Waffle Irons

[bajaespuma]

My four cents:

IMHO waffle irons WITHOUT the non-stick coating but with well-seasoned iron plates produce better waffles with crispier crusts. I use an old electric Belgian Waffler. I've become obsessed with these lately and have researched some traditional Belgian recipes. The first one is a standard, yeast-raised Belgian waffle. It's the closest I've come to the experience of the 1964 NY World's Fair Belgian Waffle. It's easy but takes time to rise, but so worth it:

Gaufres Bruxelloises (Belgian Waffles)

1 package dry yeast (3/5 oz)
¼ cup brown sugar
2 ½ cups lukewarm milk
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 egg yolks
1 tsp. Cognac, rum or whiskey
7 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2 egg whites

1. Mix yeast, a pinch of the sugar, ¼ cup of the flour and ½ cup of the milk together; let stand until foaming
2. Mix flour, remaining sugar, and salt together; put on top of yeast mixture and wait, ½ hour or so, for the sponge to “break through” the dry ingredients.
3. Add the remaining 2 cups of milk; stir until batter is smooth.
4. Add egg yolks, booze and the butter. Cover and let rise for 30 minutes.
5. Beat whites until stiff and fold into batter.
6. Bake.
7. Serve with 10X sugar, whipped cream and strawberries.

 

[bajaespuma]

Lieges Waffles

The second recipe is a bit more complicated, but incredible if you've never had them. These waffles eat more like pastry than breakfast items. The "Pearl Sugar" can be found online or at any IKEA for a couple of bucks.

Sugar Waffles from Liege (Luikse Wafels) (Gaufres Liegeoises)

Batter 1:

1 1/4 ounces fresh cake yeast or 2 1/2 packages active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water (about 100 degrees F)
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 large egg, beaten
1/3 cup milk, warmed to 100 degrees F

Batter 2:

9 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)
Pinch of salt
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1/2 cup pearl sugar or 3/4 cup crushed sugar cubes

Prepare Batter 1:

• In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast in the warm water with 1 tbsp. flour and the sugar. Let stand for 5 minutes until foamy. Sift the remaining flour into a large mixing bowl.

• Make a well in the center and add the yeast mixture, egg and milk. Mix well with a wooden spoon to make a smooth batter.

• Cover with a kitchen towel and let rise in a warm place until the batter has doubled or tripled in volume.

Meanwhile, prepare Batter 2:

• In a medium-sized bowl, mix the butter, flour, salt, vanilla, baking powder, cinnamon (if using), granulated sugar, and pearl sugar into a paste.

• With your hands, work Batter 2 into Batter 1 until well mixed. (I used my mixer with the dough hook attachment).

Shape the dough into 10 balls, approximately 2 1/2 to 3 ounces each. Flatten each ball into a disk and dust lightly with flour.

Bake in a medium-hot waffle iron.

Don't let the iron become too hot or the sugar will burn.

Bake until the waffles are golden brown but still slightly soft, 3-4 minutes.

Serve the sugar waffles lukewarm or cooled to room temperature on a rack.

Sugar waffles will keep well for several days in an airtight container, if you manage to have any left over.

 

[countryguy]

This morning I tried another batch of waffles. This time I sprayed the non stick grid with Pam and I didn't haven't the sticking problem like I did yesterday. I put less of the mixture on the grid also but it still oozed out the sides. The instruction booklet said to use 2 cups per batch but that was way too much. The recipe said it would make 12 waffles - I made 18 with the same quantity of batter. Next time I will use even less batter. They did taste good though.

Gary