So yesterday was waffle day in Sweden. And since my kids are 50% Swedish it went without saying that waffles were going to be backed. I had plans. Grand plans even. I wanted to introduce my little nordic munchkins to the delights of the authentic Belgian waffle: thick yeast dough baked to perfection. Crispy on the outside and a soft, fluffy on the inside. However, things didn’t really go as I had hoped. What happened, you ask? I ran out of time. Simple as that. When you’re a mother of 2 toddlers and your pilot hubby gets called out to cover a flight and unexpectedly has to stay the night in Italy, then you’re on your own. And all your previous plans go out the window.
The classic way to eat these is with just a dusting of powdered sugar. Or you can opt for a brown sugar. My favourite sugars are those of T-Sugars. I adore their light brown sugar.
Since toppings on the waffles tend to be sweet I reduce or completely eliminate sugar from the batter. It’s a matter of preference.
Belgian waffles-the quick version
(yield: about 10 waffles depending on the size of your iron)
500g flour
4tsp baking powder
500ml milk
150g butter, melted and cooled to lukewarm
2 tsp vanilla extract
3 eggs, yolk and whites seperated
optional: 80g sugar
toppings: powdered sugar, brown sugar, fruit, honey, whipped cream, …
Method:
1. In a stand mixer with paddle attachment (or a hand mixer) mix the milk, melted butter, vanilla, egg yolks and sugar.
2. Add the flour gently.
3. In a second bowl, whisk the egg whites until soft peaks form. Fold this into the batter. The batter will be thick and stringy.
4. Lightly grease your waffle iron and heat it according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
5. Drop 2-3 tbsp of batter in the middle of the iron (it should fill about 2/3 of the iron).
6. Bake according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
Eat the waffles while hot and crispy. When they cool they tend to lose their crispiness but a minute in the toaster or warm waffle iron will bring it back.
Enjoy!
