Rice Waffles

Today I decided to make Rice Waffles. I found the recipe in a cookbook called Fine Old Dixie Recipes which was published in 1936. Since I had never tasted (or heard of) Rice Waffles, I decided to give them a shot. The recipe is as follows:

This recipe (like most of the recipes that I attempt) was not very detailed, so I had to assume several things about the directions. For example, I did not know if the cooked rice should be cooled before adding it to the egg yolk mixture. Furthermore, the term "well-beaten" as applied to the egg whites could have been a little more specific--scrambled or stiff peaks? So I improvised.

First, I mixed the ingredients as described. I decided to cool the rice before I added it to the egg yolks so that I didn't end up with scramblers.

Then, I mixed in the egg whites, which I beat with a fork. Afterwards, the mixture was still very dry, so I added a few splashes of milk until I could spread the rice-specked dough across the heated waffle iron.

The waffle iron did the rest of the work, until I removed the cooked Rice Waffles and let them cool slightly.

The verdict: Since I had never eaten Rice Waffles before, I didn't know what to expect. I very much wanted these to be light and fluffy, but instead they were a bit tough. I think that if I beat the egg whites more (to form soft peaks) and then folded them in softly, that would make the waffles a bit lighter. The density of the waffles and the crunch of the rice made me want to top the waffles with butter more than syrup, making it serve more like a bread than a breakfast. I may attempt this recipe again, remembering to beat the egg whites more before adding them to the mixture.

Happy adventuring!