Amid the gritty, dramatic tale of 6 trama-ridden teens trying to survive in a cruel world full of crime, death, and tragedy by whatever means possible, one thing is a beacon in the darkness. A spark of hope amidst a crowd of dismay. That, of course, is waffles. At least for Nina, that is.
In case you don't know about this novel, Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo is part one of a fantasy heist duology that follows (you guessed it) 6 teens of varying backgrounds that attempt to pull off *The Greatest Heist in History*. High jinks ensue. Nina Zenik is the Crows' resident Corporalnik, sass master, and gorgeously bold sweet enthusiast, who always has time for waffles.
Naturally, in Nina's honor, I had to find a recipe for these breakfast delights. And as it turns out, there are SO many different kinds of waffles! Belgium, buttermilk, stroopwafel, cornbread, Dutch, American, Mexican, cream, liege, Lithuanian, you name a country, there's probably a waffle from it! But since Kerch, the country this novel is set in, is based on the 17th century Dutch Republic, I chose a hybrid Dutch cream and Belgium waffle recipe! It's a step up from your run-of-the-mill frozen toaster waffles, but is quite easy to make and absolutely perfect for mornings in! Or afternoons in, or evenings in, or 2 AMs in, because waffles should not be confined to a time of day.
Dutch Cream Waffles (But make it Belgium waffles)
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup sugar
3 eggs (separated)
1 cup heavy whipping cream (I also tried regular whole milk and it worked great!)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp almond extract
Note: I think waffles are a bit bland without any sugar but you can choose to omit the sugar or add a smaller amount, especially if you plan to go hard on the toppings. Note note: Please add all kinds of toppings! Butter and syrup are traditional, but you can try fruit, powdered sugar, cinnamon, or even more savory options like bacon, tomatoes, or avocado. Go wild.
Mix the flour, salt, and sugar (If you're adding it) in a large bowl. Great! Set that aside.
Beat egg yolks (all 3) in a separate bowl on low speed until comingled, then gradually pour in 1 cup of heavy whipping cream (or other dairy alternative) while mixing. Then add the vanilla extract and almond extract, and beat until it's all homogenous and one color.
Add the wet ingredients to the flour, salt, and sugar you set aside earlier and mix until smooth.
In another, clean bowl with clean whisk/beaters, beat the egg whites on high until stiff peaks form, about 2 minutes. Don't take your eyes off the egg whites! This recipe is really forgiving so it doesn't really matter if the egg whites are over whipped, but they whip really fast! Speaking from personal experience.
Fold the whipped egg whites into the batter mixture (flour, sugar, salt, egg yolk mixture from earlier) until combined and smooth!
Bake waffles in a preheated waffle iron, preferably a Belgium waffle iron, but a regular one will work as well. Bake for about 4 minutes or until the outside is golden and crispy. Add toppings and enjoy! Even if you don't have a waffle iron (although I hope you do since you've gotten this far in a waffle recipe) I bet you could make some pretty stellar waffle batter muffins or pancakes!
Here's how mine turned out! I may have over whipped the egg whites and burnt a few, but they still tasted great!
Now, whenever I pick up Six of Crows for the 16th time, I can have a nice treat to go along with my favorite book! I wish you well on your waffle escapades and I hope you'll enjoy them as much as me (and Nina)!
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