These waffles have been a family favorite for years. I got the recipe from my brother Matt Weaver of Speed101 fame. They are crispy on the outside and light and tender on the inside. They are good with traditional butter and maple syrup but are also delicious eaten plain, like a piece of toast. These are SOOO much better than any packaged mix or frozen waffle that they are worth the time to prepare. Be sure to read my Tips to get the most out of this perfect recipe.

Light & Crispy Waffle Recipe

Makes 36 waffles (you'll want to freeze some, see Tips)

Ingredients:

• 5 1/4 C sifted unbleached all purpose flour
• 3 T Rumford Aluminum Free Baking Powder
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 6 eggs, separated
• 3 3/4 C milk
• 1 1/2 C soybean oil

Step One: Mix dry ingredients together with whisk.

Step Two: Beat egg whites until very fluffy and stiff peaks form.

Step Three: Beat together egg yolks, milk and oil; stir into dry ingredients.

Step Four: Start preheating your waffle iron. Make sure it is well seasoned. Spray with cooking spray if necessary and turn on your kitchen fan - expect a little smoke and steam - waffle irons get really hot.

Step Four: Fold in egg whites, leaving a few little fluffs, don't over mix.

Step Five: Bake in preheated waffle iron until of desired doneness, usually 1-3 minutes. You can tell they are getting well browned when the steam starts to die down.

Tips:

1. If you are not going to eat them immediately, place them on a wire rack, not a plate. They will get soggy if they cool on a plate. If you have leftover waffles, place them on a cookie sheet (so they stay flat) in the freezer for 30 minutes. Store them in ziploc freezer bags and reheat by toasting. Now you have instant toaster waffles!

2. A brand new non-stick waffle iron usually makes soggy waffles not matter what for a while for some reason. We had a cast iron waffle iron when I was a kid, but when I got my own place, I got a non-stick waffle iron because they are much less expensive. I was distressed that it yielded soggy waffles but I kept using it anyway. After a while, they started coming out the way they were supposed to. Not sure what causes this phenomenon - but if you are getting soggy waffles from this recipe - it might be your iron. I think the remedy is just to break it in.

Variations:

1. 2 3/4 C all pupose flour and 2 1/2 C whole wheat pastry flour

2. 1 1/4 C soy flour and 3 1/2 C all purpose flour

Serving Suggestions:

1. For a special treat, serve with a scoop of vanilla icecream and maple syrup.