How To Make WAFFLES

Instructions

Liège Waffles

1. Place the sparkling water in the bowl of a mixer fitted with the hook attachment and add the yeast. Add the eggs and sugar and mix for a moment to blend. Add the flour and salt and start the mixer on low speed, pouring in the melted butter while mixing. Once the ingredients are blended, increase the speed by one and knead the dough until it becomes elastic and smooth, about 5 minutes. Cover the mixing bowl with plastic wrap and set aside for an hour to rise (it will double in size).
2. Turn the dough out onto a clean work surface (because of the butter in the dough, it’s unlikely you’ll need to dust your work area with flour.) Press the dough out into a rough rectangle and sprinkle the pearl sugar over top. Roll up the dough and knead and twist it to work the sugar into the dough. Shape the dough into a log and cut it into 12 equal pieces. Shape each into a ball (it does not have to be precisely shaped) and set aside.
3. Preheat your waffle iron according to manufacturer’s instructions. Place a piece of dough into the centre of the iron, close the iron and flip. Cook the waffle for about 3 minutes, until a rich golden brown (the pockets of sugar will caramelize). Remove the waffles and repeat with the remaining pieces. The waffles can be served warm with Spiced Plums and White Chocolate Sauce (recipes follow).

Spiced Plums

1. Place the plums and orange in a medium saucepan with the sugar. Wrap the spices in a sachet or piece of cheesecloth and drop into the pot. Bring the plums to a simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Simmer until the plums are soft and the liquid is a glaze consistency. Remove the orange halves and the spices.

White Chocolate Sauce

1. Bring the cream and pepper up to just below a simmer in a small saucepan over medium heat. Have the white chocolate in a bowl and pour the hot cream over top, stirring gently until the chocolate has melted and the sauce is smooth. Serve the sauce warm.

TIPS AND SUBSTITUTIONS

1. Pearl sugar is an aerated style of sugar, used for sprinkling onto breads and worked into Liege waffles. It can be found at European groceries, but if not available, you can crush sugar cubes until they are a coarse (not fine) texture and use them with similar results.