The Joy of Cooking (cornmeal waffles)

The Joy of Cooking is unlike any other coobook ever written. I always thought that Delia was the cooking bible, but I was wrong, so wrong. I think it's my Englishness, I just didn't know any better. Does Delia tell you how to skin a squirrel? With diagrams no less? She certainly does not, and I doubt that she has ever skinned a squirrel or eaten an armadillo or a porcupine. Delia, you're welcome to correct me if I'm wrong.

Darren and Lizz found this ridiculously good recipe in the JoC for cornmeal waffles with bacon inside (this in itself warrants praise because the thing is so damned thick). I'm not a big waffle person, I prefer the esteemed pancake, but these waffles win the hot cake competition. Crispy and steaming, the cornmeal gives them a crunchy texture and the bacon, well, provides all that bacony goodness that bacon should. We had them topped with strawberries and maple syrup and although after two of them you're full until dinner, the only reason I stopped was because the batter ran out.

Tommy, I promised you the recipe and I quote from JoC:

Don't worry about too much grease from the bacon as this is all absorbed in the cooking.

Beat slightly:
2 eggs
Add:
1 3/4 cups milk
Sift:
1 cup cake flour or 7/8 cup all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons double-acting baking powder
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
Add:
1 cup yellow stone-ground cornmeal
Combine these ingredients with the eggs and milk in a few quick strokes. Add:
1/4 cup melted bacon fat or other shortening
Cut into halves or quarters
6 to 12 very thin slices bacon

Place pieces of bacon on each waffle iron selection after pouring the batter, (see illustration).

Comments

[tommy]

I was slightly confused by the title and the squirrel skinning diagram, but reading on, it all becomes clear. This post has motivated me to restore my rusty cast iron waffle.

[natasha]

Sorry to confuse, I just couldn't pass up the squirrel diagram and all its earnestness. Definitely try the recipe, it'll make you want to have them every weekend.