Sometimes when I am making and photographing food I become so giddy with excitement I will send off a text/photo message to some of my friends. Their almost instantaneous responses (barely any text back lag time in my circle of friends) make me smile or laugh out loud. This past weekend there was one texting interchange that touched my heart. After sending a photo of the Liège Waffles to one of my Swedish (born and raised in Minnesota) friends, she texted back and shared that the photo took her back to her Saturday morning childhood days when her mother and grandmother made these waffles. Being able to evoke a happy childhood memory for a friend only added to the giddiness I was feeling in making these Liège Waffles for the first time (giddiness and firsts seem to naturally go hand in hand).
Liège waffles are not to be confused with the 'Belgian waffle'. This variation of a waffle is dense, sweet, chewy, having a brioche dough-like, and studded with caramelized bits of pearl sugar. Its' flavor and texture could not be more different than the 'Belgian waffle'. Putting butter and/or syrup on a Liège waffle would be a culinary faux pas.
If there was a ever recipe causing me think of the old adage 'not all good things come easy', this would be one of them. But I was determined to push through the process as giving up was not an option. Having absolutely no frame of reference for these waffles I kept wondering whether or not they would turn out (oh the trials and tribulations of trying new recipes). More than the time invested or the ingredients possibly being wasted, my confidence level for venturing into unknown territory was at risk (not the end of the world kind of risk, just the kind of risk that reinforces second guessing). Understanding the internal chaos I was experiencing while making these waffles might help to explain why the giddiness factor increased exponentially after taking the first bite of them.
I looked at more than a dozen recipes for Liège Waffles as well as read though the Liège Waffle Recipe blog (yes, I actually found one). The knowledge shared by those having done extensive research on this waffle helped to influence my decision as to which recipe I would make. Beyond looking at the similarities and differences in ingredients in the various recipes, it was equally important to have a sense of the technique used in the making of these waffles.
The result of all of my Liège Waffle research was a slightly tweaked recipe closely resembling the one shared by food blogger Sweet Amandine. Her claim that this was no ordinary waffle could not have been truer. I took her advice on weighing (almost all of) the ingredients, using instant dry yeast versus active dry yeast and incorporating only 1/2 cup (versus 3/4 cup) of the pearl sugar.
In the making of the brioche-like dough for the waffles I changed out the paddle attachment with the dough hook to 'knead' the dough. The volume of the dough wasn't enough for the dough hook to work well enough for me to experience having the dough pull away from the sides of the bowl. Next time I make them I will either double the recipe and use the dough hook or keep the mixer speed at low and continue to use the paddle attachment.
The first time I saw pearl sugar was in the kitchen cabinet of my born and raised in Minnesota Swedish friend (which explains in part why she was one of my friends I chose to send the waffle photo to). The second time was when my box of Lars Swedish Pearl Sugar arrived in the mail from Amazon (was easier to buy online than go on the hunt in grocery or specialty stores). The decision to use only 1/2 cup of the pearl sugar was made partly because I didn't want an overly sweet waffle (a lesson learned shared by other bloggers) and partly because the dough didn't seem it could take in any more. The pearl sugar is gently mixed in by hand so as to not toughen the dough. At this stage of making the waffles you want nothing to ruin them.
When I read the recipe yielded only six waffles I thought 'what, just six waffles'? These are rich waffles, eaten more like a doughnut than a 'plate of waffles'. So these six waffles would have been enough for four people (as decadent as they are, they can be a little addictive so it may be hard for some to stop at eating just one). If having friends or family over for breakfast or brunch, the Liège Waffles would be great a prelude to the meal (and for some they could be the meal itself).
When making the decision to buy an electric waffle maker years ago, I went back and forth between the larger and the smaller one made by All-Clad. While my baked waffles had a slightly different look than the ones I saw on other blogs, this smaller electric waffle maker worked perfectly. I even liked their finished look. However, if my Liège Waffle making momentum continues, I can already predict I will be wanting (the totally unnecessary, somewhat redundant) larger version of the All-Clad waffle maker.
Cooking time ranged from 4 to 4 1/2 minutes per waffle with the waffle maker set between the 2 and 3 heat settings. The cooked waffles were placed on a cooling rack (a suggestion found in one of the recipes reviewed) to add a slight exterior crispness to them.
The Liège Waffle is more of a 'length of time intensive' rather than a 'labor intensive' making process. But seriously, don't let this deter you from making them as it will be time well spent. Starting any day with a bite of a Liège Waffle is destined to make for a great day. And how often can we really actually affect our own destinies? Not often I know. But trust me, these waffles have the ability to align your 'lucky' stars.
The tender, rich, oozing with caramelized bites of sugar Liège Waffles really don't need to be topped with anything as they are deadly and intoxicating all on their own. However, the Scandinavian Ligonberry preserves and the (Eastern Belgium in origin, French in written documentation) Liège Waffle turned out to be a great taste combination. The tartness of the preserves paired with the rich, not too sweet taste of the waffle dough was 'wicked' (good).
Eaten warm or at room temperature, for breakfast or as a snack, these yeast based, brioche-like dough waffles are nothing like waffles I grew up with. After making and eating and this variation of a waffle, I wished my childhood memories included the Saturday morning experience of taking in the heavenly smell and savoring the mouth watering taste of a Liège Waffle. Since there is no going back in time, the least I can do now is have them become part of the adult memories of my family and friends.
"Food is a gift and should be treated reverentially--romanced and ritualized and seasoned with memory." - Chris Bohjalian
Liège Waffles (slight adaptations made to the Liège Waffle recipe shared by food blogger Sweet Amandine)
Ingredients
2 cups (240 g) bread flour, divided (Recommend King Arthur Bread Flour) Note: Or can use half bread flour and half pastry flour.
1 teaspoon (3 g) instant dry yeast
1/4 cup whole milk, room temperature
2 Tablespoons and 2 teaspoons water, room temperature
1 large egg, lightly beaten, room temperature
1 Tablespoon and 1 teaspoon (20 g) light brown sugar
8 Tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 Tablespoon honey
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 cup small sized pearl sugar (recommend Lars Swedish Pearl Sugar)
Non-stick spray
Optional but really good: Ligonberry Preserves/Jam
Directions
1. Whisk 2/3 cup (80 g) of the bread flour with instant dry yeast in bowl of a stand mixer. Set aside.
2. In a large mixing cup, mix together water, milk and egg. Add wet ingredients to flour/yeast mixture, stirring to moisten.
3. Sprinkle remaining 1 1/3 cup (160g) of bread flour on top (do not mix). Cover tightly with plastic wrap, place in warm location and let stand for 75-90 minutes or until the batter has broken the top layer of the flour (will see some bubbling through the flour).
4. Add brown sugar and salt to the dough using a paddle attachment (low speed).
5. Slowly add vanilla, honey and butter (2 Tablespoons at a time) until butter is fully incorporated.
6. Replace paddle attachment with dough hook. Mix for 4-5 minutes at medium-low speed (scrape down sides of bowl twice). Let dough rest for 1 minute. (Important note: Next time I will 'knead' the dough with the paddle vs dough hook attachment as the volume of dough was not enough for the dough hook to work well.)
7. Continue mixing until dough becomes stretchy and pulls away from side of bowl easily with a spatula. Note: This may take 2-3 minutes, another rest period, and another 2-3 minutes.
8. Tightly cover bowl with plastic wrap. Refrigerate overnight.
9. Remove from refrigerator. Mix in pearl sugar by hand. Note: try to work in all of the pearl sugar.
10. Divide dough into six equal chunks (108-110 grams), place on a parchment paper lined baking sheet, cover lightly with plastic wrap, and allow to rest for 90 minutes (or until slightly puffy).
11. Preheat electric waffle maker (recommend a heat setting between 2 and 3). Lightly spray waffle maker with non-stick spray.
12. Place one dough ball in center of waffle maker. Close and cook for approximately 4 minutes or until the waffles have browned and pearl sugar looks caramelized.
13. Place cooked waffles on a cooling rack to ensure a crisped exterior to the waffle.
14. Continue cooking until all waffles have been made.
15. Serve warm or at room temperature with or without a side of ligonberry jam/preserves.
Note: Liège waffles make great ice cream sandwiches.
Giddily sharing with you a couple of the photos taken in the Boston Public Garden during my recent east coast adventure. My first visit to this magnificent garden could not have been on a more beautiful, blue sky September day.
