Waffles, Crepes and Pancakes by Norma Norma Miller Read Free Book Online Page A

adding enough of the milk to make a smooth batter the consistency of double (heavy) cream. Stir in the chopped apple.
3. Preheat the waffle maker to ‘Medium’ heat.
4. When at temperature, open the machine and pour a small ladleful of batter into the compartments, taking care not to overfill.
5. Close the machine and cook for 4–6 minutes until golden brown.
6. Cook the remaining batter and keep warm.
7. Dust the warm waffles with icing sugar and serve warm

4
Savoury Pancakes – A Second Helping
    P ICTURE A PAINTER’S palette. It’s great fun to surprise people with savoury waffles and pancakes in bright, vibrant colours. Just mix colourful ingredients into the fillings and toppings.
    There’s tomato juice for a rosy red colouring. For a touch of yellow, use a lemon. Spinach or herbs will produce various shades of green, and grated beetroot (beet) will give your crêpes a deep maroon hue. You don’t have to be subtle or understated – good food can be a treat for the eye as well as for the appetite.
    With several of these recipes, the topping can be prepared beforehand. If you do this, you can then complete the process for the topping while the waffles or pancakes are being made. For ease of reading, I haven’t always included this alternative approach within the individual recipes.

Spiced Basil Waffles
    Tomato juice with basil gives a Mediterranean flavour and a reddish colour to these waffles. The Worcestershire sauce adds spice.
    Serves 4–6
Small bunch of basil leaves
115 g / 4 oz / 1 cup plain (all-purpose) flour
1 tsp baking powder
Pinch of salt
3 medium eggs
2 tbsp melted butter
150 ml / ¼ pint / ⅔ cup tomato juice
½ tsp Worcestershire sauce
150 ml / ¼ pint / ⅔ cup milk
1. Pull the basil leaves from the stalks and tear into small pieces.
2. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Make a well in the centre, break in the eggs and pour in the melted butter. With a whisk, gently stir the flour mixture into the eggs, gradually adding the tomato juice, Worcestershire sauce and enough of the milk to make a smooth batter the consistency of double (heavy) cream. Stir in the torn basil.
3. Preheat the waffle maker to ‘Medium’ heat.
4. When at temperature, open the machine and pour a small ladleful of batter into the compartments, taking care not to overfill.
5. Close the machine and cook for 4–6 minutes until golden brown and crisp.
6. Cook the remaining batter, and serve warm.

Blinis, Smoked Salmon and Soured Cream
    Blinis are Russian yeasted pancakes, topped with smoked salmon, soured cream and fish roe, and traditionally made with buckwheat flour. Mine use a yeasted batter, but you can use baking powder as the raising agent. As blinis are small, several can be cooked at the same time. Freeze the remainder in small batches.
    Topping to serve 6–8 as appetizers
Blinis
55 g / 2 oz / ½ cup buckwheat flour
55 g / 2 oz / ½ cup plain (all-purpose) flour
¼ tsp salt
½ tsp caster sugar
½ tsp fast-action dried yeast
2 medium eggs
2 tbsp melted butter
2 tbsp finely chopped dill
300 ml / ½ pint / 1¼ cups milk
Oil or melted butter
Topping
200 g / 7 oz smoked salmon
Sprigs of dill
300 ml / ½ pint / generous 1¼ cups soured cream
Small amount of salmon roe, optional
Freshly milled black pepper
Lemon wedges, to squeeze over
1. Sift the buckwheat flour, plain (all-purpose) flour and salt into a bowl and add the sugar. Stir in the yeast. Make a well in the centre and break in the eggs, pour in the melted butter and add the chopped dill. With a whisk, gently stir the flour into the eggs, gradually adding enough of the milk to make a smooth batter the consistency of single (light) cream. Cover the bowl with oiled clear film (plastic wrap) and leave in a warm place until doubled in size, about 45 minutes to an hour. Before using, mix the batter and, if too thick, stir in a little milk.
2. Lightly brush the crêpe maker or a non-stick frying pan with a little oil or melted butter. Preheat the crêpe