Stroopwafels are a type of filled waffle cookie, popular in the Netherlands. The cookie dough is made from flour, sugar, milk, eggs, cinnamon and yeast. The dough is rolled into balls which are cooked on a thin waffle iron. The cookies are then filled.
In the US, most store bought stroopwafels are filled with caramel, but authentic stroopwafels are filled with stroop. Stroop is a type a syrup which is made by boiling sugar until it becomes dark, thick and sticky. Some stroops are also made with fruit.
The edge of the cookie is trimmed off by pressing a round cutter into it, to give it a perfect circular shape. In the Netherlands, it’s not unusual for the trimmings to be saved, placed into a small bag, drizzled with syrup and eaten that way.
The yeast gives the cookie a slight rise so it isn’t paper thin. The waffle cookie is sliced while still hot. If the cookie is too cool during slicing, it will break apart. Once filled with the syrup and cooled, the cookie becomes less delicate because of the syrup holding it together. Stroopwafels are eaten cold or hot. The easiest way to warm up a stroopwafel is over a cup of hot coffee or tea.
More recently, stroopwafels can be found with a variety of fillings including, chocolate, maple, honey and chocolate covered.
Origin & Cultural Significance
It’s believed that stroopwafels first emerged in Gouda, a city in the south of the Netherlands. The confection is credited to the baker Gerard Kamphuisen in the early 1800’s who made then from left over cookie pieces covered with syrup.
Over time stroopwafels became their own cookie. Eventually, stroopwafels popularity spread outside the city of Gouda into other regions of the Netherlands where it is a popular holiday treat.
Dutch Stroopwafel Recipe
Stroopwafels are a type of filled waffle cookie, popular in the Netherlands. The cookie dough is made from flour, sugar, milk, eggs, cinnamon and yeast.
Ingredients
- All-purpose flour - 4 cups
- Butter, melted - 1 1/8 cups
- Active dry yeast - 14g
- Milk, warm - ¼ cup
- Egg, whole - 1
- White sugar - ¾ cup
- Molasses - 1 ½ cup
- Brown sugar - 1 1/3 cup
- Butter - 1/3 cup
- Cinnamon, ground - 1 tsp
Instructions
- Mix the flour, melted butter, sugar, yeast, milk and egg in a large bowl using a wooden spoon.
- When the dough gets stiff enough that it becomes really hard to stir, turn it out onto a floured surface and knead by hand for a couple of minutes.
- Let the dough rise for 45 minutes
- In those 45 minutes, make the filling by heating up the molasses, brown sugar, remaining butter and cinnamon in a saucepan over medium heat.
- Stir to blend, then set aside.
- Preheat the pizzelle iron.
- Knead the dough briefly, and create 2 inch balls, or any size that is compatible with your iron.
- Press the balls against the preheated iron and cook until the iron stops releasing steam or when the waffles are golden brown.
- Carefully remove the waffle from the iron and slice the waffle in half horizontally while warm.
- Before the halves cool, spread the filling on one side and then put the halves back together.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 913Total Fat: 35gSaturated Fat: 22gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 112mgSodium: 311mgCarbohydrates: 145gFiber: 2gSugar: 96gProtein: 9g