How to make the perfect Belgian waffles
Various kinds of waffles have long been popular all over the world, but it was Belgians who first came up with the genius idea of adding large squares with deep pockets. This popular variety is the Belgian waffle, and unlike its thinner heart-shaped sisters, it’s better suited to toppings like hot cherry compote or syrup that can fill up the pockets. But most of the time it’s enough to sprinkle a little icing sugar on its crisp surface and then let the fluffy consistency melt in your mouth.
Even Kay Baumgardt, Gault&Millau Patissier 2020, admits that his mouth waters at the thought of waffles. Whether you catch the smell of them at a Christmas market or in a gourmet restaurant: “It brings back so many childhood memories, there’s nothing better than having warm, freshly baked waffles right in front of you!”
BASIC WAFFLE BATTER
His little daughter probably felt the same way when he served her waffles for the first time — while rediscovering the sweet treat for himself. For his basic recipe, the 39-year-old sifts 280g of wheat flour, 16g of baking powder, 2g of salt and 35g of light brown sugar in a large mixing bowl. He adds 2 egg yolks, 380ml milk and some vanilla extract and whisks everything together until smooth. He then whisks in 50ml of melted butter. He then beats the egg whites of the two eggs with a hand mixer until stiff, while slowly adding another 35g of light brown sugar. He then carefully folds the egg whites into the batter mixture and cooks everything in the waffle iron until golden.
MAKE YOUR WAFFLES CRISPIER WITH BROWN BUTTER
“To make the waffles even more flavorful, when melting the butter you should let it cook down slowly until golden brown,” says Baumgardt. This creates a nuttier, bolder flavor. However, you then have to melt a little more butter than the recipe states so that you end up with 50g. Baumgardt also loves to reinterpret the classics and recommends varying the batter, for example with a red-fleshed apple or some parsley, or a more a refined waffle alternative with nuts. To make it, whisk together 130g flour, 30g mineral water, 80g cream, 50g light brown sugar, 80g natural nut butter, 2 eggs, 3g salt and 30g chocolate spread.
For author Angelika Ilies, who has dedicated an entire book to waffles,
the smell of them also brings back memories: of her grandmother, with whom she used to mix the batter, and the arguments between her and her brothers and sisters about who would get the first waffle fresh from the iron. To this day, the 61-year-old loves waffles. She’s also a fan of savory alternatives, for example with tomatoes and mozzarella or kale and sausage.
A HOT WAFFLE IRON IS ESSENTIAL
Ilies says the waffles she likes are “beautifully simple” to make: Start by beating 80g butter until soft and creamy and then add two eggs, 80g coarse sugar, 170g flour and 250g cream. Grease the waffle iron if needed and heat on medium. For each waffle, pour 3 to 4 tablespoons of batter into the centre of the waffle iron and cook for three to four minutes until golden brown.
“To make the waffles as crispy as possible, they need a certain amount of heat,” Ilies points out. Your waffle iron should therefore not be too cheap: “Otherwise you run the risk of it not getting hot enough and the waffles won’t cook properly” Kay Baumgardt also recommends not skimping on the technical equipment: “If you look after the appliance, it will last a lifetime,” he says. You can also get really good waffle irons with lots of different settings.
BE PATIENT: REMEMBER THE 30-MINUTE TRICK
You’ll need little bit of patience before you can enjoy your waffles, and Baumgardt says it’s important to let the batter rest for 30 minutes — but not much longer. Your batter should always be prepared fresh. “Refrigerating it overnight and using it the next day is nonsense. The butter will set and the batter as a whole will lose its fluffiness.”