We trekked northward last weekend to celebrate birthdays with my parents and part of the way we do that is through sharing meals. Saturday night involved a feast of barbecued baby back ribs, among other things. And Sunday morning, I introduced my folks to one of my favorite weekend brunch dishes of all time: Bacon Belgian Waffles. Those three words put together are the culinary equivalent of "I love you" in my book! Crispy, thick-cut bacon finds its way into light, fluffy waffles with a delightfully golden brown exterior that's been helped along by a waffle maker that's been brushed with bacon fat before the batter is poured into it. Then, the final result meets my family's homemade maple syrup and brunch bliss is born!
In addition to the waffles, we brought along the equipment to make a couple of pots of French press coffee and two fresh melons from our CSA box were sliced and set out for nibbling. It was quite the feast! Now, if you don't have a Belgian waffle maker, you can make these waffles in a regular waffle maker, too. You'll just need less batter for each waffle and you could reduce the cooking time to 3-4 minutes, depending on the size and heating capability of your machine. But truly reserve the bacon fat from frying the bacon to brush the waffle maker prior to adding batter. It's the crowning touch on an already-delicious recipe. Enjoy!
Bacon Belgian Waffles
- 1 lb. thick-cut, smoked bacon -- cut into bite-sized pieces
- 2 c. all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 T. baking powder
- 2 T. granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 1/2 c. milk
- 1/3 c. butter -- melted
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
Fry the bacon until crisp. Remove to drain over folded paper towels. Reserve the rendered bacon fat for brushing the waffle iron later.
In a large bowl, mix together the flour, salt, baking powder and sugar; set aside. Preheat the waffle iron. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs. Stir in the milk, butter and vanilla. Pour the milk mixture into the flour mixture; beat until blended.
Brush the preheated waffle iron lightly with some of the reserved bacon fat. Ladle the batter into the waffle iron, filling it about 3/4 full to allow for the batter to expand upon cooking. Cook the waffles until golden and crisp, about 5 minutes for a typical Belgian waffle. Repeat until you've used all the batter. Serve immediately with hot maple syrup or keep warm in an oven on the lowest setting.
Note: These freeze well and can be reheated in a toaster, toaster oven or oven.
- Yields: 4-6 servings
- Preparation Time: 30 minutes