I had made yeasted, buckwheat waffles twice and loved them. But they are very time-consuming and caloric, what with eggs that needed to be separated, melted butter, and the time needed to rise. These cinnamon raisin waffles were adapted from the wheat flour recipe that came with my waffle maker. I wasn’t sure if I should use a one-to-one substitution for the flour or add starch and xanthan gum. As I had found that pancakes suffered with the addition of starch, I compromised by only adding xanthan gum. And the texture and taste were perfect!

Cinnamon Raisin Waffles
(can be doubled)                                                        

1 cup sorghum flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 and 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 cup cold water + 1/4 cup cream (or 3/4 cup milk)
1 egg
2 tablespoons oil
1/3 cup raisins

Preheat waffle maker.

Whisk together sorghum flour, baking powder, xanthan gum, salt, and cinnamon. Add brown sugar, stirring with a fork to be sure it is mixed in uniformly. In a measuring cup, combine water, cream, egg, and oil. Mix with a fork until blended. Whisk into dry ingredients. Then mix in raisins with a fork.

Ladle about 1/2-cup batter (one soup ladle) into waffle maker. Cook waffles 4-5 minutes, until done. Extra waffles can be frozen and reheated in toaster or toaster oven (using the toast feature). Yield: 4 waffles.

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Yum! These waffles lived up to their name, with the cinnamon and raisin flavor coming through without being overpowering. My boyfriend and I enjoyed them with 100 percent maple syrup. My only problem was that there were only four. I would definitely double this recipe in the future.

Update: I’ve eaten the last two frozen waffles this week. They were just as delicious reheated. I wish I had made eight.

Long ago and far away, when my children were young and I was still eating wheat, making yeasted waffles for dinner was one of my family’s biggest treats. We’d decorate them with blueberries (one in each “slot” in the case of my son) or raspberries (my daughter’s favorite) or blackberries (my preference), homemade whipped cream, and bacon. Did I forget to mention syrup? Well, there was definitely either blueberry or maple syrup—or both.

When I began eating gluten-free, I gave my daughter my electric waffle iron, finding no way to clean it adequately of residual gluten. Then, a few years ago, I bought a new waffle maker. I am somewhat ashamed to admit that it sat in the closet for about three years, maybe more, pristine and beckoning to me. But the yeasted waffles I wanted to try to create without gluten take at least 90 minutes. I had never taken the initiative until today, when I knew that my boyfriend and I could share them for lunch.

After finding my trusted recipe that called for wheat flour, I decided to use buckwheat rather than sorghum flour, as buckwheat flour is less delicate. My boyfriend and I love buckwheat pancakes, so I wasn’t going to let a silly detail like never having heard of a buckwheat waffle spoil my creativity. The recipe was simple to convert—just substitute the buckwheat flour for the wheat flour.

This recipe produces a crisp and light waffle, perfect for layering with fruits, whipped cream, and syrup.

Buckwheat Belgian (Yeasted) Waffles

2 and 1/2 cups buckwheat flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 eggs, separated
1 cup cream + 1 cup water (or 2 cups whole milk), lukewarm
1 package active dry yeast
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
In a small bowl, whisk buckwheat flour, sugar, and salt.
In a large bowl or stand mixer bowl, beat egg yolks.

Warm water and cream to lukewarm (warm to the pinky; feels neither hot nor cold when dropped on to the inner part of the wrist). Immediately, sprinkle yeast on top and combine. Add to egg yolks with vanilla and mix. Then add flour mixture. Next, blend in melted butter.

In a separate bowl, whisk egg whites till stiff peak stage, preferably by hand. (This allows more air to be whisked in than by using a mixer.) Egg whites are beaten enough when the bowl can be turned over without the egg whites moving. Do not overbeat. Quickly fold egg whites into batter, using a rubber spatula and a figure-eight motion. Cover with a dishtowel and leave in a warm place for 45 minutes. (I had to remove one oven rack to place my stand mixer bowl in the oven at the lowest temperature—preheated for just a minute to 170 degrees—with the oven turned off prior to allowing the dough to rise.)

Batter will not double in bulk, but it should be lighter, with air bubbles.

Prior to the 45 minutes, spray electric waffle griddle, and preheat.

Spoon about 1 cup of the batter onto the griddle, cooking about 4 minutes per waffle. Remove to cooling rack. Eat immediately topped with berries, whipped cream*, and syrup. Yield: 7-8 waffles. Freezes well. Do NOT thaw before heating. Place in toaster or toaster oven.

* To make homemade whipped cream, use heavy cream and a mixer. Beat on high under soft peaks form. Add white sugar to taste (2 tablespoon per cup). Beat until done, but do not overbeat. Overbeating will form butter.

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These waffles were perfect! Combined with the fruit, whipped cream, and maple syrup, eating only one was filling. I can’t wait to eat the remaining six that are now frozen.

Each time I reentered the house, even hours later, I was greeted with the aroma of vanilla and yeast—better than any scented candle. I can’t wait to try this recipe with other gluten-free flours. Stay tuned...