Liège waffle

This week I had a craving for Liège waffles. It started with a photo on Instagram, then I saw them again in several grocery stores. But they were a bit expensive, and having bought them before, they're often a bit too floury and soft for my taste. So I found myself "obliged" to get behind my stove and make homemade Liège waffles.

I don't know about you, but when I get that kind of craving, I always end up cracking at one point or another. To avoid the next crazy waffle craving, I doubled the recipe and froze some of it. I should be okay for several months. They freeze very well and to reheat them, just pop them in the toaster (or oven).

But let's get back to the subject at hand: the Liège waffle. Why not just a waffle? I may fall very low in your esteem, but I've never been a big fan of waffles. I much prefer pancakes. But the Liège waffle, also known as a sugar waffle, has always held a much higher place in my heart. It was a mini dessert I discovered in Belgium, and I found it delicious. I find it much tastier than a traditional waffle, and it can be eaten without toppings. I also love the little crunch when you come across a little lump of pearl sugar.

Differences between Brussels and Liège waffles

These two types of waffle are quite different in their preparation. The Liégeoise is made with a leavened fermented dough into which pearl sugar is added, making it relatively heavy.

Whereas the normal waffle, or Brussels waffle, uses baking powder, the batter is more liquid and less sugar is added, making it lighter.

Another difference is in the final shape of the waffle. The Brussels waffle generally takes the shape of your waffle iron, usually round or rectangular. As the batter is liquid before cooking, it will spread evenly throughout your waffle iron.

The Liège waffle is more likely to be oval and irregular. As the batter is fairly thick, it will often not be evenly distributed in your waffle iron.

The ingredients

As far as the ingredients are concerned, we're sticking to the classics of pastry-making, with my little touch mainly on the sugars used.

• 250 mL milk (1 %)
• 8 g dry baker's yeast
• 500 g flour (ideally T45, otherwise T55)
• 35 g maple sugar (or brown sugar)
• 3 teaspoons natural vanilla extract
• 2 pinches salt
• 2 eggs
• 250 g unsalted butter (softened)
• 200 g pearl sugar

To add a little Quebec twist, I replace the brown sugar with maple sugar. This gives a very slight maple taste that's not unpleasant. Since maple sugar is less sweet than brown sugar, I increase the amount of pearl sugar slightly. You can also use less pearl sugar and a little more maple sugar.

If you wish to use brown sugar, I recommend using only 160g of pearl sugar, otherwise the recipe may become too sweet.

The main difficulty in making this recipe in Canada is finding pearl sugar. It's rare to find it in normal grocery stores. You can sometimes find it in grocery stores specializing in French products. I order my pearl sugar from the Vanilla Food Companywhere I also order my chocolate for pastries. Alternatively, you can try Amazon.

Try the mini waffles too

You're not as greedy as me and a whole waffle is too much for you? Try making bite-sized mini Liège waffles. It's very easy, just divide the dough into 4 pieces (25gr instead of 100gr). Then place a dough piece in each corner of your waffle iron.

This should give a result similar to the photo.

---

If you would like to try another type of waffle that is quite original, I recommend my recipe for filled waffles, in a sweet or savoury version. salty.

What's your favorite waffle? The self-sufficient Liégeoise? Or the Bruxelloise, where you can add all the toppings of your choice?

Get cooking!

Print