Lemon Belgian Waffles with Blueberry Syrup

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/4 cups buttermilk
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 Tbsp applesauce
• 2 large eggs, separated
• 2 Tbsp granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 tbsp lemon zest
• 2 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar, or more to taste if you want it sweeter
• 2 Tbsp cornstarch
• 1 cup cold water
• 2 cups fresh blueberries
• 1 1/2 tbsp lemon juice

Directions

1. Heat your Belgian waffle iron, and butter it if your waffle iron needs that little bit of help.
2. In one mixing bowl, whisk the flour with the baking soda and salt.
3. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, milk, vegetable oil, applesauce, 2 egg yolks, sugar, lemon zest, and lemon juice until everything is evenly combined.
4. In a small mixing bowl, beat the 2 egg whites with an electric hand mixer until they hold soft peaks.
5. Whisking as you go, add the flour mixture to the buttermilk mixture a little at a time, stopping as soon as the batter comes together. Don’t get too enthusiastic here; a few lumps are exactly what you want.
6. With a rubber spatula, gently fold the beaten egg whites into the batter, mixing only until they’re incorporated.
7. Cook the batter in your waffle iron according to the manufacturer’s directions until the waffles are golden; mine took about 3/4 cup of batter per waffle, but the cooking time will depend on your waffle iron. When you take each waffle out, open the lid slowly so it doesn’t pull apart.
8. Serve warm with Blueberry Syrup, Vanilla Cream Syrup, Maple Syrup, or butter and powdered sugar.
9. For a lemon poppy seed version, stir 3 Tbsp poppy seeds into the flour mixture and then continue with the recipe as written. I’d serve that version with Vanilla Cream Syrup, and if you want Lemon Vanilla Cream Syrup, just add a little lemon zest and a squeeze of lemon juice.