Gaufre, commonly known as Belgian waffles, is a popular European pastry dish prepared with a batter of flour and yeast and is then baked in different textured plates.
Gaufre can be made with many variations. Following are some of the types of Gaufre:
- Flemish Gaufre – these are irregular or round shaped waffles that are garnished with orange blossom water and sugar.
- Brussels waffles – these are deeper and bigger pockets that are rectangular in shape.
- Round liege waffles – these waffles are sticky and sweet and are made by coating them in crispy caramelized pearl sugar.
All versions of Gaufre can be served with whipped cream, fruits, jam, chocolate syrup, ice-cream, peanut butter and chopped nuts.
Besides the sweet waffles, there are savory waffles as well which include toppings such as sausages, cheese, eggs, hummus, baked beans and marinated artichokes.
History & Cultural Significance
In the beginning of the 18th century, R. Smith first recorded the term ‘waffle’ in his court cookery. Flemish Gaufre were first created in 1740, whereas the chef of Prince Bishop first recorded the Belgian liege Gaufre in the 18th century.
The electric waffle maker was invented in the beginning of the 1900s. With this invention, Gaufre are now made more easily at home and people prefer homemade Gaufre more than buying from the street vendors.
Belgian Gaufre Waffles Recipe
The preparation of waffles is quite easy and it takes only around 30 mins to get them completely done. These mouth-watering waffles can be topped with chocolate syrup, fruit syrup, fruit, ice cream or whipped cream depending upon your choice.
Here is our super quick recipe for Belgian gaufre waffles.
Ingredients
- All-purpose flour - 2 cups
- Instant yeast
- Warm milk - 1 1/2 cups
- Baking powder - 4 tsp
- White sugar - 2 tbsp
- Eggs - 4
- Butter (melted) - 1/2 cup
- Vanilla essence - 1 tsp
- Whipped cream - 1 cup
- Salt - to taste
Instructions
- Take a medium sized bowl and and add flour, milk and yeast. Set aside until the mixture rises. This may take around 90 mins.
- After 90 mins, add salt, sugar, vanilla essence, 2 egg yolks (leave the whites for later use) and 2 whole eggs. Gently beat all the ingredients with a beater at a low speed. Add in the butter and mix gently.
- Now beat the remaining whites of the 2 eggs gently until soft peaks are formed.
- Add the egg whites and whipped cream into the batter and fold it with light hands. Set aside until the batter rises and its volume doubles. This may take around 2 hours.
- Meanwhile, preheat the waffle iron at a desired temperature.
- Once the batter is doubled, pour it in the preheated waffle iron. Cook the waffles at 191 degrees for around 4 mins until they turn golden and crispy.
- Dust the waffles with fine sugar and serve them with fruits and whipped cream to make them more delightful.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 2 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 1242Total Fat: 67gSaturated Fat: 39gTrans Fat: 2gUnsaturated Fat: 23gCholesterol: 532mgSodium: 1875mgCarbohydrates: 125gFiber: 4gSugar: 16gProtein: 34g