September 2, 2024, 3:45 pm | Read time: 3 minutes
Their aroma evokes memories, and their taste is addictive. Belgian waffles straight from the waffle iron are hard to beat. Here are some professional tips to make them taste as good as grandma used to make them.
Whether you call them Belgian waffles, Brussels waffles, or cream waffles, those with a sweet tooth know exactly what you mean: rectangular, thick waffles with deep pockets. These are important so that – unlike their thinner heart-shaped sisters – they can be topped well. German Kay Baumgardt, Gault Millau’s 2020 patissier in Switzerland, admits that the thought of them makes his mouth water. “Whether you smell them at the Christmas market or in a gourmet restaurant, this smell brings back so many childhood memories that there’s nothing better than having warm, freshly baked waffles right in front of you!” The pastry chef shares his recipe for perfect Belgian waffles along with three essential tricks to ensure success.
Overview
The basic recipe for Belgian waffles
Ingredients
- 280 g wheat flour
- 16 g baking powder
- 2 g salt
- 70 g fine dark cane sugar
- 2 eggs
- 380 ml milk
- 50 g melted butter
Preparation
Mix the wheat flour, baking powder, salt, and half of the cane sugar. Add 2 egg yolks, milk, and the vanilla pulp and mix everything with a whisk until smooth. Then, stir in 50 g of melted butter.
Whisk the whites of the two eggs with a hand mixer until stiff, then slowly trickle in 35 g of fine dark cane sugar. The sweet snow is then carefully folded into the mixture.
Also perfect for on the go So delicious! Recipe for the Italian Polpette di carne
Recipe by Ralf Zacherl Home-made guinea fowl Tunisian-style
Island state in Asia 9 good reasons to travel to Sri Lanka
3 recipe tricks for perfect Belgian waffles
The waffle iron must be properly heated
Grease the waffle iron if necessary and heat up to medium heat. Place 3 to 4 tablespoons of batter in the middle of the iron for each waffle and bake for three to four minutes until golden brown. To make the waffles as crispy as possible, they need a certain amount of heat. A good waffle iron is called for. Otherwise, there is a risk that it will not get hot enough, and the waffles will not bake properly.
Kay Baumgardt recommends not skimping on the technical equipment: “Investing around 80 euros can make the experience enjoyable. And if you handle the appliance properly, it will last a lifetime,” he says. High-quality irons with various settings are now available for approximately 100 euros.
The brown butter trick
“To give the waffle an even greater flavor, let the butter cook slowly until it is brown,” is Baumgardt’s tip. This creates a nutty aroma. However, you then have to boil down a little more butter so that the 50 g figure is correct again.
The 30-Minute Resting Technique
You need a little patience before you can enjoy it. Baumgardt lets the dough rest for 30 minutes. “You should always do this so it recovers,” says the pastry chef. He also has another tip: the dough should be prepared fresh. “It’s a misconception that refrigerating the batter overnight and using it the next day is beneficial. Then the butter will start thickening, and the whole pastry will lose its creaminess and fluffiness.”