Belgium waffles. Gaufre de Liège .

Waffles can be found throughout Europe in the early Middle Ages. These were originally much lighter as they were cooked in flat irons with biblical images depicted on them and often also the use of wine was one of their ingredients. It is around the 18th century that we hear that the famous waffle of Liege is developed and they say that it was the chef of the Prince bishop of Liege who came up with the brioche dough recipe requiring a much deeper iron to cook and caramelize the waffle or gaufre. The actual first recipe of the waffle of Liege comes to us in 1921 and has remain the most popular waffle in Belgium.

Today, if you travel through Belgium, you will find little stands of waffles, freshly made at all times of the year. Traditionally , they are served with powered sugar, as they are quite sweet with all the pearl sugar they are cooked with in the dough, but also you may have them with chocolate, berry fruits and fresh cream.

This Christmas I wanted to try to make these delicious waffles but I needed a must have ingredient " pear sugar". It is almost impossible to find in the US pearl sugar. Maybe in New York in some specialty store, but in the Houston area Ikea and Wholefoods which used to carry it, do not anymore. So, if I wanted to make them I would have to order it online. On Amazon you may order it in 5 pound bags, which makes it a little more economical since it is imported from Belgium at $7.00 per pound. I decided that it would be on my Christmas wish list.

Here the recipe follows on how to make these wonderful waffles. Make sure you have the time as they are not difficult, just require enough time for the dough to go through the different stages and a little patience.

INGREDIENTS

Makes 10 waffles

3 tsp of active dry yeast
1/2 cup of scalded whole milk ( 110- 115 degrees)
4 Tbsp plus 4 tsp of water (110-115 degrees)
4 cups of King Arthur Bread flour
2 large room temperature lightly beaten eggs
2 Tbsp plus 2 tsp of light brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp of salt
16 Tbsp or two sticks of room temperature unsalted butter
2 Tbsp of honey
4 tsp of vanilla
1 1/2 cups of Pearl sugar ( Lars brand) is a good choice.

Okay, now I am going to try to simplify this to its simplistic form. it is time consuming but the result is so worth it. All my children absolutely adore these and certainly everyone who has been in Belgium would agree that these types of waffles are really to die for.

Start by mixing the yeast , milk and water till the yeast dissolves, then add the beat up eggs and 1/3 of the flour. once it all blended add the remaining of flour but do not mix, just pour over the top, cover and let rise for about 75 to 90 minutes till you see the yeast bubbling over the top of the flour.
After this point you will add the slat and sugar, mix and add the vanilla and honey and put on the mixer, mixing for three minutes at a time, adding two tablespoons of butter at a time and mixing, wait one minute in between each three minutes till all the butter has been added. then cover with a plastic and let rise for four hours. after these four hours, you will place the risen dough in the fridge for 30 minutes and which you will give it a punch with a spatula. The risen dough will be place over a work table to then make it the shape of a rectangle and fold into a envelope. Cover with plastic and place some heavy plates on top or some kind of other weight and in the fridge overnight. In the morning, fold in the 1 1/2 cup of pearl sugar. It will be hard and lumpy, put that is the way that it should be. Mold with your hands and and cut into 10 equal balls, the shape of a football. Pat down and place on a cooking sheet. Cover slightly with plastic and let rise for another 90 minutes. After this you should have some very nice double the size ovals, nice and warm and soft.
Yes, you should be excited at this point. You have waited so long for this moment and the time necessary has produced magic. Now you will heat your waffle iron ( for a conventional waffle iron you will unplug or lower the temperature once the dough is placed in so that the sugar will not burn). Traditionally and in Belgium, cast iron waffles are used to make these delicious waffles but in your home you can very well use the small waffle makers just make sure to not burn the sugar, just caramelize. The ending result will be a wonderful waffle no one can resist. Serve alone or with powered sugar or with chocolate syrup and fresh whipped cream or strawberries.

ENJOY