I’m back in the thick of it at the time of you reading this post. Back at school, running in a million different directions and trying to get it all done. So, on my last Sunday of my summer vacation I decided to make a leisurely breakfast of liege waffles. I woke up at 6:30 am with my mind already racing, thinking about my upcoming schedule. So, as long as I had the time, these special waffles got a spot on the breakfast table.
Liege waffles are different from traditional waffles. Even different from a traditional Belgium waffle. It’s a yeasted dough, similar to brioche (which means lots of butter). Pearl sugar is mixed into the dough so that when the waffle is cooked you get caramelized crunchy bits throughout. It’s a popular street food that is handheld, or you can top them with different toppings, such as fruit, nutella or whipped cream. Traditionally, these are not served with syrup as they are really sweet.
You need some time to make these. I’ve seen some recipes where you make the dough the night before, but this one only needs one rise of about a half hour, so you can have waffles on the table in about 2 hours, start to finish.
You can find pearl sugar at specialized food stores, or online.
LIEGE WAFFLES
- (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
- 1 1/2 tablespoons white sugar
- 3/4 cup lukewarm milk (about 100 degrees)
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup melted butter (2 sticks)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 cups flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cups pearl sugar
- Sprinkle the yeast and white sugar over warm milk in a small bowl. The milk should be no more than 100 degrees F (40 degrees C). Let stand for 15 minutes until the yeast softens and begins to foam.
- Whisk the eggs, melted butter, and vanilla extract into the yeast mixture until evenly blended; set aside. Stir together the flour and salt in a separate large bowl, and make a well in the center. Pour the egg mixture into the well, then stir in the flour mixture until a soft dough forms. Cover with a light cloth and let rise in a warm place (80 to 95 degrees F (27 to 35 degrees C)) until doubled in volume, about 30 minutes. Gently mix in the pearl sugar.
- Preheat a waffle iron according to manufacturer’s instructions.
- Place a baseball-size ball of dough on the preheated waffle iron. Cook waffles until golden and crisp, about 2 minutes. Repeat with remaining dough. Allow waffles to cool for 2 to 3 minutes before serving.
makes about 12 waffles.
Moscato & Macarons 