’Tis the Gift to be Simple

One year I asked for a waffle iron for Christmas. I wanted to make The Best Waffles in the World (Vol. N° 6, The Grocery Store, page 122) for breakfast after we finished opening gifts. My husband bought the biggest waffle iron money could buy, wrapped it beautifully, and placed it under the tree. I knew the iron that works best with the recipe had to be a simple conventional one, not a Belgian waffle iron with crevices too deep for the delicate batter. So I secretly, carefully, unwrapped the gift before Christmas. My suspicions proved right. I exchanged the wrong waffle iron for the right one, rewrapped it, and back under the tree it went. On Christmas morning I opened my gift, kissed my husband, and we had waffles for breakfast.

So, which waffle iron did I end up swapping out for the Belgian beauty? I chose a no-frills, round, nonstick model from Cuisinart that’s been working like a charm for the last ten years. —MH