Beer for breakfast? Heck yes! Pancakes, waffles and muffins all make excellent canvases for cooking with beer. All require some sort of liquid ingredient that can be partially or, sometimes, completely substituted with beer.Spiced with coriander and orange peel with virtually no hop bitterness, the Belgian wit is one of the most baking-friendly styles of beer.
My waffle recipe below, which can also be used to make pancakes, calls for St. Cloud Belgian White Ale (which can be substituted for another Belgian-style wit) as well as orange juice, orange zest and ground coriander. The addition of these flavors helps to enhance the similar flavors in the beer. The result is a fruity waffle with a slight hint of spice.
When reduced, beer becomes thick, syrupy and sweet — making it a perfect base for syrups and glazes. My syrup recipe below, similar to the waffles, incorporates ingredients also found in Belgian wit — orange zest and coriander. This syrup can also be diluted with extra beer and used as a glaze for meats, roasted vegetables and even baked tofu.
Cheers!
Belgian Wit Waffles
Dry Ingredients
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon ground coriander
Wet Ingredients
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup orange juice
1 cup St. Could Belgian White Ale, at room temperature
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons grated orange peel
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Method
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients andput aside.
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients. Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients. Mix until batter is well blended and there are no lumps.
Pour the batter into a pre-heated waffle maker and cook according to manufacturer’s instructions. Serve with warm Orange Wit Syrup.
Orange Wit Syrup
Ingredients
1/2 cup St. Cloud Belgian White Ale
1/2 cup orange Juice
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons grated orange peel
1 teaspoon ground coriander
Method
In a medium saucepan, mix the beer and orange juice. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Slowly stir in the sugar. Simmer on low roughly 5-10 minutes until sugar is completely dissolved and the mixture is a thick syrup consistency.
Have you ever made breakfast with beer? Tell me about it.
