Liege Waffle Recipe Tips
Which basically sums up our summer over here. We’ve got a week left before school and we are all craving a schedule I think. Turns out when you’re 6, being bored results in mountains of honey. When you’re 2, it results in a full-on potty training regression, because WHY NOT? I can tell she’s thinking, “Even Mom looks bored. Let’s shake things up around here! FREEDOMMMM!” I am ready for school to start and for the mountains of honey to stop, but I’m not actually ready. Meaning my kids need new clothes (seriously we got all the highwaters over here), we need to make a plan for lunches, buy pencils and…stuff. Back to school shopping has always been so intimidating for me, even when my first started kindergarten. And now my kids have somehow multiplied and I still feel like I don’t know what I’m doing. My kid’s soccer team was gathering supplies for a raffle basket we were in charge of. For some reason someone picked the theme “Back to School Survival Kit for Parents.” I’m sorry but WTH? What does that even mean?? They kept bugging us for donations and no one came up with anything (because seriously, what?) Finally someone said they were donating hydration sticks. After that they said they were cancelling the raffle basket, so no donations necessary. What in the heck are hydration sticks?? Probably that’s the exact question the powers-that-be asked themselves, so we really have crazy hydration lady to thank for getting the raffle basket cancelled. Bless you. I honestly don’t know much else about Belgium, but I don’t need to. These waffles are alllllll I need to know. They sell these famous little pastries on the street corners over in Belgium. My brother vacationed there once and wanted to recreate them at home. The first time we made them he had people over so he made a triple batch. One recipe calls for a cup of butter, so that means he used 6 sticks of butter. 6 sticks of butter. Can you tell why I love these waffles yet? But guys, it’s not just the pearl sugar or the butter. It’s the waffle batter itself. It’s not really waffle batter, it’s waffle DOUGH. A yeast dough that you have to let rise. Yes, it’s a bit more of a time investment, but it’s SO worth it. Believe me. Pearl sugar is the secret to this magical crunchy delight. Each sugar is a little smaller than a pea, and instead of melting into the waffle, they stay crunchy, so when you bite in, you get these delicious little nuggets of awesomeness. Like I said, every other waffle is now ruined. Pearl sugar Belgian waffles ftw! Have you heard of brioche dough? Brioche has a gloriously soft and tender dough that has a lot of eggs and milk, and bakes (or in this case, waffles) with gorgeous golden dark edges. The magic is in the butter: instead of melting the butter or adding a bit in the beginning of the process (as with most yeast doughs), we’re saving it til the very end, after adding the flour in, and we’re adding a FULL CUP of the stuff. Add softened butter a tablespoon at a time until the dough is, sticky and stretchy, making it completely unworkable if you were going to be rolling it out (but we’re not.) Check out my Homemade Cinnamon Rolls and Caramel Pecan Rolls for more breakfast treats using brioche dough. It’s unreal my friends. See how we’re letting each waffle rise? I know this seems like a lot of work but I promise, you will not regret it! After the dough is done resting, you dunk it in powdered sugar before waffling, giving you the most delicious caramelized edges of all time. Just be careful to let your iron cool in between waffles, or the sugar ends up burning. You can also forego the powdered sugar altogether if you’re having issues, the waffles are still going to be amazing. If your waffle iron gets super sticky and sugary, and you don’t have removable plates in your waffle iron, I recommend pouring a few tablespoons of water into the HOT iron so the sugar can dissolve. Carefully pour the water into the sink (you might need help) or use a wooden chopstick or silicone spatula to push a paper towel around to remove the water. Liege waffles: she’s a diva, and she’s worth it. Do you see those caramelized edges??? If you do want to serve them with something, I recommend spreading or drizzling on a little Nutella or serving them with fresh fruit, like sliced strawberries or peaches, and whipped cream. If you really want to go over the top you could add ice cream, but I promise–they’re really perfect all by themselves. These waffles would be a perfect Christmas morning breakfast…or dessert. Top with strawberries and whipped cream, or Nutella, or ice cream. I actually prefer them without maple syrup, I feel like it competes with the flavor of the waffle too much. For old time’s sake, here’s the old photo I posted of these waffles back in 2013! Good times! Facebook | Pinterest | Instagram Dark Chocolate Waffles with Ganache and Strawberries « I.LOVE.THESE. 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