Waffle irons make a variety of waffle shapes and designs. Waffle irons that make a thin waffle are sometimes used to hold homemade ice cream, thus the beginning of the ice cream cone came from a waffle iron.
Waffle irons that make thick big-pocketed waffles are known as Belgian waffle makers. The origin of waffles is often thought to be Belgium and the Netherlands region.
Below is an old waffle recipe:
One quart of flour, and a teaspoonful of salt. One quart of milk, with a tablespoonful of melted butter in it, and mixed with the flour gradually, so as not to have lumps. Three tablespoonfuls of distillery yeast. When raised, two well-beaten eggs.
Bake in waffle-irons well oiled with lard each time they are used. Lay one side on coals, and in about two minutes turyn the other side to the
I have made waffles in my younger days, back when I grew my own vegetables, canned everything, made jelly, homemade bread, and all my daughter's clothes. But my experience with making waffles boils down to this: what is the purpose of the design? why go through all that hassle when pancakes are so easy and easy to clean up after. Waffle irons not seasoned properly are a nightmare to clean.
The following waffle recipe is more like the one I made. I loved doing everything the way pioneer women would have done something. I still do. This recipe came from Miss Leslie of Philadelphia (1849). I kept her wording as it lends to the experience as you will see:
Put two pints of rich milk into separate pans. Cut up and melt in one of them a quarter of a pound of butter, warming it slightly; then, when it is melted, stir it about, and set it away to cool.
Beat eight eggs till very light, and mix them gradually into the other pan of milk, alternately with half a pound of flour. Mix it by degrees the milk that has the butter in it. Lastly, stir in a large tablespoonful of strong fresh yeast.
Cover the pan and set it near the fire to rise. When the batter is quite light, heat your waffle-iron, by putting it among the coals of a clear bright fire; grease the inside with butter tied in a rag, and then put in some batter.
Shut the iron closely, and when the waffle is done on one side, turn the iron on the other. Take the cake out by slipping a knife underneath; and then heat and grease the iron for another waffle. Send them to table quite hot, four or six on a plate; having buttered them and strewed over each a mixture of powdered cinnamon, and white sugar. Or you may send the sugar and cinnamon in a little glass bowl. (if you want to skip all the homemade work for good waffle, found a link to a good waffle mix -- left top)
and then placed in the ice box or freezer (kept longer) until needed.
eater and when I was a little girl and found these cookie logs in the ice box, I'd slice off a couple raw cookies and run outside, climb up in my tree house (couple of pieces of lumber I'd placed over a couple tree limbs), and enjoy, enjoy, enjoy. Here is our old family recipe which I still use today:
. I found this photo of an old recipe box online. I choose it because it is identical to the one my mother used. Mom put the recipe she was going to use in the lid, the way it looks here. She would set the recipe box with her chosen recipe out on the counter early in the day. Then she built her day around her choice. 
would be cooling near her west kitchen window.
