Photo by Karen Hermann
Makes 8–10
Cooking spray
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
¾ cup all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
2 large eggs
½ cup sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ cup milk, more if needed
White chocolate, melted
Colored sprinkles
Cherry vanilla ice cream
Preheat waffle iron according to the manufacturer's instructions; adjust settings for desired level of brownness. Turn a 12-cup muffin tin upside-down; spray bottom with cooking spray, and set aside.
In a small bowl, melt butter in microwave. Set aside. In another small bowl, whisk together flour, salt and cinnamon. In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs and sugar until combined. Add flour mixture, and stir. Add melted butter, vanilla and milk, and stir just until combined. Do not overmix. If more milk is needed, add 1 tablespoon at a time until you get the consistency of a pancake batter.
Spoon ¼ cup batter onto waffle iron. Spread batter extra thin, so you can shape into cups. Using a small spatula, spread batter evenly over surface. Close lid, and cook at least 1 minute before lifting lid to check for doneness. Continue cooking until you reach desired color, 1½ to 2 minutes total time. (It may take a few tries to get this right.)
Quickly remove waffle from waffle iron, and shape it over the bottom of one muffin cup. Repeat until all cups are made. Alternate method: Use two flat-bottom glasses, one slight larger than the other. Shape waffle over bottom of smaller glass, cover with a paper towel and place larger glass over it. Allow cups to cool completely before removing, so they maintain their shape.
Brush or dip the rim of each cup with melted white chocolate, and dip in sprinkles. Fill cooled cups with cherry vanilla ice cream, and serve. Cups will stay fresh 1 week in zippered plastic bag or covered plastic container.
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Recipe tips
Using scoops
Scoops are the easiest way to get uniform portions of ice cream, cupcake or corn muffin batter, cookie dough, burgers, meatballs, and anything else you want to be relatively even in size. They range from 1 inch to 2.5 inches in diameter. Scoops with a spring-loaded handle are easier to maneuver.
How to portion ice cream scoops ahead of time
Save yourself some last-minute wear and tear when it’s time to serve your ice cream. You can prepare your scoops ahead—even the day before. Line a sheet pan or rimmed cookie sheet with parchment paper. Let ice cream sit at room temperature 10 minutes. Scoop out ice cream, and place each scoop on lined pan. Return pan to freezer until scoops harden. Cover with plastic wrap until ready to serve.