If memory serves, we recently had a discussion about recipe differences
between pancakes and waffles. I think my wife had found a pancake mix
here that suggested leaving out the egg yolks (or maybe it was the egg
whites) when preparing this mix for waffles instead of pancakes.

Today, I happened to be going through the pantry, looking for things I
could use up, and found one open and one unopened box of Pumpkin Pancake
and Waffle Mix, presumably from November (think: Thanksgiving) from
Trader Joe's. This box says to substitute water for the milk, in equal
quantity, IOW, milk gives you pancake batter but the same amount of
water instead gives you waffle batter.

I will start by asking if there is _any_ compelling reason to even
change the recipe at all? The only thing I can think of is, since the
waffle iron contains the batter, it can be thinner - that seems a reason
to me, and using water instead of milk would result in thinner batter,
so I think I'm on board with that particular change. Would using milk
in the waffle batter tend to make it stick to the waffle iron, or create
"too-fluffy" waffles, if there is such a thing?

If anyone would care to track down and review that other recent thread
and/or contribute anything else, that'd be great.

Thanks very much and, yes, I do cook from scratch sometimes, not from
mixes and frozen food, just not during my busy season of work, which is
right now. I'm curious about this in an Alton Brown kind of way.
I'd like to know if there is any sound reasoning and science behind
these changes.

Thanks again.

-S-

On Sun, 27 Jan 2013 13:17:19 -0500, "Steve Freides" >
wrote:

>
> I will start by asking if there is _any_ compelling reason to even
> change the recipe at all? The only thing I can think of is, since the
> waffle iron contains the batter, it can be thinner - that seems a reason
> to me, and using water instead of milk would result in thinner batter,
> so I think I'm on board with that particular change. Would using milk
> in the waffle batter tend to make it stick to the waffle iron, or create
> "too-fluffy" waffles, if there is such a thing?

Aren't people always asking here how to make crispy waffles? Using
water instead of milk would be one way. Milk will make a "tender"
pancake.

--
Food is an important part of a balanced diet.

sf wrote:
> On Sun, 27 Jan 2013 13:17:19 -0500, "Steve Freides" >
> wrote:
>
>>
>> I will start by asking if there is _any_ compelling reason to even
>> change the recipe at all? The only thing I can think of is, since
>> the waffle iron contains the batter, it can be thinner - that seems
>> a reason to me, and using water instead of milk would result in
>> thinner batter, so I think I'm on board with that particular change.
>> Would using milk in the waffle batter tend to make it stick to the
>> waffle iron, or create "too-fluffy" waffles, if there is such a
>> thing?
>
> Aren't people always asking here how to make crispy waffles? Using
> water instead of milk would be one way. Milk will make a "tender"
> pancake.

Good to know. Today, I used a little half and half, a little coconut
milk, but mostly water, and the waffles were pretty soft. (I made a
double recipe and a package of bacon, and I've got only 2 waffles and 2
strips of bacon left. Those teenage boys can eat ...)

-S-

"Steve Freides" > wrote in message
...

> Good to know. Today, I used a little half and half, a little coconut
> milk, but mostly water, and the waffles were pretty soft. (I made a
> double recipe and a package of bacon, and I've got only 2 waffles and 2
> strips of bacon left. Those teenage boys can eat ...)

I bet you haven't only just found that out ... <g>
--
--
http://www.shop.helpforheroes.org.uk/

On 27/01/2013 1:17 PM, Steve Freides wrote:

> I will start by asking if there is _any_ compelling reason to even
> change the recipe at all? The only thing I can think of is, since the
> waffle iron contains the batter, it can be thinner - that seems a reason
> to me, and using water instead of milk would result in thinner batter,
> so I think I'm on board with that particular change. Would using milk
> in the waffle batter tend to make it stick to the waffle iron, or create
> "too-fluffy" waffles, if there is such a thing?


Not really. Pancake recipes vary and waffle recipes vary. I make no
claim to being an expert on waffles, but I do make them about once a
month, so that probably gives me more experience with them than most
people. The only real difference between the batters that I use is that
I separate the eggs, beat the whites and then fold them in.




> Thanks very much and, yes, I do cook from scratch sometimes, not from
> mixes and frozen food, just not during my busy season of work, which is
> right now. I'm curious about this in an Alton Brown kind of way.
> I'd like to know if there is any sound reasoning and science behind
> these changes.
>

Pancake mix is one of my pet peeves. While some here have claimed that
they are good add water only mixes, I haven't found any that rival home
made. The other mixes usually want you to add milk, eggs and oil, and
tht means that you are paying big bucks for a mix that is just flour,
salt, sugar and baking powder. You use so little of them that their cost
is negligible.

Ophelia wrote:
> "Steve Freides" > wrote in message
> ...
>
>> Good to know. Today, I used a little half and half, a little coconut
>> milk, but mostly water, and the waffles were pretty soft. (I made a
>> double recipe and a package of bacon, and I've got only 2 waffles
>> and 2 strips of bacon left. Those teenage boys can eat ...)
>
> I bet you haven't only just found that out ... <g>

True, that...

-S-

Dave Smith wrote:
> On 27/01/2013 1:17 PM, Steve Freides wrote:
>
>> I will start by asking if there is _any_ compelling reason to even
>> change the recipe at all? The only thing I can think of is, since
>> the waffle iron contains the batter, it can be thinner - that seems
>> a reason to me, and using water instead of milk would result in
>> thinner batter, so I think I'm on board with that particular change.
>> Would using milk in the waffle batter tend to make it stick to the
>> waffle iron, or create "too-fluffy" waffles, if there is such a
>> thing?
>
>
> Not really. Pancake recipes vary and waffle recipes vary. I make no
> claim to being an expert on waffles, but I do make them about once a
> month, so that probably gives me more experience with them than most
> people. The only real difference between the batters that I use is
> that I separate the eggs, beat the whites and then fold them in.

Thank you - we'll have to try that - separate the eggs, beat the whites,
fold them in - sounds worth trying.

>> Thanks very much and, yes, I do cook from scratch sometimes, not from
>> mixes and frozen food, just not during my busy season of work, which
>> is right now. I'm curious about this in an Alton Brown kind of
>> way. I'd like to know if there is any sound reasoning and science
>> behind these changes.
>>
>
> Pancake mix is one of my pet peeves. While some here have claimed
> that they are good add water only mixes, I haven't found any that
> rival home made. The other mixes usually want you to add milk, eggs
> and oil, and tht means that you are paying big bucks for a mix that
> is just flour, salt, sugar and baking powder. You use so little of
> them that their cost is negligible.

In the grand scheme of things, it's not a lot of money, and today's
offering, Pumpkin Pancakes, is something that would have turned out to
be a project, I'm sure. This mix called for water/milk, eggs, and
butter. Your point is noted, however, and I will either feel guilty
or make from scratch as soon as I finish the box of Pumpkin Pancake
mix.

-S-

On Jan 27, 1:17*pm, "Steve Freides" > wrote:
> If memory serves, we recently had a discussion about recipe differences
> between pancakes and waffles. I think my wife had found a pancake mix
> here that suggested leaving out the egg yolks (or maybe it was the egg
> whites) when preparing this mix for waffles instead of pancakes.
>
> Today, I happened to be going through the pantry, looking for things I
> could use up, and found one open and one unopened box of Pumpkin Pancake
> and Waffle Mix, presumably from November (think: Thanksgiving) from
> Trader Joe's. *This box says to substitute water for the milk, in equal
> quantity, IOW, milk gives you pancake batter but the same amount of
> water instead gives you waffle batter.
>
> I will start by asking if there is _any_ compelling reason to even
> change the recipe at all? *The only thing I can think of is, since the
> waffle iron contains the batter, it can be thinner - that seems a reason
> to me, and using water instead of milk would result in thinner batter,
> so I think I'm on board with that particular change. *Would using milk
> in the waffle batter tend to make it stick to the waffle iron, or create
> "too-fluffy" waffles, if there is such a thing?
>
> If anyone would care to track down and review that other recent thread
> and/or contribute anything else, that'd be great.
>
> Thanks very much and, yes, I do cook from scratch sometimes, not from
> mixes and frozen food, just not during my busy season of work, which is
> right now. *I'm curious about this in an Alton Brown kind of way.
> I'd like to know if there is any sound reasoning and science behind
> these changes.
>
> Thanks again.
>
> -S-

The only real difference between waffles and pancakes is the cooking
method. Pancakes turn out fluffy because there's nothing on the top
surface of the pancake to keep them from rising. Waffles, on the
other hand, are baked in an enclosed vessel and can only rise as much
as the waffle iron will allow. They're also cooked on both sides at
once. This makes them turn out crispier.

Dave Smith wrote:
>
> Pancake mix is one of my pet peeves. While some here have claimed that
> they are good add water only mixes, I haven't found any that rival home
> made.

I completely agree with you, Dave. A couple of months ago, I got a gift food
pack from some friends. One of the things in there was a small bag of dry
pancake mix. It said to only add water. I finally tried it and it was
horrible. The pancakes stuck to my buttered non-stick pan. If I decide to
use it again, I'm going to treat it as flour only and add my own
ingredients....milk, egg

I normally make my pancakes from scratch using an old Betty Crocker recipe
and they are very good. I always add more milk than the recipe calls for
since I like mine thin (and more moist).

That gift pack *did* include a small (half pint) of real maple syrup and
that's good.

Gary