This light and fluffy waffle recipe is said to be John F. Kennedy’s favorite. JFK was by no means a “foodie” and it’s said he had to be reminded frequently to eat. Nonetheless, this recipe was shared numerous times by JFK himself or by his wife, Jackie. This same recipe, or variations of it, also appeared in several publications.
JFK was our U.S. president who most embraced his Irish heritage. If you’re looking for a fun St. Patrick’s Day breakfast, simply add a couple drops of green food coloring and viola, green waffles!
My three year old helped me whip up these delightful waffles, so you could say it was fairly simple to make them. The whipped egg whites absolutely take these waffles over the top. No wonder they were JFK’s favorite! They were so airy. If you happened to be out of maple syrup (I know, what a crime) like we were, this recipe for coconut syrup is an easy family favorite. Consequently, it also made me want to eat no less than 10 waffles.
As the waffle recipe appeared in Political Pot Luck: A Collection of Recipes from Men Only, on official letterhead from then-Senator Kennedy.
Ingredients:
½ cup butter
1 tbsp. sugar
2 egg yolks
7/8 cup milk, or 1 cup buttermilk
1 cup plus 1 tbsp. of sifted cake flour
1 pinch salt
2 stiff beaten egg whites
4 tsp. baking powder
Directions:
1. Cream butter and sugar, add egg yolks. Beat. Add flour and milk alternately. This may be done at any time. When ready to bake fold in egg whites, and add baking powder. Mixture should be thick and fluffy.
2. Cook in a waffle iron and serve with hot maple syrup and melted butter.
Author: Andrea
Former news reporter and Capitol Hill press guru, wife, mom, and pastry addict.
