Metzger's Malted Buckwheat Waffles
We often say that shirtmaking is a lot like cooking — the key to any great meal, and any great shirt, is all about the ingredients. With cooler months on the horizon, we’ve got hearty, savory, brunch on the mind. Our friend and Executive Chef at Metzger Bar & Butchery, Brittanny Anderson, whipped up a waffle recipe that combines the seasonal flavors of caramelized apples and malted buckwheat with maple beer butter and bacon crunch. It’ll have you craving waffles like never before. Believe us, we haven’t been able to stop thinking about ‘em.
Caramelized Apples:
4 apples that are tart and sweet, like Gingergold, Stayman-Winesap or Braeburn, peeled, cored and sliced
1/2 c brown sugar
2 TB butter
zest of 1 lemon
1/8 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground cloves
pinch salt
Heat a pan over medium high heat. Melt butter and toss in the apples, cooking until just tender. Sprinkle the brown sugar over and stir until the sugar has melted and is bubbly. Add lemon zest, spices and salt and remove from heat.
Bacon Crunch:
1/2 cup bacon, cut into cubes
1 cup sugar
Cook bacon over medium low heat until all the fat has rendered out. Remove from heat, drain, and cool. Melt sugar into a caramel over medium high heat. Pour onto a pan lined with a nonstick silicone mat, or parchment paper sprayed with pam. Let cool and harden. Once everything has cooled about an hour, break the caramel into pieces and pulse it with the bacon in a food processor until it's the consistency of chunky pea gravel.
Maple Beer Butter:
1/4 c maple syrup
2 c softened butter
2 cups stout
Begin by reducing the stout in a pot over medium high heat until only 1/4 c liquid remains in the pot. Let cool. combine with maple syrup. Paddle the butter in a mixer and slowly pour the beer maple mixture into it stopping once it's incorporated.
Waffles:
1 c AP flour
1 c Buckwheat flour
1 c malt powder
2 Tb brown sugar, packed
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs
2 1/2 c buttermilk
3 oz melted butter
Whisk together buttermilk and eggs. Combine dry ingredients in large bowl and make a well in the center. Pour buttermilk egg mixture into the well and mix until incorporated. Pour in the melted butter while stirring. Cook according to waffle maker's instructions. Keep them warm in a 200 degree oven while you make a giant stack of them!
Top the waffle stack with caramelized apples and a scoop of maple beer butter. Finish with a heavy-handed sprinkle of bacon crunch.