Easy Waffles

Heat the oven to 250°F and arrange a rack in the middle. Set a wire rack on a baking sheet and place it in the oven.

Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl to aerate and break up any lumps; set aside.

Place the eggs in a large bowl and whisk until they’re just broken up.

Add the milk, melted butter, vanilla, and zest, if using, and whisk until evenly combined.

Add the milk mixture to the flour mixture and stir with a spoon or rubber spatula until the flour is just incorporated and no streaks remain. (The batter may have a few lumps.)

Heat the waffle iron to medium according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Once heated, brush the iron with vegetable oil, fill it with batter, close the lid, and cook until the waffle is golden brown (when the steam starts to diminish from the waffle iron, you can open the top and peek for doneness).

Transfer to the wire rack on the baking sheet in the oven.Repeat with the remaining batter, brushing the iron with oil between each waffle.

Serve immediately with maple syrup, apricot syrup, or strawberry sauce (if using).