Last February I discovered a wonderful podcast called Stuff You Should Know. They cover an extremely wide range of topics, and a month or so ago I listened to their podcast about Belgian Waffles. They explained that what we, in the USA, think of as "Belgian Waffles" don't actually exist in Belgium. There, they have two main types of waffles they make, and neither is referred to as a "Belgian Waffle." There is a Liege waffle, which is made with a thick and sticky batter, almost like dough, which contains chunks of sugar, that caramelize to make a crunchy coating with a doughier center. The other common waffle in Belgium is a Brussels waffle. It is a yeast batter, making the inside super light and fluffy and the outside has a nice crisp to it. (Think normal grocery store doughnuts vs. Krispy Kreme. The yeast is what makes the latter so much lighter and fluffier) I think of it kind of like a funnel cake in waffle form. They are traditionally street food, eaten with the hands with just some powdered sugar on top.
When I heard this podcast, I decided I needed to get a waffle iron (with deep pockets, made for Brussels waffles) and make some Brussels waffles. Light and fluffy? Yes, please!
Last weekend I found a perfect waffle iron at Macy's on clearance and I snatched it up and started hunting down a recipe. I was dismayed to find that there doesn't seem to be a single vegan Brussels waffle recipe anywhere on the internet. So, I read through a bunch of authentic Brussels recipes and tried veganizing one myself. I was afraid they'd turn out horrible, but I had to give it a shot. I was super pleased to find that they turned out very well! These will be a new staple in our weekend diet.
We had some leftover raspberry compote from the pears I made earlier this week, which made a great topping for the waffles. Though they were delicious even with just the powdered sugar.
Look how fluffy that inside is! Mmm...
Makes about 20 waffles
9 tsp Ener-G egg replacer, divided
9 tbsp water, divided
2 tbsp sugar
1 1/2 c plant based milk, warmed (not hot)
1 packet dry active yeast (or 2 1/4 tsp if you have a jar of it)
1 1/2 c room temperature carbonated water
3 1/2 c white all purpose flour (don't substitute whole wheat, it will keep them from being fluffy!)
4 1/2 tsp baking powder
5 oz dairy free butter, melted
a pinch of salt
1. Mix 4 1/2 tsp egg replacer with 3 tbsp water in a small bowl. Mix the other 4 1/2 tsp egg replacer with 6 tbsp water in another bowl and whip with a mixer to make a foam like egg white with very soft peaks. Set theses two bowls aside.
2. Combine warm milk, yeast and sugar. Allow to bloom for about 10 minutes.
3. Lightly beat the first (less water) bowl of egg replacer into the yeast mixture. Add the water and gently stir to combine. Add flour and baking powder and mix with a mixer until there are no clumps.
4. Melt the butter in a sauce pan or microwave, then beat into mixture. Gently fold in the second egg replacer bowl contents, and add a pinch of salt.
5. Allow the batter to rise for 30 minutes, turning the waffle iron on about 5 minutes before it is done so it is nice an hot by the time the dough is ready.
6. Melt a little butter in a bowl and use a pastry brush to lightly coat the waffle iron so it doesn't stick.
7. Pour batter into each waffle square and spread out with a spatula before closing. Depending on the size of your iron, you'll have to experiment a bit with how much batter to put into each waffle spot and how long to cook them. Mine had about 1/2 c in each spot, and cooked for 7 minutes. The outsides will brown quicker than the insides will cook, so don't take them off too soon. If you poke at a waffle with a fork it should feel firm inside, not soft.
If you make the waffles quicker than you and your family can eat them, put them on a cooling rack rather than piling up on a plate as they cool. That will keep the outsides nice and crisp. I couldn't find my cooling rack, so I just used the rack from my convection oven to cool them on.
Update: I tossed some left over waffles into a baggie in the freezer, and they reheat wonderfully! Just put them in a toaster and they will reheat and crisp up the outside again while keeping their fluffy center. Now, every time I make these waffles I make at least a double batch, sometimes triple, and just keep the rest in the freezer! So much better than store bought frozen waffles!
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