Active Time

　　30 min

　　Total Time

　　30 min

　　In 1964 my family visited New York’s futuristic World’s Fair. Living in Queens, where the fair was held, made us feel like the space age was upon us, and for years afterward we would drive by the famous Unisphere. My dad never got to explore space in his lifetime, but his love for waffles, sparked by the fair’s Belgian pavilion, never waned.

　　Editor’s note: This Gourmet recipe brings together the charms of Belgian waffles—a remarkably crisp exterior and a light, fluffy interior—with the slight tang of buttermilk waffles. But perhaps the most important part is the topping: sliced bananas quickly sautéed in butter until golden, and mixed with a touch of maple syrup. The luscious topping really works as a contrast to the crispy waffles, so you’ll want to follow the Epicurious guide, keeping an eye on the steam coming out of your waffle maker. Do not open your waffle maker until there is absolutely no steam left rising. And give the machine a moment between batches to return to the proper temperature—a cooled waffle iron will give you floppy waffles. Feel free to double the batch so you can fill your freezer with toaster-friendly waffle breakfasts.

　　This recipe was originally published in the June 2005 issue of ‘Gourmet’ and first appeared online December 31, 2014.

　　

Ingredients

Makes 8 waffles

　　

For waffles

2 cups all-purpose flour

　　2 tablespoons sugar

　　2 teaspoons baking powder

　　1 teaspoon baking soda

　　¾ teaspoon salt

　　2 cups well-shaken buttermilk

　　¾ stick (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted and cooled to room temperature

　　2 large eggs

　　Vegetable oil for waffle iron

　　

For topping

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

　　2 firm-ripe large bananas, cut diagonally into 1/3-inch-thick slices

　　1¼ cups pure maple syrup

　　Accompaniment: sour cream or whipped cream

　　

Special Equipment

a waffle iron (preferably Belgian-style)

　　

Make waffles:

Step 1

Put oven rack in middle position and put a large metal cooling rack directly on it. Preheat oven to 250°F and preheat waffle iron.

　　

Step 2

Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.

　　

Step 3

Whisk together buttermilk, melted butter, and eggs in another bowl, then whisk into flour mixture until just combined.

　　

Step 4

Brush hot waffle iron lightly with vegetable oil and pour a slightly rounded ½ cup of batter into each waffle mold (see cooks' note, below). Cook waffles according to manufacturer's instructions until golden and cooked through, about 3 minutes. Transfer as cooked to rack in oven to keep warm, keeping waffles in 1 layer to stay crisp. Make more waffles in same manner.

　　

Make topping:

Step 5

While last batch is cooking, heat butter in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until foam subsides, then add banana slices in 1 layer and cook until golden, about 1 minute per side. Remove from heat and add syrup to skillet.

　　

Step 6

Spoon bananas over waffles, then drizzle with warm syrup before serving.

　　Cooks' note:

　　If using a regular waffle iron (not Belgian), batter will yield about 14 waffles using ⅓ cup per waffle.