Red Velvet Marbled Waffles — When Mom’s Pancake Night Inspires Something a Little Extra

Thanksgiving is next week and this year it's bigger because Ryan is coming, which means Mom has added a chair to the table and approximately three additional dishes to the menu because she doesn't know how to cook for the normal number of people when a guest is involved. 'Mom, Ryan eats whatever you put in front of him. He eats chow hall food. He doesn't need a separate appetizer course.' 'He's eating in my house. He's eating my food. There will be appetizers.' The woman has spoken. There will be appetizers. The Thanksgiving notebook has been updated. Turkey (same size — Mom doesn't adjust for one additional person because the turkey is already large enough to feed a platoon). Stuffing (extra, because Ryan likes stuffing — I told Mom this ONCE and it's now carved in stone). Mashed potatoes. Gravy. Sweet potato casserole. Green bean casserole. Cranberry sauce. Rolls. Pecan pie. Pumpkin pie. AND NOW: a spinach artichoke dip appetizer, pigs in a blanket, and a cheese board because 'the man is hungry when he arrives, Rachel, he drove four hours.' She's feeding him before dinner. She's pre-gaming Thanksgiving. This is advanced Donna. Ryan arrives Wednesday afternoon. Megan arrives Wednesday morning with — mercifully — no Grant. Grant is at his family's Thanksgiving. Mom received this news with poorly concealed joy. 'That's nice. Family is important,' she said, in a tone so performative that Dad actually laughed. I've been working extra shifts at the bookstore because Christmas season is starting and Carla needs all hands on deck. Black Friday at a bookstore is actually pleasant — people buying books as gifts are generally happy people. It's not like Black Friday at Walmart, which is a blood sport. Bookstore Black Friday involves a lot of 'What would my mother like?' and 'My husband likes thrillers' and me recommending things and feeling useful. Mom made her buttermilk pancakes for dinner tonight because she's 'saving energy for the Thanksgiving push' and pancakes are the designated recovery meal in the Abernathy household. Her buttermilk pancakes: flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, buttermilk, eggs, melted butter. Fluffy, tangy, golden. She makes them silver-dollar sized when it's just us, because small pancakes are more fun and more buttery per bite. I ate eight silver dollars with maple syrup and thought about next Thanksgiving — my first as a married woman. I'll be Rachel Abernathy married to Ryan Abernathy. Same name. Different families. One table. The thought makes me dizzy. The good kind of dizzy. The kind where you're spinning but you trust whoever's holding you.

Mom’s buttermilk pancake dinners are sacred in our house — they mean someone needed a soft landing, a reset, a meal that asks nothing of you except to sit down and eat eight silver dollars with too much maple syrup. That night, spinning happily with the thought of next Thanksgiving and one table and the same last name, I wanted to bottle that feeling. These Red Velvet Marbled Waffles are my version of Mom’s recovery meal: all the same fluffy, tangy, buttery comfort, but dressed up just enough to match the occasion — because some dinners deserve a little color.

Red Velvet Marbled Waffles

Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 20 min | Total Time: 35 min | Servings: 4 (about 8 waffles)

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups buttermilk
• 2 large eggs
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 tablespoons red food coloring
• 1 teaspoon white vinegar
• Cooking spray or additional butter, for the waffle iron
• Maple syrup and powdered sugar, for serving

Instructions

1. Preheat the waffle iron. Heat your waffle iron according to the manufacturer’s instructions and lightly coat with cooking spray or butter.
2. Mix the dry ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until combined.
3. Mix the wet ingredients. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, eggs, melted butter, and vanilla extract until smooth.
4. Combine. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir gently until just combined — a few small lumps are fine. Do not overmix.
5. Make the red velvet batter. Transfer about 1 cup of the batter to a smaller bowl. Stir in the cocoa powder, red food coloring, and white vinegar until fully incorporated.
6. Marble the batters. Spoon alternating dollops of the plain batter and red velvet batter into the center of the prepared waffle iron, filling it about 3/4 full. Use a toothpick or skewer to swirl the two batters together gently 2—3 times for a marbled effect.
7. Cook the waffles. Close the iron and cook until the waffles are golden, cooked through, and release easily, about 4—5 minutes per batch. Repeat with remaining batter.
8. Serve. Serve immediately with maple syrup and a dusting of powdered sugar, or keep warm in a 200°F oven on a wire rack while you finish the remaining waffles.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 420 | Protein: 12g | Fat: 14g | Carbs: 62g | Fiber: 2g | Sodium: 540mg