Waffle Batter:
1 1/2 cups lukewarm water (105 to 110 degrees F)
1 package active dry yeast
1/2 cup plus 1 teaspoon sugar, divided use
3 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 large egg yolks
4 large egg white, divided use
1 1/2 cups whole milk
4 ounces butter, melted and cooled
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract
Chicken Tenders:
vegetable oil for frying
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons ground black pepper
2 teaspoons seasoned salt
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups buttermilk
2 pounds chicken tenders
Sweetened Butter
4 ounces butter
1 tablespoon powdered sugar
Waffle:
Dissolve the yeast in lukewarm water with 1 teaspoon sugar. Let stand 5 to 10 minutes, until the yeast begins to bubble and foam.
In a large bowl, stir the flour with the salt. In a medium bowl combine the yeast mixture with the 3 egg yolks, 1 egg white, and the remaining 1/3 cup of sugar; stir to blend. Add the remaining water, milk, melted butter, oil, vanilla, and almond extract. Stir until the batter is smooth and creamy. Stir the liquid mixture into the flour mixture and beat until smooth.
Beat the remaining 3 egg whites in a clean, dry bowl. (If the bowl isn’t perfectly clean, the whites may not fluff up as much as they can.) Beat until stiff peaks form. Fold the egg whites gently into the batter. Let the batter stand for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes.
Chicken Tenders:
In a deep pot or a deep fryer preheat the vegetable oil to 350 degrees F. In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, pepper, seasoned salt, and salt. Pour buttermilk into a shallow 8 x 8-inch baking dish. Pat the chicken tenders dry with a paper towel. Dredge each tender in the seasoned flour, shake off the excess, and dip in the buttermilk. Dip back into the seasoned flour, shake off the excess flour, and set aside on a wire rack. Let the chicken tenders rest for about 5 minutes before cooking so the crust will form a nice crunchy outer layer.
Fryer only a few chicken tenders at a time. Fry for 5 to 6 minutes, or until golden brown. Depending upon the depth of the oil you may need to turn over the chicken tenders at about 3 minutes of the cooking time. Place on a clean wire rack so they may cool when you remove them from the hot vegetable oil.
To Assemble:
Preheat a Belgium waffle maker to medium heat. Scoop the batter onto the waffle maker, you may want to use a heatproof spatula to spread the batter over the waffle iron. Close and cook until the waffle is done. Your waffle iron should have an indicator to let you know when the cooking has been completed.
Sweetened butter:
In a small saucepan over low heat, gently melt the butter. Stir in the powdered sugar. Serve warm.
To Serve: Place a waffle on a plate, top with 4 chicken tenders, dust with powdered sugar, and serve with the sweetened butter.