Belgian Waffles

***RECIPE, MAKES 6-8 WAFFLES***

• 1 1/2 cups flour (180g)
• 1/4 cup malted milk powder (40g)
• 1/2 cup buttermilk (120mL)
• 1 cup cream (120mL)
• 3/4 cup milk or water (180ml)
• 1/4 cup sugar (four tablespoons, 50g), divided in half
• 2 tablespoons shortening (ideally butter-flavored) or room-temperature butter (25g)
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• cream of tartar, if you have it
• berries, syrup, whatever other garnishes you like

Pour the cream in a mixing bowl and beat until you have whipped cream. Mix in 1-2 tablespoons of sugar depending on how sweet you like things, and maybe a small splash of vanilla. Reserve half the whipped cream in the fridge for garnish and set the other half aside for a moment — we'll call this second half of cream the "batter cream" to avoid confusion.

Rinse the beaters before proceeding or the fat could make the egg hard to beat. Separate the egg and put the yolk in with the batter cream. Beat the white with a tiny shake of cream of tartar until you have soft peaks. Beat in the remaining two tablespoons of sugar and keep beating until you get your peaks back. Set this meringue aside for a moment.

All the remaining ingredients go in with the batter cream: the milk, buttermilk, vanilla, shortening, malted milk powder, flour and baking soda — beat until it just comes together (a few lumps are fine). Dump in the meringue and beat until just barely combined.

This batter is on the sweet side and might burn — use a moderate temperature on your waffle iron. Spray the inside with nonstick and cook the waffles per the manufacturer's instructions. Remove to a cooling rack and let them firm up for a few minutes before serving with the whipped cream and any other toppings you fancy.