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It’s time to tune in once again to The Table Set podcast. This time Nathan, Andy and I get together to answer the question, Will It Waffle? (Yes, it will!).

The question is actually posed (and answered) by Daniel Shumski in his new book of the same name (Will It Waffle? Yes, it will! Workman 2014). We were sent a copy and immediately decided it was an intriguing enough question to dedicate an entire episode to the waffle iron.

To get the episode started we dial the author on Skype to hear how (and why) he became obsessed enough with waffles to write a whole book around them. It’s Daniel’s theory that (almost) anything can be cooked in (on?) a waffle iron. Waffleized pizza and burgers, sure. But how about calamari salad or chocolate chip cookies? Why not? And Nathan wants to know if soft-shell crab will waffle (Yes, it will!).

Daniel’s obviously an expert. But on The Table Set we sometimes like to turn to another foodie icon just to see what inspiration she offers. I’m talking about Betty Crocker. We filled the Hot Pot with Betty Crocker recipes cards from the 1970s to see how they might be waffleized. The challenge, as always, is to blindly draw one of these cards and answer Daniel’s question, “Will it Waffle?” The results, as always, are surprising.

The episode really gets going once we we heat up the old waffle iron and get waffling. Here’s what we came up with. Andy and Nathan made something impromptu using kimchi and masa. Both were inspired by Daniel’s book. But I prefer to practice. So I made a waffle I’ve made before. That recipe can be found here.

Andy, Nathan and I had some fun with waffles and I think you will too.

“The new book Will It Waffle? offers fantastic, non-waffle recipes for your waffle iron, covering breakfast, lunch, dinner and beyond.

We’re talking bacon and eggs, pizza, falafel, steak, s’mores, chocolate chip cookies and more — all in your waffle iron.

The book features dozens of new recipes, along with riffs on the most popular recipes from the Waffleizer blog that started all of this.”

(Will It Waffle? Yes, it will! Workman 2014)

Here’s a sample of Daniel genius. GREG

Expand Recipe…

Waffled Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies 

By: Greg Henry

Print This Recipe Total time 45 minutes Yield 20Source Daniel Shumski, Will It Waffle?Published September 3, 2014

Don’t make the cookies too big. They have to be removed from the waffle iron while they’re still fairly soft. Anything bigger than a heaping tablespoon of batter will tend to yield cookies that become unwieldy and fall apart as you attempt to remove them.

Photo: Maes Studios, Inc./Will it Waffle?

Ingredients

• ½ cup unsalted butter (softened)
• ½ cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• ½ cup all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
• 3/4 cup semisweet mini chocolate chips
• Nonstick cooking spray

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Directions

Preheat the waffle iron on medium. In a large bowl, beat the butter and brown sugar with an electric hand mixer until mostly smooth.

Add the eggs and vanilla, then continue beating until they’re fully incorporated.

In a medium-size bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt. Add these dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until few streaks of flour remain. Add the oats and chocolate chips and stir to combine.

Coat both sides of the waffle iron grid with nonstick spray. Place a heaping tablespoon of dough onto each waffle section, allowing room for the cookies to spread. Close the lid and cook until the cookies are set and beginning to brown. This won’t take very long — 2 or 3 minutes, depending on the heat of your waffle iron. The cookies should be soft when you remove them and will firm up as they cool.

Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool. Repeat until the remaining batter has been waffled.