Best Belgian Waffles

I have had an obsession with Belgian waffles for a long time now. So much so that when we traveled through Brussels on our trip to Europe 3 years ago, I dragged my husband everywhere to look for this delightful treat. Sadly, most of the places we went to were tourist traps and resulted in waffles that are sub-par to what I envisioned: a buttery and sweet waffle with a crispy exterior and a soft fluffy interior.

My mission for Belgian waffles was also thwarted by Belgian beer, moules frites (mussels and fries), and Belgian frites (crispy fries with a crazy amount of sauces to dip the frites in!). I guess I will have to go back to Belgium to seek out more authentic waffles and hopefully not get distracted!

As my regular readers know, I am not a morning person. Making breakfasts is not my thing unless it is relatively easy to execute. Most of this recipe is fool-proof, however, it requires you to pay a little attention when it comes to whipping the egg whites. But trust me when I say the result is worth getting up early for.

This is the waffle I was longing for when we went to Brussels. The waffle is buttery, sweet and crispy on the outside, and soft and fluffy on the inside. It is also slightly sweet so you could eat this waffle on its own, without any syrup.

Now, this is the type of waffle you dream of and obsess about.

Makes: 10 - 12 waffles

Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar (scant)
3-1/2 tsp baking powder
2 eggs, separated*
1-1/2 cups milk
1 cup butter, melted**
1 tsp vanilla extract

Top with fresh fruit (blueberries, strawberries - optional)

* Separating the eggs: Make sure to separate the egg yolk from the egg white carefully, ensuring the egg white is not contaminated with any egg yolk. Please read Wikihow's methods for separating an egg. I prefer separating the egg yolk by hand and placing the egg whites into a clean and dry bowl.

** The best way to melt butter without splatters or without overheating it is to defrost it in your microwave on the regular defrost setting (and not quick defrost).

Directions
1. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar and baking powder. Mix well.

2. In a separate bowl, lightly beat the egg yolks. Add in milk, butter and vanilla and mix well.

3. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until it is just combined. Make sure not to over mix.

4. In a stand mixer, beat egg whites on low until the egg whites are foamy.

5. Then beat on high until stiff peaks form. Please read the troubleshooting tips below if this is your first time beating egg whites.

6. Fold in 1/2 of the egg whites into the batter, mixing thoroughly.

7. Add in the remaining egg whites, carefully fold the batter with a rubber spatula until just combined. Do not over mix!

8. Preheat a waffle iron according to manufacturer's directions. For my waffle iron, I use a scant 1/4 cup of batter (I used my muffin scoop) and cook for 10 minutes until the waffle is light golden brown.

9. Serve on its own, with fresh fruit or a light dusting of powdered sugar. Note: The waffle will appear quite soft when you take it out of the waffle maker but will crisp up after it cools. As my husband said, "Who in the world could wait that long?"

Source: Slightly adapted from Taste of Home

TIPS: Beating Egg Whites

1. Make sure your utensils and bowls are clean and dry. Any residue of oil or water will prevent your egg whites from forming stiff peaks.
2. Separate the egg yolk carefully from the egg white. The presence of the slightest bit of egg yolk will foil your plan for stiff peaks.