Waffles.

I was pleased to see how easy it was to set up the waffle iron, make the batter, cook the waffles and clean up and put it all away again. They were even easier to make than pancakes! Why don't I make these more often?

What are your weekend breakfast specialties?