Will it Waffle: Bagels

You've read about me waffling all sorts of things by now.  I really get joy out of using my waffle iron to reheat leftovers in particular (ranging from pizza to cheesy grits), when "normal" people would use an oven, toaster oven, or perhaps microwave.  I generally limit my waffling to leftovers, but, sometimes I do actually try to "cook" in the waffle iron, like when I made quesadillas that way.

I'm not sure what this waffling experiment counts as.  A fresh bagel isn't really a "leftover", so, it isn't working with a leftover.  And heating up a bagel isn't cooking, so, not cooking.  But I'm pretty sure most people opt for a toaster or toaster oven, not a waffle iron, when encountering a fresh bagel.

But not me.  I ask the question, "A fresh bagel: will it waffle?"  Of course it will.

The Original: Cinnamon Crunch Bagel.

I've actually "toasted" many bagels this way over the years since discovering my waffle iron, but I hadn't taken photos of them, for some reason.  Any type of bagel works, but I've had better success with the more decadent types of bagels, as a waffled (or toasted for that matter) plain bagels are just a bit boring.  But if you start with a bagel that has some sugary coating, then the magic happens, just like if you waffle leftover glazed donuts.

Luckily, Panera makes tons of these types of bagels, which I've reviewed before.  The sugar topped pumpkin pie bagel from Panera was the first that I waffled.  The bagel I've found to waffle the best is the cinnamon crunch, as it is coated very generously in cinnamon and sugar on top, again, just like a glazed donut.

Waffled Cinnamon Crunch Bagel.

The side that isn't crusted in sugar isn't the most exciting visually, but, this is basically what you'd expect.  It looks like a waffle, but, it is just a bagel.  The contact points with the waffle plates get crispy, just like when nicely toasted.  The other wide, with all the cinnamon sugar goodness (which I foolishly did not photograph!), gets caramelized, as the sugar coating melts off a bit, and then re-caramelizes onto the bagel ... like I said, just like a waffled glazed donut.

The result isn't radically different from eating a regular toasted bagel, the transformation certainly isn't nearly as profound as a donut or slice of pizza, but, it is a fun way to "toast" a bagel.

The best part?  When you add butter (or, uh, syrup), it pools up in the pockets as it melts, which, as you know from eating waffles, makes for some excellent bites.