blue bottle coffee's zachte belgium waffles

last saturday morning m and i were downtown (sf) and i really wanted him to try blue bottle coffee's drip coffee. i'm not a big coffee drinker (only started drinking it occasionally since the birth of v), but i do drink it sometimes and mostly just your typical starbucks; and occasionally blue bottle coffee. anyway, i wanted him to try blue bottle's so we headed out to their location at mint plaza. we ordered two drip coffees along with the zachte belgium waffle. i've had their other waffle before (the liege waffle) at the ferry building location. i have to say both waffles were great. the zachte is almost similar to your buttermilk waffle in that it finishes with a nice slather of butter, topped with maple syrup and powdered sugar and optional whipped cream and fresh fruits. we just opted for the maple syrup and powdered sugar with the butter. oh my, the waffle was delicious with just the right amount of sweetness. i was a little worried the maple syrup and powdered sugar may be too much, but no, not at all. i love how soft the waffle was on the inside but nice and crisp on the outside. cutting into it and taking those first few bites felt like you were in some kind of breakfast or food heaven. we really had to slow down and enjoy the waffle because we didn't want to rush through such a good thing. that and the coffee was the perfect saturday morning breakfast combination. you really can't complain.

this morning, craving that exact waffle from last saturday, i decided to whip up my own homemade version. i didn't have any maple syrup on hand so i decided to skip that and just topped mine with powdered sugar and whipped cream with fresh fruits. it was still delicious.

below's the recipe should you want to make some. it's very easy and unlike the liege waffles, there's no yeast so no waiting for the dough to rise! make some and let me know what you think. pretty awesome tasting waffles, isn't it? i say so. now, next time you're in san francisco or at a blue bottle coffee shop elsewhere in the us, order the real thing and do tell me it's one of the best tasting waffles ever. so worth that $8-9 price. :)


this was a photo i took with instagram last weekend. now, seriously, it's one good-looking waffle. delicious!


i love how soft and tender this belgium waffle is; with a perfect crispy exterior and topped off with just the right amount of maple syrup and powdered sugar. a nice cup of coffee completes a delicious breakfast beautifully any day of the week.

blue bottle coffee's zachte belgium waffles
recipe from blue bottle coffee

ingredients:

• 2-1/2 cups (12.3 oz / 350 g) all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup (3.5 oz / 100 g) sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 eggs (3.5 oz / 100 g), at room temperature
• 2 cups (475 ml / 484 g) half-and-half
• 1/2 vanilla bean (or 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract)
• 7 tablespoons (3.5 oz / 100 g) unsalted butter, melted, plus softened butter for serving
• maple syrup, for serving
• powdered sugar, for serving (optional)

directions:

1. in a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt and mix well.
2. in a medium bowl, combine the eggs and half-and-half and whisk vigorously until well blended. split the vanilla bean, scrape the pulp into the egg mixture, and whisk until the vanilla seeds are evenly distributed. add to the flour mixture and stir just until evenly combined. gently stir in the melted butter.
3. preheat a waffle iron to medium-high heat. cook each waffle until the indicator light goes off or until browned and crisp. serve immediately with softened butter and maple syrup. waffles are the most delicious, and have the crispiest exterior, when eaten hot from the iron. if eating with a group, the waffles can be held in a 200°F (93°C) oven until all of the waffles are finished, but the exterior won't be as perfectly crisp.
4. any leftovers can be cooled completely, stored in a zippered freezer bag, and frozen for up to 1 month. reheat them in the toaster for an easy weekday breakfast.

makes 6-7 waffles and takes about 30 minutes to make from start to finish. enjoy! :)