star-shaped mini waffle maker (or (1) star-shaped cookie cutter and regular waffle maker--see note below)
Ingredients
Waffles
1cupall-purpose flour
1tablespoonbrown sugar, packed
2teaspoonsbaking powder
¼teaspoonbaking soda
¼teaspoonsalt
2tablespoonsmalted milk powder
1largeegg, lightly beaten
1teaspoonvanilla extract
1 cup + 2tablespoonsbuttermilk
2tablespoonsbutter, melted
Brown Sugar Syrup
½cup (1 stick)butter
½cupbrown sugar, packed
½cupbuttermilk
1dashsalt
1teaspoonvanilla extract
1teaspoonbaking soda
fresh fruit for garnish
Instructions
Waffles
Sift the flour, sugar, baking powder, soda, salt, and malted milk powder into a medium bowl.
In another bowl, whisk the egg, vanilla, and buttermilk together. Stir in the butter and mix well.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir until incorporated. Do not overmix. If the batter is too thick, add a little more buttermilk.
Heat the waffle maker until hot. Then grease it with cooking spray. Pour about 1 1/2 tablespoons of batter into the maker, spreading it out to the edges of the star. Close the lid and cook for about a minute. Then open it to see if the waffle is brown. If it is not brown, cook it for a few more seconds. If it is brown, use a silicone cooking utensil to remove it.
Brown Sugar Syrup
Melt butter in a medium-sized saucepan. Add the brown sugar, buttermilk, and salt. Bring to a boil and stir for 1 to 2 minutes, or until the sugar is dissolved.
Remove the pan from the heat and add the vanilla and baking soda. Stir. The mixture will foam from the baking soda.
Pour the syrup over the waffles. Garnish with fruit and serve immediately.
Notes
Substitutions
Make star waffles with a cookie cutter. Even if you do not have a star-shaped waffle maker, you can still make star waffles using a regular round waffle maker. When the waffle is cooked, use a star-shaped cookie cutter to cut out a waffle star from the middle. Then use the leftover waffle too. Fill the hole with fruit and whipped cream to give it a festive look.