It’s not often that I want waffles, but when I do, I want them to be crunchy on the outside, fluffy on the inside and delicious through and through. I’ve been eyeing up this waffle iron at one of the only bake shops we have in Hong Kong, and I finally got round to purchasing it.

Of course, this need for waffles was even more enhanced with my love of the Heilala infused vanilla flavours that I am now in possession of. It felt natural to add the berry-infused vanilla into the waffles, to be accompanied by Greek yoghurt and homemade raspberry compote.

The berry flavour of the vanilla is noticeable, but still subtle. The waffles themselves are just how I like them – but I won’t lie. It took me a good three attempts to understand the right timing to get perfectly cooked waffles.

I think next time, I’d crumble some fresh raspberries up and add them to the waffles as well, on top of the yoghurt and raspberry compote. As a side note, my raspberry compote was literally taking frozen raspberries, putting them in a saucepan over a low heat, and allowing them to turn into a liquid. That was it. Tangy and fresh.

These waffles make a great weekend brunch for friends, family, or for yourself. The batter recipe below makes approximately 12 waffles, so increase or reduce the ingredient amounts as you need.

Ingredients

210 grams plain flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
75 grams caster sugar
2 eggs, separated
115 grams unsalted butter, melted
500 ml skimmed milk
1 tablespoon Heilala Berry Infused Vanilla

1. Sift baking powder and flour into a large bowl. Add salt and sugar and mix well.
2. Add the egg whites in a small bowl, and using an electric whisk, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form.
3. In another bowl, whisk the egg yolks, butter, milk and vanilla together.
4. Whisk the butter mixture into the flour mixture, until just combined. Then gently fold in the egg whites until combined. Do not stir, as this will cause the egg whites to lose their air.
5. Make sure your waffle pan or iron is sprayed with oil. If using a handheld one over a hob, like mine, heat the waffle iron up for a few minutes on each side before adding the batter.
6. Fill the flat side of the waffle iron with batter, close the lid, and cook for 2 minutes. Flip the waffle iron over and cook for another 3 minutes. A general idea of when the waffles are done is when steam stops escaping from the waffle iron.
7. If you are using an electric waffle maker, follow the user guide.
8. Continue to cook the waffles until the batter is finished.
9. Serve warm with yoghurt and berry compote, or condiments of your choice.