Note to Santa - no waffling

Given a choice, a Belgian waffle is my preferred weekend breakfast every time.  I've never been one for those decadent Sunday brunch buffets because I'm happiest with a thick crispy waffle, a little butter and some genuine maple syrup.  A little side note - have you noticed the price of real maple syrup these days?  Its cost per fluid ounce is comparable to certain prescription cough medicines that have a street value!  Not that I'd know or anything.

Anywhoo...


A few years ago, I discovered Belgian waffle Fridays at the staff cafeteria.  If you went over for breakfast before 9 am, you would find a little station set up with a flip waffle maker, and paper cups full of pre-measured waffle batter lined up like little soldiers.  Just rock up, pour your batter onto the waffle iron, flip it over, wait for the beep and viola - a piping hot belgian waffle for about $2.50 or so.  This made me inordinately happy, but unfortunately I do not work there anymore.

Wanting to replicate the experience at home, I asked Santa for a flip waffle iron that first year.  But D (Santa's not-so-little helper) was slightly bitter about the waffle iron we already owned that had been used exactly three times.  I think he told Santa that it was patently ridiculous for me to have TWO waffle makers I didn't use, so sadly, no flip waffle iron for me that year.  What Santa and D failed to realize is that the existing waffle maker produced only anemic, soggy little waffles that were nothing like the deep, crispy Belgian numbers that I craved.  The effort of stirring up the batter and then slaving over that waffle iron 1/4 cup of batter at a time to produce these shadows of what a waffle ought to be was just too much to bear.

Each Christmas, I persisted with a request for a flip waffle maker, only to be disappointed again.  So this year, I scoped out a black Friday deal that provided a 75% discount, which when combined with a tax deduction for a barely used waffle iron donated to Goodwill, made me the proud owner of a flip waffle maker for less than the cost of a fast food breakfast for two.

And, interweb, that was the best $7 I've ever spent on a kitchen gadget.  I have enjoyed a thick, crispy, maple syrup soaked Belgian waffle every weekend and holiday morning this month. It is such a cinch that I intend indulging this habit unchecked for quite some time (and maybe for a few week-night dinners here and there).  The secret is using a pre-made pancake mix labeled 'complete' meaning you add nothing but water (no eggs).  This allows one to whip up only enough batter for a single waffle.  It is brilliant - in the time it takes to preheat the waffle maker, I stir up the batter, and in the three minutes it takes to cook the waffle, I clean up the bowl and tidy everything away.  Then I dig into a luscious maple delight for which I would have happily paid IHOP the cost of the actual waffle iron to enjoy just once.

I think this might be the best Christmas gift that wasn't ever given to me.  Santa and D - eat your heart out...  or maybe just have one of my delicious crispy waffles and admit the error of your ways.