Miss Lulu's Chocolate Waffles

A vintage waffle recipe that doubles as breakfast and dessert, with melted semisweet chocolate stirred straight into the batter and whipped egg whites folded in for lightness. The result is more like a cake-textured waffle than a crispy Belgian one, soft enough to soak up syrup but structured enough to hold a scoop of ice cream.

The egg-white separation is the technique that makes this work. Beating the whites stiff and folding them in last gives the waffles their light, almost soufflé-like interior. Skip the separation and you get a dense, cocoa-cake-like waffle instead of the airy original.

Cake flour (not all-purpose) is part of the texture story too. Its lower protein content prevents gluten development and keeps the waffles tender. All-purpose flour will work in a pinch but produces a tougher, chewier result.

The shortening (instead of butter) is old-school and intentional. Shortening doesn’t carry water like butter does, so the chocolate flavor reads cleaner and the waffles crisp up better on the outside.

Serve hot off the iron with a drizzle of warm syrup, a swirl of whipped cream, or a scoop of vanilla ice cream that melts into the chocolate ridges.

Pro Tips

• Melt the chocolate gently in a double boiler. Direct heat scorches it instantly and ruins the flavor.
• Let the chocolate cool slightly before adding to the creamed sugar mixture. Hot chocolate can grease out the shortening.
• Beat the whites just to stiff peaks (when the peak holds its shape but isn’t dry) for the best fold-in.
• Don’t open the waffle iron during the bake. Lifting too early tears the waffle in half.

Variations

• Add a quarter teaspoon of espresso powder to the batter for mocha waffles.
• Stir a half cup of mini chocolate chips into the batter for double-chocolate waffles with melty pockets.
• Replace the milk with buttermilk for a tangier, slightly more tender waffle.