Belgian Waffles

~ Patty ~

 

When we lived in Belgium, one of our favorite places was Brugge, the old medieval city not far from Brussels. One of the highlights was stopping for Belgian Waffles, or “Gaufres” as they were known in French.

I finally found a good recipe for them in “Everybody Eats Well in Belgium Cookbook.” (I adapted the recipe slightly, using all butter instead of half margarine and half butter.)

It’s a huge recipe, but they freeze well, and are a treasure to have on hand for afternoon tea/coffee or a breakfast/brunch treat. (I reheat them in the hot waffle iron for one minute. Toasting them would also work.) Traditionally they’re served with butter and powdered sugar, or topped with sliced fruit and whipped cream……..mmmmmm…..delicious!

 

 

Belgian Waffles

 

2 ounces fresh cake yeast, or 4 packages of active dry yeast

6 cups milk, warmed to 100 degrees F

6 large egg yolks

1 1/2 cups butter (3 sticks) melted and cooled to lukewarm

1 cup sugar

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

8 cups all-purpose flour

6 large egg whites, beaten to soft peaks

 

1. Dissolve yeast in 1 cup of warm milk.

 

2. Whisk egg yolks with 1/2 cup of the remaining milk and melted butter. Add the yeast

mixture and sugar. Use a large bowl as dough will rise to double or triple in bulk.

 

3. Gradually stir the flour into the batter. Alternate additions of flour with the

remaining 4 1/2 cups milk. Stir with a wooden spoon after each addition.

 

4. Fold in beaten egg whites.

 

5. Cover with a clean towel and put in a warm place.* Let rise for 1 hour.

The batter should double or triple in volume. Stir it down once or twice if it gets out of hand.

 

6. Bake the waffles in a hot waffle iron. (I used a Belgian waffle iron.)

 

7. Serve the baked waffles with powdered sugar and butter, or whipped cream and fresh fruit.

Allow leftover waffles to cool before storing.

 

* Preheat oven to 200 degrees for 10 minutes and turn it off. Let the batter rise in the oven with the door closed.

 

Variation: add 1 teaspoon cinnamon to the batter.

 

P.S.  When serving the waffles with fresh sliced strawberries, try adding a little Balsamic Vinegar to the sugared strawberries.  It sharpens their flavor significantly!  If you can taste the vinegar, you’ve added too much.  A small amount does the trick.