Find these glorious malted waffles during brunch at Metzger Bar & Butchery, or now, thanks to chef Brittanny Anderson's recipe, in your own home. (Photo by Mel Calabro)
In the spring/summer issue of Dine, we chat with some of the city's top chefs about their must-have items, from green curry paste to spicy pickled mango. Here, Metzger Bar & Butchery's Brittanny Anderson shares a recipe for your new favorite at-home brunch dish: malted waffles with caramelized apples and maple beer butter, topped with bacon crunch.
Find Spring/Summer Dine with our April issue, on newsstands now.
Malted Waffles with Caramelized Apples, Maple Beer Butter and Bacon Crunch
By Brittanny Anderson of Metzger Bar & Butchery, Brenner Pass and Chairlift
Serves 4
For the caramelized apples:
- 4 apples that are tart and sweet, like Gingergold, Stayman-Winesap or Braeburn, peeled, cored and sliced
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 lemon, zested
- 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
- pinch salt
For the bacon crunch:
- 1/2 cup bacon, sliced into cubes
- 1 cup sugar
For the maple beer butter:
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 2 cups butter, softened
- 2 cups stout
For the waffles:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup buckwheat flour
- 1 cup malt powder
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar, packed
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 eggs
- 2 1/2 cups buttermilk
- 3 ounces butter, melted
For the caramelized apples, heat a pan over medium-high heat, and melt the 2 tablespoons of butter, then toss in the apples, cooking until just tender. Sprinkle the 1/2 cup brown sugar over them and stir until the sugar has melted and is bubbling. Add the lemon zest, 1/8 teaspoon of cinnamon, the 1/8 teaspoon of ground cloves and a pinch of salt and remove from heat.
For the bacon crunch, cook bacon over medium-low heat until all the fat has rendered out. Remove from heat, drain and cool. In a separate pan, over medium-high heat, melt 1 cup of sugar into a caramel. Pour the fresh caramel onto a pan lined with a nonstick silicone mat, or parchment paper sprayed with cooking spray. Let it 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 reaches the consistency of chunky pea gravel.
For the maple beer butter, begin by reducing the 2 cups of stout in a pot over medium-high heat until only 1/4 cup of the liquid remains in the pot. Let cool, then combine with maple syrup. Paddle the 2 cups of softened butter in a mixer and slowly add the beer-maple mixture, stopping once it's incorporated.
For the waffles, whisk together the 2 eggs and 2 1/2 cups of buttermilk. In a large bowl, combine 1 cup of all-purpose flour, 1 cup of buckwheat flour, 1 cup of malt powder, 1 teaspoon of baking soda, 2 tablespoons of brown sugar and 1/2 teaspoon of salt and make a well in the center. Pour the buttermilk-egg mixture into the well and mix until incorporated, then 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, then top with caramel and bacon crunch.
