Breakfast Waffles Over The Fire - 18th Century Cooking

Retail Website ➧ www.townsends.us/ ➧➧
This is about a recipe for waffles from the 18th century. The recipe calls for flour, cream, sack (a type of wine), nutmeg, sugar, eggs, and yeast.
Key points:
Waffles have been around for centuries.
The first known recipe for waffles was published in 1725.
The recipe calls for a variety of ingredients, including flour, cream, sack, nutmeg, sugar, eggs, and yeast.
The waffles were delicious.
We recommend that you try the recipe, even if you have to use a modern waffle iron.

[@SeeleSO02]

"This has probably had a million waffles through it already..." Same with me, but you don't hear me bragging.

[@ramona4516]

😂😂😂 I almost fell off my chair laughing!!! So relatable!

[@NukelearFallout]

Pfft, French toast is way better

[@floyd4335]

LMAO!!!!

[@rolux4853]

Yes, this is the best KZbin comment I’ve ever read!

[@Slantt]

Waffles and pancakes are amazing

[@anamelikemine]

A 200 year old waffle iron still makes good waffles. Cast Iron really does last forever.

[@vigilantcosmicpenguin8721]

As does the spirit of waffles.

[@j.robertsergertson4513]

And a waffle iron made today might last a couple of years .

[@Turnpost2552]

@@j.robertsergertson4513 Bra its called planned obselesence. If you were to put modern scientist onthe job they can concuct a waffle Iron that can Last till end of time made from Titanium and Diamond braaaaaaaa Diamonds can be made by having dynamite on both side and squeezing charcole at massive degree.

[@homemadememes6045]

Thank you squidward

[@ericv00]

Leave it under a tree for a few months and you will see just how perishable cast iron is. As with everything, you have to take care of things for them to last.

[@stonecutter2]

"LET'S TALK ABOUT 300 YEAR. OLD. WAFFLES." - You have my attention, Jon - well played.

[@Pygar2]

I was expecting Steve@mreinfo ...

[@misterhat5823]

Steve1989 enters the chat...

[@aessidhe6304]

Yes, please - let’s!

[@Capnfam9876]

"SOUNDS GROSS!", I joked to myself.

[@crashmancer]

Middle English trivia: the modern expression “piping hot” comes from a line in Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, describing gifts sent by a young man to a woman of interest: “He sent her pyment, mead, and spiced ale, and wafres, piping hot out of the gleede…” “Gleede” means “hot coals”, so in this tale, the finest gift for a lover was sizzling fresh waffles!

[@pennyforyourthots]

If a lover gave me sizzling hot waffles and alcohol, I'd probably be swayed by them too lmao

[@c.a.mcdivitt9722]

You imply that isn't still true in real life! :)

[@Myzelfa]

I just realized that 'waffles' and 'wafers' are probably related words.

[@c.a.mcdivitt9722]

​@@Myzelfa Alton Brown has a whole segment on how they are related.

[@PIVfirestarkproducon]

*takes notes*

[@kennethcope7266]

I'm a 50+ year old British man, and when that first shot of the waffle being revealed from the irons was shown, I was - Oooooouh! It was involuntary, from the bottom of my lungs. They DO look good. There's a reason that waffles, crepes, pancakes, picklets and crumpets (etc.) have lasted so long.

[@charlesstanford1310]

Even if not mentioned specifically in "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow," I like to imagine Ichabod Crane feasting on waffles in the Dutch households where he visited and lodged during his tenure as the local teacher.

[@vigilantcosmicpenguin8721]

I accept this as canon.

[@jamesfry8983]

Well yeah got to have a good breakfast if your hunting headless horsemen

[@residentmusician]

That was a book about snacks

[@TheSaneHatter]

His tendency to "waffle" was arguably his entire problem.

[@the-chillian]

When I heard "300 year old waffles" I immediately thought of the waffles they used to serve in my college cafeteria. They weren't fresh. The cheap plastic cutlery they gave you for breakfast couldn't cut through them. You'd dull the knife before managing to hack a piece off. So they may well have been 300 years old.

[@the-chillian]

@@kana22693 We were all at least 18 and this was a time when most of us routinely carried pocket knives, but OK. Really, it was just that they didn't want to wash breakfast cutlery. We got metal utensils for lunch and dinner.

[@crystalwizard]

you're supposed to use those for getting the attention of the guy on the other side of the room - they fling, fine

[@angelad.8944]

You smother anything in butter and sugar and it's gonna be good...lol...my husband is dutch and he said....YUP! That's the Dutch motto, haha!

[@pennyforyourthots]

If you smother it in butter and sugar it's dutch, if you burn it it's french, if you deep fry it it's american, and if you boil it grey it's English lmao

[@lisaramaci6973]

My German grandma's huge circa 1885 waffle iron has the batter recipe cast into one side of the cooking plate. One of these days I want to make it!

[@riograndedosulball248]

That seems to be quite the German thing, as my own German grandma also has a waffeln iron with the recipe written on it... Down here in Southern Brazil! Cheers!

[@turbografx16]

That's actually very clever!

[@maks9589]

if you do please post it 🙏

[@cleanerben9636]

DO IT!

[@moors710]

My mother had an 18century Swedish Iron it had heart shaped waffles.. It is one of the antiques that came over from Sweden when her father immigrated in 1905.

[@LolTollhurst]

I'm Swedish and we had those still when I was a kid in the 1990s!

[@tomarasmith4459]

If the iron still in the family?

[@moors710]

@@tomarasmith4459 Yes my brother has it it has a ring that the iron sits in and it works on a campfire or wood stove. It has the crispiest waffle that I have ever had.

[@nicholegallo1090]

Oh yes and don’t forget the pancakes!!!

[@JohnWellingtonWells]

Those thin heart shaped waffles are still the norm in Sweden(and most Nordic countries I think).

[@agimagi2158]

My chemistry teacher used to make waffles for us around christmas time. His wife would make the batter following a secret recipe at home and he would bring it to school and we would bake them together in those heart shaped waffle irons! Best waffles in my opinion. Haven't had home made waffles since my graduation and I've been missing them so much! This recipe looks so delicious, I think I'll give them a try!

[@debbralehrman5957]

Cool Teacher

[@upsidedownopinion1440]

Cool story bro

[@metal87power]

Sounds familiar. Did he sprinkle them with crystal meth?

[@rheamorales1329]

My chemistry teacher let us cook hotdogs over bunsen burner flames, and she brought a crock pot of chili so we had chili dogs.

[@xERICxBLAUx]

my engineering teacher senior year made us pancakes seasoned with chinese five spice once after a test

[@bryanparkhurst17]

I have a side job removing "junk" from people's houses. Found a set of those waffle makers also probably 19th century. Been meaning to restore and use them...guess I have no excuse now!

[@ShaddySoldier]

Well us how it goes!

[@lynnodonnell4764]

Bryan, yes, now you have NO excuse.... :)

[@lindad1612]

Oh please do! If you're lucky, you may find a foundry name cast into it. I have three of these irons in different sizes and use them at camp (early 1800's reenactment). They make great waffles.

[@sashaashby]

this really has me seriously jonesing for waffles cooked over a fire, when will you be making these and what is your address? : )

[@gordonstewart8258]

My late father-in-law defined waffles as pancakes with a non-skid tread.

[@astranaut3967]

🤣🤣. That's awesome!

[@vigilantcosmicpenguin8721]

That is pure poetry.

[@debbralehrman5957]

That is good. 😄😄😅

[@LaundryFaerie]

Pancakes with pockets!

[@MikehMike01]

wow so clever

[@Ironclad17]

7:30 I'd just like to take a moment to appreciate how amazing the cabin looks. Your dedication to recreating American history authentically elevates every video and immerses us in the past even with something as familiar as a humble waffle.

[@DrMakak]

I love how happy and energetic John is while eating the waffles

[@garethfairclough8715]

That's the nutmeg for you! :P

[@nilo70]

He’s a foodie !

[@catherineshaw1122]

That's the most excited I've ever seen him with one of his recipes, and that's saying a lot.

[@LazyLifeIFreak]

John/Jon(?): We're going need some nutmeg in this... *Grin the size of Mt.Everest as he grinds one nutmeg after that other, eyes bulging out*

[@lincolnmcgowan]

Jonathan

[@TheJollyLlama875]

This might be the most enthusiastic I've ever seen Jon about a recipe

[@kaydixie5727]

Love these cozy cooking videos by the fire! We live in a cold climate so feel warmed just by watching!

[@dawnjohnson8739]

Yes!

[@AnneIglesias]

Man, I feel silly now when my best friend really wanted her player character to have waffles for breakfast during our D&D campaign and I told her that was completely unreasonable to ask.

[@tristanl.2650]

Ooh, waffles! Whether it be in the 18th century or modern times, you just can't beat em'!

[@ximthedespot4673]

Waffles are good though I'm more of a pancake person. I find them easier to make and it was the first thing I learned to make.

[@LazyLifeIFreak]

@@ximthedespot4673 I make no discrimination and will happily eat both waffles and pancakes, at the same time, with different fillings and toppings.

[@FloodExterminator]

Oh, I know something better than waffles. Let present: Oh... wait.... There isn't anything better than waffles... except bacon... But waffles are definitely amazing!

[@mirandagoldstine8548]

@@LazyLifeIFreak Same here. My brother however prefers waffles more. They are wonderful to eat especially with maple syrup and strawberries.

[@xHiyami]

Pancakes > Waffles

[@jasonborn2598]

What a centerpiece for living history, the cabin you built is a glimpse of what life was like in the 1800s. Much easier then reading from a book.

[@crieseasily16]

Now im hungry again..

[@1xayekim]

Imagine being the blacksmith pounding away at that for a few hours ... his friends are making decorative swords, knives, jewelry, tools, axes, rifle bores and you are making waffle irons.

[@pennyforyourthots]

His friends are probably jealous that they can't make something so useful

[@lindad1612]

The handles would have been smithed but the waffle iron was cast. The handles were attached with peened rivets. Some foundries also put their name in the mold.

[@Mark723]

More importantly: did they have Waffle Houses in the 18th Century...?

[@KairuHakubi]

In fact, they were having "wafel frolics" in mid 18th century america. freaking waffle parties! I love it

[@vigilantcosmicpenguin8721]

I can't imagine a world before Waffle House.

[@dennisgrubbs1929]

@@vigilantcosmicpenguin8721 YKI-Waffel House!

[@catherineshaw1122]

@@KairuHakubi OK, we seriously need to resurrect the waffle party, lol. Who's with me?

[@pennyforyourthots]

@@catherineshaw1122 I feel like that's just a drunk excursion to waffle House at 2:00 a.m. with an unreasonably large group of people lol

[@alkberg2140]

Well, I'm dreaming of waffles and open fires. My Italian brother-in-law used the irons for pizzelles flavored with anise. Great show!

[@vigilantcosmicpenguin8721]

Ah, I love pizzelle. They're great for when you want something that's almost a waffle.

[@j.robertsergertson4513]

I rather have pizzelles ,with a shot of grappa on cold night 😁

[@bullythebooks]

I am very sick today and I can't tell you how much better just watching your videos make me feel. You can't not be happy watching a Towsends video.

[@DJtheMJ]

Yeah man, me too! They make me feel so cozy

[@matthewreedy4731]

Exactly what I was hoping for Cooking at the cabin

[@lastcub]

You still can find "campfire waffle irons" at a lot of outdoor stores that are very similar to the one he uses here with very few modern bells and whistles for anyone wanting to do a little semi-authentic reenacting

[@jeromethiel4323]

Haha! Your mentioning the waffles were delicate reminds me of a military ration review i watched on KZbin. The field biscuits were nicknamed "panzer waffles", because they had the waffle texture on top, but were in effect hard tack. So they were "armor waffles." LOL! You could (and people did) break teeth on these things.

[@richardtaylor6621]

You, your family are a joy. I was talking to your eldest daughter while I was ordering product. This show is always a blessing. I wish we could sit down at the Tavern.

[@llahyrrah]

I'm struck by the similarity of this style of recipe or receipt to the 30 second-or-less videos we see on modern social media - no amounts or specific instructions, just ingredients and method to serve as inspiration to the reader. Indigenous peoples of eastern North America were making maple syrup before european colonization, so it's even possible there were dutch or british settlers eating maple syrup on their waffles, although it would have been far thinner than the sweet stuff we have today.

[@whencani]

Why would it be thin? Nicholas Cresswell mentions colonists in Virginia making maple sugar. Syrup is the same process, just don't boil it as long.

[@BlueRoseFaery]

Real maple syrup is a bit thinner than the fake corn syrup with maple flavor stuff, but it also depends on temperature. I don’t think past real maple would be very different than modern, just maybe have more batch to batch variation.

[@bonniechance2357]

These old recipes remind me of the way my mother used to make pancake or waffle batter. She never measured, just added the ingredients until the batter looked right. Me? I have to have the recipe right in front of me.

[@u.s.militia7682]

There’s a family cemetery about 200 feet behind our home here in Saltville Virginia that has a grave that is older than the United States. Not a waffle, I know, but still interesting. 🇺🇸

[@ammoniumphosphate]

They could’ve liked waffles too!

[@kanethompson708]

Lmao

[@constancemiller3753]

You are blessed to have Colonial Americans as quiet neighbors.

[@LordMerji]

You had me at "Three hundred year old waffles".

[@terry902]

Waffles! 🥰❤️💕 I love trying your recipes. Our historic interpretation here is 1822, so that works for me!

[@SarahM-lw2gd]

Perfect! I just bought a waffle iron like yours (18th century style) not too long ago!

[@PlayaSinNombre]

Jon: “Let’s talk about 300 year old waffles.” The chat: “We’re gonna need to get sharper teeth...”

[@HLBear]

Oh wow, those look so good! You can see the benefit of yeast. It's almost lacey. 😊

[@patrickharmon9459]

Great history lesson, I never knew they had waffles way back then. It sounds really good. Wish I was there! Keep up the good work and God bless 🙏

[@mirandagoldstine8548]

They actually trace back to wafers and have been around since the Ancient Greeks in some form or another. It used to be there were professional waffle makers in every large city but with the creation of electric waffle makers they dropped off the map. Belgium is well known for their different styles of waffles.

[@forevercomescrashing]

Between the smoke from the actual fire, and the nutmeg I bet olde style waffles are so much better than todays

[@KairuHakubi]

and the yeast! chemically leavened waffles are fine and all but they're a lot less special. You get that kind of leavener in such mundane things, after all.. but yeast is more special. Or at least whipped egg whites, those are another good leavener for fried pastry.

[@kjracz15]

Finally, another recipe where nutmeg is originally part of. 😆

[@curriesforlife1827]

Wow! Didn't know waffles have a history that old👍great

[@grasslakeron3897]

The first settler accounts of maple sugaring were by André Thevet, who wrote of Jacques Cartier's voyages, in 1557, and by Marc Lescarbot, who described the collection and “distillation” of sap by Mi'kmaq in 1606. Maple sugar production began among settlers in the late 1700s and early 1800s.

[@dwaynewladyka577]

Very fluffy looking waffles. They look great. Sausage and bacon would be great with those. I would still put maple syrup on those, or fruit jam. Thanks for sharing this. Cheers!

[@kellysouter4381]

Cherry jam.

[@lucasotis9525]

Fantastic opening, great lighting, wonderful ambiance as usual. I love the feel of this channel, it's like visiting an old friend in their cabin

[@BJHinman]

Glad you didn’t “waffle” on making this video. Nicely done.

[@jerenahw]

I am sure you have been told many times, but thanks for your channel. I find your videos to be a welcome lighthouse amongst troubled seas of today's modern video content. Please keep up the great work!

[@donniev8181]

I love that little cabin and the waffles! Would be nice to see you guys spend a few cold winters nights inside of the cabin!

[@catherineshaw1122]

It must be brutally cold in there, though.

[@donniev8181]

@@catherineshaw1122 that's a big fireplace though, it would probably keep it nice and warm.

[@mary-chiltonvanhees1201]

I have a wrought iron, cast iron waffel maker from my Dutch Father-in-law who was a baker! My husband will love this recipe!

[@bgmaple47232]

Wow! Mind blown! I was amazed at how easy the waffles lifted off the iron. They look delicious!

[@gdelan1]

I bet they're amazing with the woodsmoke added to the flavor. Add some fresh maple syrup and butter and wow

[@marlena.]

You're making me hungry and it's almost 11 pm😅

[@Kenniii3]

Those waffles made me smile

[@aarondarling6653]

I love this. The immortal waffle!!!

[@NewSquallor]

The best cold start to a youtube video ever.

[@Dexterity_Jones]

This was a fun episode! Haha love the old well used waffle iron!

[@gregmuon]

Waffles are good! and they were good 300 years ago too! 🤣 I figured out a while ago that yeasted pancakes were superior to baking powder ones. I'd suspect that's part of why this recipe is so good.

[@RondomGuy1]

I'm really glad you made a video on this. I have been obsessed with waffles lately ever since I started a long search for regular stove top or hearth based waffle irons so I would not have to make space for another electric appliance. Definitely going to give this recipe a try!

[@hadeishadeis7462]

I'm Dutch and I still make my wafels with cast iron, and my poffertjes. Grandmothers cooking gear still serves me fine even on my electric cooker. And yes spices, spices everywhere. We'll trade you for spices, fight you for spices, conquer you for spices or sell you New Amsterdam for spices. They most flow (in our direction)

[@blake35745]

Love these videos. They always make me happy.

[@FirstOfTheMagi]

Thanks for another awesome video Mr. Townsend :)

[@ladyofthemasque]

9:13 to about 9:25 the cameraman is so hungry, the camera is shaking. I got the definite impression of impending drool with those shots! But given Jon's reaction at the end, did he even get any??

[@Chaosrain112]

The SECOND the camera went off he straight up swan dived into that plate

[@crystald3655]

He probably did. The crew usually gets to eat the recipies.

[@ladyofthemasque]

@@Chaosrain112 headcanon accepted.

[@MikeVanHorn]

Have to say this is about the happiest I've seen John after making a recipe in a while.

[@catherineshaw1122]

He was pretty excited, wasn't he, lol? Like a little kid on Christmas Day. Love that. Live your Dutch name as well.

[@michaelk8532]

Great videos, guys! Makes my mouth water!

[@wicked_digger]

Thanks for sharing!! Will definitely have to try this out!

[@j.j.savalle4714]

"throw them against the wall and they're still a waffle..." lol yeah the toaster ones today are fairly durable in that regard but i was cracking up when you said it. Love the old cast iron too. lasts forever!

[@crabenjoyer2556]

Great video Mr. Townsend!

[@joanhelenak]

This video was so well done! The scripting, the camera work, the history was so good! It makes me want to do more with historical food research.

[@rickballard1627]

Cooking over the fire awesomeness.

[@abcstardust]

Thank you for this great informative video! I love waffles and on your video is the first recipe I’ve ever seen. Thank you again!

[@seanbaker1818]

Out of all the content someone could do, you have one of the best channels easy

[@olddawgdreaming5715]

Those waffles look so good, thanks for sharing with us Jon. Keep up the great videos, Fred.

[@PaJamB]

Love your content! Thank you :)

[@Alphacheesehunter]

Even in ages long past, the titans of history knew that waffles are superior to pancakes. A truly epic food for all generations.

[@pennyforyourthots]

But alas they did not know the glory of French toast. They've come so far, yet they still had so far left to go

[@macsarcule]

Hooray! I’ve been saving this to watch on a snowy weekend morning! Now I’m having waffles for lunch! 😃👍

[@fireballxl-5748]

Mr. Townsend, I really enjoy the violin background music. It's wonderful. Thank you.

[@user-yb9ps7li2e]

Very nice video! Thanks!

[@justinb2824]

This is going to start a run on the waffles market.

[@PhoenixA380]

I'm not into 18-th century history, nor cooking too, but you channel is just really good, it is a pleasure to watch it, thank you!

[@gailsears2913]

Those look very good! Thanks Jon.

[@achubananoia]

Jon: "Let's talk about 300 year old Waffles!" Steve1989MREInfo: "Nice!"

[@cuttwice3905]

Sack is a fortified white wine from Spain/Portugal. A nice dry sherry will do. Maple Syrup is very 17th/18th Century America. The Native Americans taught the colonials how to make it. White sugar was a luxury.

[@daveneumann7727]

I remember my first waffle.

[@shadodragonette]

Of course you chose this recipe, it has NUTMEG! I picked that habit up from you, I add nutmeg to almost everything. Not food from a restaurant, just the food I cook.

[@fallingstar9643]

I can't believe how fluffy those waffles were. I'm amazed.

[@rolaalmasri5857]

beautiful episode 👏🏻

[@johnsrabe]

“As ye firste wafel never does cooke perfectly, thus it is the perquisite of the cookery master to enjoy the first savory morsel from this receipt. And so to breakfast.” - Samuel Pepys

[@LaundryFaerie]

It's fascinating to see how many items we used to make over the fire and now use specialty appliances to make - toast, waffles, popcorn...

[@keithatkinson7649]

Fantastic job Jon. 😊

[@mattjackson]

Dang it John. Now I want waffles.

[@corinneculbertson4798]

‘Nutmeg, yeah they had it right! “. I adore you Townsend’s! I’m MAKING THESE!

[@greggkrumme157]

Jon, There is a great article about an iron owned by a Hudson Valley family, complete with family waffle recipe, at the Hudson River Valley Heritage Exhibits web page. You can easily find it by searching for DuBois and waffle. Thanks for one more tiny insight into the 18th century!

[@davidmantooth1285]

Benjamin Franklin experimented with the electric waffle iron but never could perfect it due to the scarcity of electricity.

[@KairuHakubi]

imagine having to tie your waffle iron to a kite and waiting for a storm every time you want waffles..

[@davidmantooth1285]

Kairu Hakubi That's another reason he gave up on his waffle iron; the long wait between waffles. But he was way ahead of hos time.

[@suzz1776]

I love the idea of yeasted waffles. They must taste so good.

[@vidiottheowl2825]

amazing how these waffles are 300 years old and haven't gone stale

[@dianehall5345]

I'm so grateful that "someone" invented waffles! I have a Griswold 1908 cast iron waffle iron that I just love. Previous owner took really good care of it and it was ready to go! We are using it on our Great Uncle's restored kitchen wood stove. That brings to the surface thoughts about he history involved and what life was like in the early 1900s. The process involved to plow and seed the fields with wheat and then to harvest and grind into flour, perhaps taken to a grist mill. Did I have to walk there and back? Then there is cutting the wood for the stove. We still do that today. Maintaining the stove and firing it up to the right temperature. Making my waffle batter, greasing the waffle iron and spinning it over the open stove flame to heat the iron up. OK, I'm exhausted already! Now I have to make sure I don't burn that precious waffle! I sure hope someone tapped those sugar maples in the spring and there is a jug of syrup standing by, along with some sweet freshly churned butter. So I'm grateful for waffles and grateful that the year is 2022. ~ Diane

[@renaebettenhausen3611]

While some of my friends say that I am a good cook, for all of my life, my idea of following a recipe has been to use all of the listed ingredients, and not throwing in anything extra. I learned measuring from my mother, a pinch of this is literally a punch. A handful can be lean ( fingers closed over the palm), regular (finger and thumb cupped), and generous (hand cupped and piled high to overflowing) Yeast is left to rise 'til the batter is doubled, so really it doesn't matter much how much yeast you used, a little yeast will just take longer to rise.

[@CanadianBear47]

another great episode

[@emmareed1787]

These look incredible! (Also, loved his description of toaster waffles 😂)

[@shawnmcclain9098]

Those waffles look amazing. I definitely need to try this one.