Browned Butter Seltzer Waffles

Steps

1. 1

   Brown the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook, swirling the pan occasionally, until the milk solids turn amber-brown and smell nutty. Pour it into a heatproof bowl and let it cool until warm rather than hot.

2. 2

   Preheat a waffle iron according to the manufacturer's instructions. Use a dark or high-browning setting if available; the waffles should be richly browned rather than blond for maximum crispness.

3. 3

   In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, sugar, baking powder, and salt until evenly combined.

4. 4

   In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, and cooled browned butter until smooth.

5. 5

   Pour the egg mixture into the dry ingredients and stir only until almost combined. Do not overmix, since excessive stirring develops gluten and makes the waffles dense.

6. 6

   Add the cold seltzer water directly to the batter and fold it in gently just until incorporated. Do not combine the seltzer with the other wet ingredients first, and avoid knocking out its carbonation.

7. 7

   Lightly grease the preheated waffle iron if needed. Ladle in enough batter to fill the plates without overflowing, close the iron, and cook according to the machine's directions until the waffle is deeply browned and crisp, about 3 to 5 minutes per batch.

   Start 5-minute timer
8. 8

   Carefully remove each waffle and serve immediately while warm with butter and pure maple syrup. Repeat with the remaining batter.