A New Flour Delivers Delicious Healthy Flavor to Waffles

A few weeks ago, I was working on a recipe for waffles made with whole wheat and white flours when one of my talented assistants asked, “Why don’t you use King Arthur’s White Whole Wheat Flour?”  She took me totally off guard. I was not aware of this product and looked it up on line. It turns out that this flour has all the nutritional benefits of whole-wheat flour, but is surprisingly light in both color and taste. 

I used it as a replacement for the equal amounts of white and whole-wheat flours in my original recipe. For extra flavor, I added grated orange zest and juice to the batter. The waffles turned out golden and crisp on the outside and tender beneath.  In my “change is better” mode, I topped these delicious griddled cakes with dollops of orange-scented Greek yogurt and fresh berries in place of the classic duo of maple syrup and butter. Both the flour and the waffles were winners.

King Arthur White Whole Wheat Flour is available in many supermarkets. I plan to keep a bag on hand for more creative baking!

Orange Whole Wheat Waffles, Yogurt, and Fresh Berries

2 1/4 cups white whole wheat flour

3 tablespoons sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/4 cups whole milk

1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice

2 large eggs, separated

5 teaspoons grated orange zest, packed

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled

Yogurt and Berry Topping

1 cup plain Greek-style yogurt (reduced-fat varieties work fine)

4 teaspoons honey

1 teaspoon grated orange zest, packed

Fresh raspberries, strawberries, or blueberries, for garnish

Preheat a waffle iron and, if you plan to hold the waffles until serving time, preheat the oven to 200 degrees F.

In a large bowl, stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. In another bowl, whisk together milk, orange juice, egg yolks, and orange zest. In another bowl, beat the egg whites until firm, but not stiff.

Make a well in the dry ingredients and pour in the milk/egg mixture, blending gently only until the ingredients are combined. Add the butter in a slow stream, continuing to blend until it is incorporated. Gently fold in the egg whites.

In a small serving bowl whisk together yogurt, honey, and orange zest. 

Pour a generous 1/2 cup batter (or more, depending on the size of your waffle iron) into the waffle iron and, using a metal spatula or table knife, spread the batter to within 1/2 inch of the edge. Close the cover and cook approximately 3 minutes, or until crisp and golden brown. (If your waffles aren’t crisp, even after a “ready signal” has sounded, continue to cook them, watching carefully, until crisp and golden.) If not serving the waffles immediately, place in a single layer on racks in the preheated oven while you finish with the remaining batter.

Serve the waffles topped with a generous dollop of the yogurt mixture and garnish with some berries. Makes 6 or more 5- to 6- inch waffles to serve 4 to 6.