“I,” I declared to my flatmate, four and a half years ago, “am going to get a waffle iron, to celebrate moving to London.”

Spoiler: I did not get a waffle iron. Until this month, when my lovely colleagues bought me one. I am an idiot, and it is one of the best things that’s ever happened to me. Admittedly, I once said that about a pod coffee machine too, but we have all been young and foolish (and then older and foolish).

Anyway, a waffle habit is a hard one to sustain, due to the fact that a lot of the recipes out there use a load of butter. I mean…enough butter to make a 12-person cake with, some of them. A horrendous quantity.

So! Waffles, made fluffy with egg white, with minimal, and even then, optional, butter. A lil bit of sugar. A good basis for fruit and yoghurt, or avocado and eggs, or cheese, under the grill. 

On this occasion, the recipe is in cups, because why use scales AND a jug when you could just use a cup measure? After all, no-one wakes up on a weekend morning thinking, “I can’t wait to eat waffles and wash up!”

Makes six waffles

Ingredients

2 cups plain flour, plus 2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
4 large eggs, whites and yolks separated
2 tbsp sugar of your choice (I like soft light brown)
2 cups milk (cow, almond, whatever takes your fancy)
Knob of butter, melted (optional!)
½ tsp good quality vanilla extract
Something to grease the iron with – I use Frylight!

Method

1. Oven on! Only to a low heat, as you’ll be using it to keep the waffles warm as you make more.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. In another bowl, beat the egg whites until they form stiff peaks. Turn your waffle iron at this point so it can start getting nice and hot.
3. If you want to make yourself more washing up, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, milk, optional melted butter, and vanilla in a bowl. Otherwise just wang all those things into the dry ingredients and mix to combine.
4.  Suuuuper carefully, fold in the egg whites until it’s just come together. Grease up your waffle iron (spray, melted butter or oil applied with a silicone brush, something like that) and off you go! One and a bit ladles of mixture will make one waffle, using a round 6-inch iron. Pop them into the oven to keep them warm until serving and top to your heart’s content.