By Karla Walsh, CNN
(CNN) — Samin Nosrat was raised on a steady diet of Eggo waffles.
Nosrat, who rose to fame on the heels of her James Beard Award-winning cookbook and Netflix series, “Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat,” would look forward to a syrup-showered waffle tower every Saturday morning as a kid.
But since she tried her first bite of the yeast-raised waffles popularized by the late Marion Cunningham — best known for her modern revisions of “The Fannie Farmer Cookbook” — she’s been forever changed.
By sharing one of her most treasured recipes in her latest cookbook, “Good Things: Recipes and Rituals to Share With People You Love,” Nosrat hopes the rest of us will follow suit.
“My kitchen sister Amy Dencler, then a cook and now the chef at Chez Panisse, invited me over for breakfast,” Nosrat recalled in “Good Things.” Nosrat also cooked at the iconic farm-to-table restaurant in Berkeley, California.
“My teeth shattered the lacy edges and sank into the center, releasing more of that toasted yeast flavor,” she wrote. “Marion called them ‘the best waffle I know,’ and I couldn’t agree more. Marion’s recipe — and a couple variations on it — is the only one I’ll allow in my kitchen.”
Unlike Eggos, they require about 10 minutes of prep time the night before. But that minor investment is well worth it to create a gift for your future self.
“I have not been able to achieve that texture with any other batter, and certainly not from a batter that doesn’t rest overnight,” Nosrat told me. “These waffles are lacy, light and crisp, with the perfect capacity to absorb maple syrup. They’re just so good.”
The secret lies in letting the batter rest. In a large bowl or pitcher, stir together a blend of activated yeast, flour, warm milk, eggs, baking soda and butter. Pop it into the fridge to chill out overnight, which allows the yeast to slowly ferment the batter for more complexity of flavor and texture.
The interior turns out airy and tender, while the exterior is delightfully crisp. Then all that’s left to do is wake, cook, drizzle syrup on top and dive in.
Nosrat’s typical weekend morning routine involves “waking up after a not-great night of sleep,” she laughed. “I try to extend the morning by cuddling with my pup in bed, and finally, make my way downstairs for a cup of cardamom-spiked coffee or tea — something warm that smells nice.”
Nosrat sips on her warm beverage while she preheats her waffle iron for this recipe originally devised by Cunningham, which also beautifully embodies the premise behind Nosrat’s best-selling new book.
“The title comes from a Raymond Carver story called ‘A Small, Good Thing,’” she told me. “The epigraph says, ‘Eating is a small,good thing in a time like this.’ When I first read that line, I realized that it’s always ‘a time like this.’ There might be a specific thing that has caused myself or someone pain or hardship that we would love some comfort from.”
That could include these waffles and the company you may invite over to enjoy them.
Marion’s Yeasted Waffles
Fresh from the waffle iron, these yeast-raised treats need no accessories. But if you’re feeling extra, follow Nosrat’s lead and dress up your stack with a schmear of almond butter or peanut butter and a shower of maple syrup. For a savory spin, tuck a slice of crispy bacon in the center of the waffle (pour a thin layer of batter above and below) and top it with a fried egg, Nosrat said.
For a quick-fix weekday breakfast, make a double batch and freeze the extra. On bustling mornings, toast two directly from frozen until warmed through. Top one with nut butter and the other with jam and press them together for a next-level breakfast PB&J.
Makes 12 to 16 waffles

Alena Mozhjer // Shutterstock
Across much of the U.S., people are struggling to buy and sell homes. Homebuyers are scared off by high prices and economic uncertainty, while home sellers are staying put until they can earn more profit from the sale. Student loan debt is adding even more pressure on younger buyers. As such, houses are selling at a historically slow rate, especially in the Sun Belt—even as mortgage rates fall.
That’s not the case everywhere, though. In today’s market, understanding your local level of competition can help you make smarter decisions. It affects everything from how quickly homes sell to how much negotiating power buyers and sellers have.
Conditions vary widely across California—but this list can help. Redfin Real Estate ranked the most competitive cities in California based on their combined months of supply (lower is better), average sale to list ratio (higher is better), and median days on market (lower is better). All data is an average for the January-October 2025 period. To see the most competitive cities in the country, read this recent Redfin article.
#1. Sunnyvale, California
– Days on market: 9.51 days
– Sale to list ratio: 110.4%
– Months of supply: 0.78 months
– Share of homes sold above list price: 80.9%
– Share of homes that went off market in two weeks: 66.0%
– See homes for sale in Sunnyvale on Redfin.com
#2. Santa Clara, California
– Days on market: 9.88 days
– Sale to list ratio: 108.3%
– Months of supply: 0.76 months
– Share of homes sold above list price: 75.1%
– Share of homes that went off market in two weeks: 59.2%
– See homes for sale in Santa Clara on Redfin.com
#3. Mountain View, California
– Days on market: 9.79 days
– Sale to list ratio: 107.1%
– Months of supply: 0.96 months
– Share of homes sold above list price: 74.9%
– Share of homes that went off market in two weeks: 62.8%
– See homes for sale in Mountain View on Redfin.com
#4. Cupertino, California
– Days on market: 13.5 days
– Sale to list ratio: 108.5%
– Months of supply: 1.08 months
– Share of homes sold above list price: 72.6%
– Share of homes that went off market in two weeks: 56.8%
– See homes for sale in Cupertino on Redfin.com
#5. Berkeley, California
– Days on market: 15.64 days
– Sa