Belgian Waffles
Source: Cuisine Traditionnelle au pays de Liege.
Ingredients:
1 kg - 2,2 lb flour
75 g - 2,6 oz. yeast
5 dl - 2 cups warm milk and water, mixed
50 g - 1,75 oz. fine sugar
2 eggs
500 g - 1,1 lb butter
50 g - 1,75 oz. honey
10 g - 0,35 oz. salt
1 drop vanilla essence
3 g - 0,1 oz. bicarbonate of soda
600 g - 21 oz. loaf sugar, broken
Preparation: Mix the yeast with 800 g (28 oz.) of flour, the fine sugar, eggs and the milk
and water. Leave to rise for 15 minutes,
then add the butter, honey, the rest of the flour, salt, vanilla and bicarbonate of soda.
Mix to form a dough and leave to rise for 10 minutes. Add the crushed loaf sugar, and divide into "patons" ( balls ), weighing from 90 to 140 g (3 to 5 oz.), depending on the size of the waffle iron.
Cook in the greased iron.
I found this recipe on a Belgian web page that
has since disappeared. I'm not sure why the web master
took it down but it's not there.
However the waffles take a bit to prepare but believe me they are worth
it. It's best to mix the dough in a big mixer (e.g. Kitchen Aid or at least a
5 quart food processor as this recipe makes a sizeable amount). This
recipe makes about 20 or so waffles. I have successfully cut the recipe
in half and this makes about 10 waffles. Enough for a family of four.
American Cup measurements (half recipe amounts in brackets)
Flour - 4 1/4 cups (2 1/8 cups)
Yeast - 5 tablespoons (2 1/2 tablespoons)
Milk/Water - 2 cups (1 cup)
Eggs - 2 (1)
Butter - 1 pound and nearly 2 ounces (1/2 pound and nearly 1 ounce)
Honey - 3 1/2 tablespoons (1 1/4 tablespoons)
Salt - scant 3/4 tablespoon (scant 2 teaspoons)
Vanilla - 1 teaspoon (1/2 teaspoon)
Baking Soda (bicarbonate of soda) 1/2 teaspoon (1/4 teaspoon)
Sugar - scant 3 cups (scant 1 1/2 cups)
Additional Notes:
The recipe is in both metric and Imperial and now American measurements.
When making any recipe stick with one set of measurements throughout the recipe.
Don't interchange as the end result won't be what you were
expecting! The measurements have been appropriately
rounded up or down.
Fine sugar is super-fine sugar in the US. In the UK it would be
labeled castor sugar. If all you have is granulated and you have a food processor you can use the metal blade attachment and grind the sugar yourself - just whiz for a minute or two.
I omitted the honey in this recipe - so by all means do, if you so desire.
I used 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract (essence is a poor imitation!). I feel if you take the time to make something use good ingredients.
Loaf sugar isn't available in the UK. It is basically castor sugar shaped conical (hence its name - loaf sugar) but good old free flowing castor sugar will do.
I used the same amount of sugar in ounces as called for in the recipe.
I used 90 gm "patons" for a small waffle iron. This you'll have to adjust to your particular iron.
Once cooked they are cake like in texture and maple syrup isn't necessary. Try dipping them in melted chocolate, then cool them they are a tasty snack!
Revised: 22 June 2004.
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