Search locations or food
OR
Sign up

Authentic Gaufre Recipe Belgium, Europe

JUMP TO RECIPE

We strongly advise you to read the cooking tips before jumping to the recipe though

Introduction & history

Especially popular in Belgium, gaufres, or waffles are a European dish prepared with yeast batter or dough, then baked using a couple of textured plates. The pattern on the plates determines the waffle's dimensions and surface imprint. Flemish gaufres, or Gauffres à la Flamande, are a round or irregularly shaped waffle variety. Although sometimes topped with sugar and orange blossom water, they can also be consumed plain. Brussels waffles, rectangular in shape, are an airy and crispy waffle variety with bigger, deeper pockets. Their thick, foamy batter is made with beaten egg whites, without any sugar. The Brussels gaufres are served with fruit, sweet cream or simply some powdered sugar.  Round Liège waffles are made with pearl sugar, which gives the dense, brioche-like batter a bumpy feel. The gaufres de Liège are sweet and sticky, made with whole, not separated eggs, and coated in crispy caramelized pearl sugar. They are eaten plain, dusted ... Read more

Main ingredients

Cooking tips

  • flour

    Some experts suggest using pastry flour when making Brussels gaufres, which makes them crunchy and airy. Generally speaking, choose a flour that hasn't got an excessive amount of protein structure. Bread flour is, for example, too hefty, while all-purpose flour does the trick, giving the waffles a bit more substance, making them airy and crunchy.
  • batter

    When preparing Brussels gaufres, the batter needs to have the right level of liquidity, which makes for airy and crunchy waffles with a soft interior. If the solid ingredients outbalance the liquid ones, the core of the waffle might remain uncooked. The amount of water and milk should be in 1:1 proportion to each other. For nice, golden-brown waffles, aim for a somewhat thick but pourable batter that ... Read more
  • method

    If making Flemish or Brussels gaufres, some sources advise beating the egg whites into very stiff peaks - all that air will ensure that the waffles stay feathery and tender beneath the crispy outer layer. Don't over-stir while adding your egg whites to avoid deflating. When combining dry and wet ingredients, it's fine if the mixture remains a bit lumpy. When preparing any kind of waffles, the waffle ... Read more
  • cooking

    If you can, choose an iron with adjustable temperature control. Since sugar burns at 375 °F, Liège gaufres should be baked at 365-370 °F. The waffle maker needs to be heated enough to caramelize the pearl sugar, but not burn it. Some sources suggest cooking the Brussels waffles at 396 degrees. The temperature shouldn't be too low either – the center of the gaufre could overcook before the outside ... Read more
  • toppings

    When deciding about the waffle toppings, there are a plethora of options to choose from. Besides serving the waffles plain or with some powdered sugar, you can try adding some peanut butter and jelly, syrup, pudding, yogurt, Nutella, lemon curd, vanilla sauce, caramel, fruit compote, chopped nuts, or fresh fruit. Other sweet options include streusel, bananas foster, apple butter, hot fudge sauce, ... Read more

Recipe variations

Rum Raisin Waffles

PREP 20min

COOK 20min

READY IN 40min

4.8

Rate It

The following recipe is adapted from the Waffles cookbook written by K. Műller-Urban. It is a classical waffles recipe including rum, raisins and ground hazelnuts. The raisins need to be soaked overnight in rum. If you wish, serve the waffle with some simple ice cream sauce: mix 1 grated, peeled and cored apple with 4 scoops of vanilla ice cream. Add a few rum-soaked raisins on top, if desired. 

Ingredients

8 Servings

Rum Raisin Waffles

21 g fresh yeast

4 tbs sugar

1/4-liter lukewarm milk

250 g flour

50 g ground hazelnuts

75 g butter, softened

2 eggs

A little grated lemon zest

100 g raisins, soaked overnight in rum

200 g heavy cream

Kosher salt

Grease for waffle iron

Powdered sugar

Preparation

1

Rum Raisin Waffles

Step 1/4

In a jar or a bowl with a lid, soak the raisins overnight in some rum.

Step 2/4

Mix 1 teaspoon of sugar, 125 ml lukewarm milk and crumbled yeast until the yeast dissolves. Cover the mixture and let it rest somewhere warm for 15mins.

Step 3/4

Sieve the flour into a mixing bowl, then add the yeast mixture, followed by the rest of the milk, sugar, hazelnuts, 1 pinch salt, eggs, butter, rum-soaked raisins, a little bit of grated lemon zest, and cream. Mix until the batter becomes dense and smooth.

Step 4/4

Lightly grease the cooking surfaces of a preheated waffle iron, add 3 tablespoons of batter onto the center, and close. Bake each waffle until golden brown, for 2-3 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. Before serving, dust the waffles with some sieved powdered sugar.

Rating And Comments

Rate It

Wanna try?

Add To List

Other Variations

Other authentic recipes