Dirty Little Secrets...

FOOD FIND

An authentic BELGIAN WAFFLE is one of my favorite snacks from my travels. In Belgium, waffles are sold by vendors on the streets, and are intended to be eaten “on the go”, not on a plate. Countries all over the world have adopted their own unique version of the waffle, but these are different than most. They are smaller, and served warm in a simple paper wrapping, to be easily held in one hand. The dough is dense and sweet with a rich vanilla flavor, and crunchy bits of pearl sugar mixed throughout. The outside is sticky and crisp with a caramelized sugar coating, and the crunch from the cast iron pan in which it cooks. There are two main varieties of waffles in Belgium. The “Brussels Waffle” is more widely known in other cultures, but this “Liège Waffle” is the most popular and authentic in Belgium. First made in Liège, Belgium in the 18^th century, its popularity has been growing ever since. Although considered unauthentic by most Europeans, in the touristy areas of Belgium, many vendors offer toppings, such as decadent chocolate drizzle, whipped cream, and fruit. These waffle snacks are to be eaten any time of day, and will surely satisfy your sweet tooth. If you are planning a trip to Belgium, make sure you put these waffles on your to do list! Or, for a sneak preview, try out the recipe below!

Liege Waffle Recipe

2 cups flour

1 cup pearl sugar

1 cup melted butter

3 eggs

1 (1/4 ounce) package yeast

1/3 cup lukewarm water

1 1/2 tablespoons sugar (add some vanilla sugar)

1/8 teaspoon salt

How to make Liege Waffles in nine easy steps:

1. Take the lukewarm water and mix in yeast, 1 1/2 tablespoon sugar and salt. Let the yeast develop for 15 minutes. In the meanwhile you can melt the butter, but be careful - do not burn it.

2. Now take a large bowl and put in the flour, make a hole in the middle, pour in the yeast that you made in step one. Also add eggs and melted butter and knead until you get nice and even dough. Then let it rest so the yeast does it's magic and the dough doubles.

3. Now take pearl sugar and gently mix it in.

4. Again, let it rest for 15 minutes; in the meanwhile you can turn on the waffle maker so it’s nice and hot.

5. All that is left is to pour the waffle dough into the waffle maker and bake for 3-5 minutes. Because we mixed in the sugar late in the process it will melt and caramelize and give that special Liege waffle taste. Just be careful when you take them out of the waffle maker, caramelized sugar can make them sticky.

6. Enjoy!!

* Photo taken from liegewaffle.wordpress.com

* Recipe from www.waffle-recipe.com