MIMI THORISSON’S OLD FASHIONED WAFFLES

“I cook most of our family’s meals; my dear husband says I’ve pushed him out of the kitchen! But Oddur makes foolproof soft-boiled eggs and Mia, my eldest, is a little wizard with pancakes and waffles—French, Icelandic, and even American ones. So, on weekends, often the family lets me stay in bed and brings me breakfast. Those are some of my favorite moments. Catching up with monthly magazines, reading books, or pretending to read and actually doing nothing. My favorite of Mia’s waffles is this yeasted French version that we perfected together—they are heavenly with just a sprinkling of powdered sugar, a strong cup of tea, and some peace and quiet. These waffles work really well as desserts as well, with whipped cream or chocolate or caramel sauce.”

Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients

1 ½ cups/375 ml whole milk

2 teaspoons/10 g crumbled fresh yeast

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

2 cups/240 g all-purpose flour, sifted

3 large eggs, separated

7 tablespoons/100 g unsalted butter, melted

2 tablespoons dark rum

A pinch of fine salt

Confectioner’s sugar, for serving

Preparation

Warm 2 tablespoons of the milk until lukewarm and mix with the yeast and sugar in a small bowl. Let sit until frothy, 5 minutes.

Put the flour in a large bowl and make a well in the center. Add the yeast mixture to the well, mix it into the flour, and then gradually whisk in the rest of the milk, the egg yolks, melted butter, rum, and salt until you have a smooth batter.

Whisk the egg whites with an electric mixer until stiff, then fold into the batter, using a rubber spatula. Cover and let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Cook the waffles according to your waffle maker’s instructions. Dust with confectioner’s sugar before serving.

Find more of Mimi‘s fantastic recipes in her new cookbook, A Kitchen in France.

Photo by Oddur Thorisson