Hello lovelies,
in Hong Kong there is a stall on every other corner where somebody turns a waffle out of a strangely round iron, rolls it into a cone and stands it in a glass. These bubble waffles, called egg waffles there, now exist here in two versions: one sweet with vanilla and butter, and one savory with Parmesan and herbs. Crisp outside, airy inside, and you pull the little bubbles off one by one as you eat.
The secret sits unremarkably in the ingredient list: 2 tablespoons of cornstarch. It is why the shell turns crisp while the bubbles stay soft, and without it you simply get a thicker pancake waffle. After that the batter needs 10 minutes of rest, exactly like my waffles with strawberry mint sauce, which fill the same role in a classic iron.
That a waffle batter also works savory surprised me for a long time. In the savory batter, 100 gr (3.5 oz.) of grated Parmesan with oregano and basil replace the sugar, and what comes out is closer to focaccia than to breakfast. I bake my savory zucchini waffles with Parmesan on the same principle, only without bubbles and with vegetables in the batter.
Roll them immediately, while the waffle is warm and pliable, because once cooled it simply cracks through. Into the glass then goes whatever everyone feels like. If you have no bubble iron in the cupboard and still want something to roll and fill, turn my vegan crepes basic recipe into thin rounds, which become just as good a cone.
For an ordinary Sunday morning the bubble iron stays in the cupboard here anyway, because it is too much fuss for two waffles. On those days my coconut lime waffles with coconut milk come out of the classic iron instead.
I hope you roll your first cone soon, and even more that you try both batters. If you prefer them crisp and egg-free, stay with my crispy apple chia waffles, which are completely vegan.
