About Liege waffles. Liege waffles Belgian waffles with pearl sugar

Previously, only kings ate waffles, and chefs kept their preparation a secret. I'm not a chef, and times have changed, so I'll give you all the recipes for making homemade Belgian waffles in an electric waffle iron. The appearance that is familiar to us, cells, or honeycombs, as they were called before, is far from the current one. It is believed that waffles were invented in Germany, where they were made from leftover dough.

Although some sources suggest that the neighbors of the European country are also vying for the palm.

Traditional varieties of waffles - Viennese, Czech and Belgian - are incredibly popular among gourmets, each of which has its own history. Despite the external similarity, the preparation of waffles in different countries has its differences. And even in the vastness of one country. Belgian, for example, are divided into Liege and Brussels, the recipes of which differ. By the way, the products come in different flavors.

Our housewives make delicious baked goods in gas waffle irons, and this was incredibly common in Soviet times. Then electric waffle irons appeared, the cooking process became noticeably easier and faster.

Belgian waffles in an electric waffle iron

Before offering you classic recipes for making Belgian waffles - from Liege and Brussels, I suggest you understand what the differences are.

Traditional varieties of Belgian waffles:

Belgian waffle iron cookies are a common concept for baked goods from this country. In turn, they are divided into Liege and Brussels.

Gaufre de Liège - Liege appeared back in the 18th century, when the Prince of Liege ordered the cook to bake a delicious bun. After some thought, the cook added pieces of sugar directly to the dough. The sugar caramelized inside the baked goods and everyone was delighted. They differ from Brussels ones by being sweeter, denser and have a pleasant crunch. Cinnamon and vanilla are often added to the recipe.

Waffles from Brussels are usually called real Belgian ones. They are more fragile, but soft, crispy and airy. They have a delicious golden crust. When serving, sprinkle with chocolate, powder, and pour over. It is advisable to enjoy them immediately, unlike the Liege version, intended for long-term storage.

By the way, it is Brussels waffles that have gained worldwide fame. During the 1958 World's Fair, Walter Kleiman wowed visitors with his strawberries and cream waffles. 4 years later he was invited to an exhibition in Seattle, and from then on the dessert began its victorious march around the world.

Helpful tips:

Take your time, preheat the electric waffle iron well.
If a recipe calls for a lot of oil, do not additionally grease the waffle iron.

How long does it take to bake waffles?

Thin waffles bake very quickly; for thick ones, no more than 5 minutes are enough. If you want to get completely thin waffles, so that they are translucent and have an appetizing crunch, pour in the dough and press the top part of the heated waffle iron harder. It's enough.

Recipe for crispy Liege waffles for an electric waffle iron

I offer a traditional recipe. Perhaps, since the 18th century it has been somewhat modernized - before, live yeast was used, and the baking technology was different - in an electric waffle iron, but the principle remained the same, classic.

You will need:

Flour – 400 gr.
Dry yeast - a teaspoon.
Egg – 2 pcs.
Sugar – 170 gr.
Milk – 170 ml.
Vanillin - a small spoon.
Salt – a pinch.
Butter – 200 gr.

How to bake Liege waffles:

Warm half the milk a little, add yeast, put in a warm place and wait ¼ hour.
Beat the eggs into a bowl, add salt, and add the remaining milk. Beat until smooth.
Combine softened butter and flour. Mash the mixture thoroughly.
Add the yeast milk, pour in the egg mixture and beat thoroughly with a mixer.
The waffle batter will become soft and sticky to your hands. Cover it and let it stand for half an hour.
Divide the dough into 12 pieces. Roll each one in sugar and bake in an electric waffle iron.

Recipe for Belgian waffles in an electric waffle iron

Waffles baked according to the classic Brussels recipe are thick and airy. They are eaten hot, although they are incredibly good cold. Especially if you add condensed milk, jam, whipped cream, ice cream, or any fruit to them. Nowadays they are prepared in an electric waffle iron, although they can also be made in the oven.

Required:

Flour – 2 cups.
Butter – 270 gr.
Milk - a glass.
Eggs – 4 pcs.
Sunflower oil – 2 small spoons.
Salt – ½ teaspoon.
Baking powder – 1/3 small spoon.
Sugar - to taste (those with a sweet tooth will need more, vary the amount when you start beating the eggs).

How to make delicious waffles:

Melt the butter, cool slightly.
While the oil is cooling, beat the eggs and salt. Add sugar and beat again until foamy. Pour in slightly warmed milk. Whisk again.
Add hot oil, stir. Start adding flour in portions, mixing the dough thoroughly.
Bake oval or round pancakes in an electric waffle iron.

Brussels waffles - recipe with kefir and yeast

The simplest recipe for delicious waffles is made with kefir, especially since the ingredients are almost always on hand. It turns out great with margarine, a naturally good margarine intended for baking.

Take:

Flour – 350 gr.
Kefir – 200 ml.
Water – 120 ml.
Sugar - a large spoon.
Dry yeast – 7 gr.
Butter (margarine) – 100 gr.

How to bake:

Kefir must be heated - this is an important point in preparing waffles. Don’t get carried away with the process; the temperature is needed slightly above room temperature.
Boil water, cool. Pour warm water over the yeast, add sugar, add a spoonful of flour, stir and set aside for a quarter of an hour.
When the yeast begins to act, pour in kefir, slightly warmed and chopped butter. Add some salt.
Add flour in portions, stirring well. The waffle batter will be medium thick, airy and fluffy.
Leave the mixture to rise again. After 35-40 minutes, start baking. Cooking time in an electric waffle iron is 5 minutes. Do not overcook and serve hot.

Soft Belgian waffles with cottage cheese

They turn out tender, thick and soft, which can be filled with nothing, except perhaps adding condensed milk.

Take:

Eggs – 3 pcs.
Butter – 200 gr.
Cottage cheese – 100 gr.
Sugar – 3 large spoons.
Salt – a pinch.
Flour – 2.5 cups.
Milk – 80 ml.
Soda - a small spoon.
Sunflower oil.

Step-by-step preparation:

Beat eggs with sugar, adding a pinch of salt. Add cottage cheese and beat again. Pour in the milk and continue whisking.
Melt the butter over low heat and cool until warm. Add to the dough.
Suppress the soda, place it in a bowl and then slowly add the flour, stirring well each time.
Bake pieces of dough in an electric waffle iron.

What is the difference between Viennese waffles and Belgian ones?

Unlike Belgian waffles, which are baked in oval, rectangular and round shapes, Viennese waffles are baked in flat sheets. Austrian ones are usually thin and perfectly crispy. The Belgian version is thicker and softer products.

Video recipe: Belgian waffles in an electric waffle iron, here you will see step-by-step preparation of a delicious dessert. May you always have delicious food!

Liege waffles are the oldest known Belgian waffles. They were invented already in the eighteenth century. The recipe for Liege waffles has the following two features: real Belgian Liege waffles are made from yeast dough with pieces of sugar, the so-called “sugar pearls,” mixed in there just before baking. Now they are produced specially, these are very large sugar granules of irregular shape. Its use allows you to achieve an interesting effect - Liege waffles are coated with a shell of caramel! In this regard, they are truly absolutely unique, and worth a try. However, we won’t go to Belgium to get them; we’ll make them at home. It's real. I won’t say it’s easy, but it’s really possible.

Knead the yeast in warm water, mix with a couple of spoons of flour and let a foam form.

Those who use vanilla cut the pod and extract the seeds. I try to make Liege waffles with ingredients that existed in the eighteenth century. Nowadays vanillin and vanilla extract are used more, but this makes the taste less subtle.

Knead the dough from the rest of the flour, foamed yeast starter, two eggs, vanilla, honey and sugar. The dough should form into a lump and stick well to the walls of the dish.

Melt the butter (4 minutes in the microwave on defrost mode).

Let the dough rest under the film for 1 hour.

Mix the butter into the dough in small portions until completely dissolved.

Let the dough rise under the film for at least 4 hours, or better yet, overnight.

Immediately before starting to bake the waffles, when the waffle iron is already warming up, mix granulated sugar into the dough.

Form 4 balls from the dough.

Bake waffles in a waffle iron at medium or high power with strong pressure at the very beginning. The time depends on the waffle iron (mine is about 3 minutes), but Liege waffles, in any case, should not be light, but brown. This is the caramel that stands out from the "sugar pearls". That shine that you see on the waffle is not fat, as one might assume, but it is also crispy! By the way, immediately after baking, be sure to fill the waffle iron with water while it’s hot, otherwise it will be difficult to clean later.

Liege waffles are my family's favorite waffles!

Until a certain time, I was quite indifferent to waffles. I haven’t tried the Belgian ones yet. Belgian waffles are not like their counterparts; they are much thicker, softer, and most importantly, tastier. Among the Belgian waffles, I found the Liege waffles to be especially interesting, with a typical caramel crust. I studied a lot of different sources and after studying I realized that although there are many recipes, there are quite a few trustworthy ones. I immediately rejected recipes that used the “wrong” sugar, then those where the consistency of the dough was liquid, then those that had too much yeast or no yeast at all, etc. In the end, I was left with a book about Belgian cuisine from my closet ;-) Because I was tired of searching on the Internet, it was too big...

The right sugar is important for Liege waffles. These waffles use so-called “pearl” sugar - sucre grain perlé. It is he who is responsible for this indescribable caramel crust, which distinguishes Liege waffles from all others. Not to be confused with coarse sugar for sprinkling on buns, such as Swedish kanelbulars, and cookies (German: Hagelzucker), it is much smaller and will not melt properly. It is much better to take refined sugar and split it into pieces of about 1 cm. In the photo in the middle there is Belgian sucre grain perlé, on the right is German Hagelzucker, and on the left are matches for scale :)

The second important thing is the consistency of the dough. Unlike most thinner waffles, which have a thinner batter, and Brussels waffles, which have a slightly thicker batter than pancakes, Liege waffles have a thick batter. You can easily make balls out of it, which is exactly what you need ;-)

The third important thing is a small subtlety of technology that is almost never mentioned. The waffle batter needs to sit overnight in the refrigerator. This is how it was in my book on Belgian cuisine, I saw it on the Internet only once, it even suggested putting the dough in the freezer for 30 minutes, and then in the refrigerator overnight. Because I won’t believe it until I try it, but I tried baking waffles immediately and after standing in the refrigerator. I liked the second option much more, the sugar melts much better, there are practically no unmelted pieces left, the caramel crust is more uniform and the structure of the dough itself is much better. So I’m definitely in favor of keeping the dough in the refrigerator, especially since it’s very convenient to knead the dough in the evening and bake waffles in the morning.

Many recipes on the Internet and books indicate an absolutely incredible amount of yeast - 70-80 g per 750 g of flour, although the dough is very heavy, it seems to me that 10 g per 250 g of flour is sufficient.

A batter of 250g flour is enough for 6 waffles and in my opinion, 6 waffles are enough for 6 people. Well, they are very filling. Recipe from a book about Belgian cuisine, slightly modified.

Liege waffles (Gaufres de Liège)

10 g fresh yeast
70 ml warm milk
250 g flour
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1.5 tsp. liquid honey
1 large egg, room temperature, slightly beaten with a fork
a pinch of salt
1/2 tsp. vanilla sugar
125 g soft butter*
125 g pearl sugar*

* these are the original proportions (2 parts flour / 1 part butter / 1 part “pearl” sugar - for me it turned out to be too sweet and too much butter. I reduced the amount of butter and sugar to 80 g each, I like it better this way , although a departure from the original recipe)

Dissolve yeast in warm milk, add 2 tbsp. flour, stir, cover with film and let rise for 30 minutes. Then stir in the egg, add honey, vanilla sugar, salt, cinnamon and the remaining flour. Then stir in the butter and, at the very end, pearl sugar. The dough turns out quite thick and viscous. Cover with film and place in the refrigerator overnight.

The next day, divide the dough into portions of 100-120 g, roll each into a ball, like this:

Heat a waffle iron (the best waffle iron is specifically for Belgian waffles, it is deeper and has larger indentations) and bake the waffles until a beautiful caramel crust forms (the time depends on the power of the waffle iron, about 3-5 minutes). You can serve it with cream, various syrups, and fruits.

Heat half the milk /in the microwave or on the stove/. Add the yeast, cover and leave to rise for 10 minutes.

Break 2 eggs into the remaining milk, add salt, beat everything well with a whisk.

In a deep bowl, mash the flour together with the butter. Add regular sugar, milk with yeast and milk with eggs, mix well with a wooden spoon or mixer at low speed until a sticky dough forms. Cover and leave to rise for 30 minutes.

On a well-floured work surface, divide the dough into 12 pieces.
Roll each piece into a ball and roll in granulated sugar.
Bake in a preheated electric waffle iron for 1-2 minutes (I baked for 5 minutes).

Cool on a wire rack and you can enjoy freshly baked waffles with tea or milk. Bon appetit.

A little about Belgian waffles...

Belgian waffles became famous throughout the world after Expo 1958. There are two most popular types of Belgian waffles - Brussels and Liege. Liege waffles are hard, oval or round in shape, quite filling, with pieces of caramelized sugar inside (“sugar pearls”).

Brussels are softer and airier, rectangular in shape, served warm. Brussels waffles are usually served dusted with powdered sugar, whipped cream, a scoop of ice cream, chocolate or fruit, most notably strawberries or bananas.

Today I baked Liege waffles for the first time, everything turned out quite tasty and quick, and most importantly, my beloved liked it.

Next time I will make Brussels waffles.
Gaufres liegeoises /Liege waffles/

Gaufres bruxelloises /Brussels waffles/

Sorry for the dark photos - well, I didn’t have a flash when I was baking and analyzing :)

This time I tried it with real Belgian sugar
http://www.smart-shoponline.com/-Pearl_Sugar,_parelsuiker,_grain_perl__Tienen_-_500_gr/p129705_564945.aspx

The store accepts our cards, sends them to us, delivery up to 5 kg costs 36 euros, and up to 10 kg it costs 59.

Since I baked with sawn sugar and Lars sugar, ordered from the American Amazon (PENGUIN MINTS store), and now with authentic Belgian sugar, I can say with a clear conscience:
- I liked it better with sawn (self-crushed :)) sugar and with Lars sugar, because the caramel crust is more intense - it covers a larger area of the waffles.
- Belgian sugar is more heat-stable and gives the effect of crunchy sugar in the waffles themselves rather than a caramel crust.
- the waffle iron is washed almost equally in three cases
Conclusion: if you want to make such waffles, I don’t see the point in looking for a “real” heat-stable one; refined sugar, split into fairly large pieces, will also do.
And yes, in the top photo - waffles with Belgian sugar, from Belgium, yes :)

This is an American - in a blue box