Recipe Gaufres

Crêpes Bretonnes - recipe of the famous French crêpes from Brittany.

French waffles

Method:

-Separate the eggs.
-Melt the butter in the milk by heating till luke warm.
-Mix the egg yolks into the butter and milk mixture and add the vanilla essence.
-Put the flour into a mixing bowl and make a well in the centre.
-Add the milk mixture and combine into the flour.
-Whisk the egg whites in a separate bowl till firm peaks then whisk the caster sugar in to form a meringue mixture.
-Fold the meringue mixture into the batter using a large metal spoon.
-Cook the mixture in the hot waffle iron which will need a little oil on the first ones.
-Decorate with icing sugar or topping of your choice and eat hot!

Prepare ahead ... you can make the waffles in advance then freeze them in freezer bags. When you fancy a waffle just heat them up in the waffle iron. They taste better when eaten fresh but are still very good from frozen!

A waffle is a batter cooked in a special waffle iron which is patterned to give a distinctive and characteristic grid shape.

Waffles are traditionally eaten at Mardi-Gras with icing sugar, but toppings with chocolate (Nutella), berries or ice-cream are also enjoyed by young and old.

Waffles were consumed by many Kings in the past, such as King Francis who had commissioned waffle makers made from silver! According to historians, waffles originate from the region of Brussels in Belgium, and the whole country – including the French Flanders – claims its paternity!

Ingredients:

-325 g plain flour
-3 large eggs
-75 g butter
-300 ml milk
-50 ml water
-100 g caster sugar
-2 tsp baking powder
-1/2tsp salt
-a few drops of vanilla essence/ extract

Flandre/Flanders

Gaufres Kermesse

The reputation of waffles in North America found its origin in 1620 when Pilgrims from Holland brought the recipe to the New World. Then, Thomas Jefferson himself brought a waffle iron from France, opening the way to the popularity of waffles in the USA in the late 18th century.

There are many varieties of waffles in Belgium and Flanders: the Liege waffle, the stroowafel, and the Brussel waffle (often known in Anglo-saxon countries as Belgium waffle). The Brussels Waffle, sometimes called Gaufre de Bruxelles or Gaufre Kermesse in French, is recognisable by its larger size, lighter batter and higher grid pattern which forms deep pockets and has larger squares.

Beignets de Carnaval - recipe of the beignets eaten on Mardi-Gras.

✽ photo by Mikako Yokoyama, 2009

Credit photos:

Waffle stand in Brussels, Belgium ✽