SC - Wafer recipes

[Craig Jones.]

>Drake replied to me: 
>> >> If you can get your hands on a wafer iron, I have a great "coeliac
friendly"
>> >> saffron wafer recipe.
>> >
>> >Please post this! I'd love to have another wafer recipe. Is this, even
>> >better, a period recipe? The only other "saffron" wafer recipe I have
>> >is from the Polish cookbook discussed here recently. And I never got
>> >it to stick together in one piece. Lots of crumbly, good tasting, pretty
>> >fragments. But a pain to clean off the wafer iron and not exactly 
>> >a "wafer".
>> 
>> Um, O dear.  That was the recipe I used!!!  I just modified it so it used
Rice
>> flour instead. Spank me for being naughty and modifying a period recipe for
my
>> nefarious purposes. I found the wafers crumbly too but the recipe is skewed
>> wrong so it ends up with the wrong consistancy.  Wafer batter should be
stiff
>> like waffle batter.  I can look at the recipe tonight if you wish...
>
>Well, apparently the recipes in that book are not recreations of any
particular
>period recipe. So I don't see doing some modification as a problem. However,
>I'm not experienced enough to know how to modify the given recipe. While I
>might have solved the problem with some more trial and error, I was short
>of time. It was easier just to use Adamantius' and another's recipe since
>they, at least, came out crisp.

I knew the consistency I was looking for and played with the batter until it
was "right".

>
>I would love to see your recipe. Maybe I can make this version work
>after all. Did you vary the sugar/flour proportions? I think the one
>in the book was about 1:1 while the others that worked had a smaller
>proportion of sugar.

I used about 3/4 rice flour, 1/4 sugar and made up the rest of the ingredients
until I got the right consistancy.  I'm not that happy yet with the saffron
wafers recipe.

> 
>> Did you lightly brush the iron with butter?
>
>Yes, or olive oil. I can't remember which. But the iron has a teflon
>coating anyway. Actually adding the oil to the batter, which is called
>for in the recipe, should take care of the need to lubricate the iron.

Yeah, I cut back on the oil in the recipe but added some butter to the pan. 
But I did'nt have teflon.  Not that important as the wafers did not stick to
the seasoned cast iron even when I forgot to lubricate.

>> I also found that no matter how little a dollop I put in the middle, I also
got
>> mixture squirting out the side and I noticed that there are two ways of
cooking
>> the wafer.
>
>Yes, I sometimes had that problem. I thought I could become expert enough
>to drop just the exact size dollop of batter in just the exact spot on
>the wafer iron to prevent the overflow. I never did.

Must be some secret ninja technique to it.  As the knight's have there "13
secret Knight Shots", I'm sure there are 13 secret cooking laurel techniques. 
Maybe have X ml of the dough loaded into a syringe and apply it to the direct
center (measured with some secret quantum device) might work...

> 
>> 1) Put a dollop of batter on and press down really quick and hard.  Makes a
>> very thin wafer.
>> 2) Put a dollop of batter on, wait 20-30 secs and press down slowly for a
>> thicker wafer (and not so much shooting out the side). Works for looser
>> batters.
>
>Interesting idea. I'll have to consider trying these two and see how it
>works. I was afraid to let it sit too long and usually closed it as soon
>as I got a good dollop on each wafer area.

Just a few seconds.  I'm also using a manual iron that I sit either on an open
fire or on a trivet onto of my gas stove at home.

>> What kind of wafer maker do you have?  I have one of the swedish cast iron
ones
>> with a scroll pattern.  I produces a 4-in diameter circular wafer.  My
pelican
>> has about 3, handed down to her from her Norwegian Mother.
>
>It's an electric one ordered my mail order. It was only a little more 
>expensive than the simple iron one. (~$55 vs. ~$45) and I thought the
>heat would be a little more controllable or at least repeatable.

Ah.  Never seen on here in OZ, just the handheld swedish ones (although the
scroll work is soooo period looking).  The funny thing is when you squeeze the
handles together with fresh batter in the iron, it squeals like a baby pig. 
Makes for much merriment in the kitchen.

>It is a Prego brand unit and makes the four inch diameter wafers.
> 
>> Cheers,
>> 
>> Drake.
>> 
>> ps.  Anyone else out there have a wafer iron and some funky wafer recipes. 
How
>>      common was it to serve wafers at a feast?
>
>Apparently it has not been uncommon in the East Kingdom. I don't know if
>it has
>ever been done at an Ansteorran feast. And I have only done it for a
>Yule pot
>luck local feast and for the Royalty and entourage at a small luncheon.
>I'd like
>to spread the idea around some in Ansteorra. It was apparently fairly common
>at some period feasts.
>
>I never got the savory recipe to work either. If anyone has a recipe for a
>savory (ie: with cheese) wafer recipe that has worked for them, I'd like to
>get it.

I'm gonna work on the cheese and red wine wafer recipe till I get it right... 


>> pps. At Lochac's Midwinter, I spent all Sunday morning cranking out
Rosewater
>>      wafers.  They were a huge hit.  We actually had 6 year old, in total
gales
>>      of tears.  When asked by two ladies, he said 'I didn't get a pancake'. 
>>      After being regaled of this story as we were cleaning up, I cranked out
a
>>      small batch of batter and made him a couple.  Never seen a set of eyes
>>      light up when he was presnted with 3 'pancakes' just for him.  A
magical
>>      moment (which are rare for me in the SCA these days).
>
>Very nice. I'm afraid such moments have been rather rare for me in the
>SCA for awhile, too.

O, I dunno.  You're a bit of a legend here in Lochac.  I must know at least
30-40 in Lochac personally who use the floregium regularly.  It's a very
profound service you offer there.

Cheers,


Drake.