Active time: 50 minutes. Total time: 50 minutes, plus rising overnight. Makes 8 large waffles and 1½ to 2 cups syrup. Recipe created by Tanya Holland. Tanya Holland dreamed of becoming a star chef. Who knew she’d find the best kind of fame running Brown Sugar Kitchen in gritty West Oakland?
- Waffles:
- 1 (¼-ounce) package – active dry yeast
- 3/4 cup – warm water
- 3 eggs
- 3 cups – whole milk
- 1 cup – cornmeal
- 2 cups – all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 tspn – kosher salt
- 1 1/2 tspn – sugar
- 3/4 cup (1½ sticks) – melted butter
- 1/2 tspn – baking soda
- Vegetable oil for greasing waffle iron
- Syrup:
- 1 1/2 cups – brown sugar
- 1 1/2 tspn – apple cider vinegar
- 2 cups – apple cider
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 2 Tbsp – butter
To make waffles: In a small bowl, stir together yeast and water and let stand until foamy, about 10 minutes. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs and milk. In a medium bowl, sift together cornmeal, flour, salt, and sugar. Add yeast mixture to eggs and milk. Whisk in dry ingredients, then butter. Cover bowl and refrigerate overnight.
Stir baking soda into waffle batter. Preheat waffle iron and brush lightly with vegetable oil. Cook waffles until golden and cooked through, about 3 minutes. Keep finished waffles warm in an oven in one layer to stay crisp.
To make syrup: Combine all syrup ingredients in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil and reduce until liquid coats the back of a spoon, 10 to 15 minutes. (If not using right away, refrigerate syrup in an airtight container for up to 1 month.)