Rich Buttermilk Belgian Waffles
Who wants Belgian Waffles for breakfast? Any takers?
So for the longest time, waffles have been a tasty staple of the American Breakfast. We have always enjoyed them with melted butter and maple syrup. and then in the 1960s, the mucher bigger and deeper Belgian Waffle was introduced to the USA.
They were selling Belgian Waffles on the street in New York City and they were being covered in strawberries and whipped cream instead of our traditional butter and syrup. Originally they were called Brussels’ Waffles, but the vendors were worried that nobody knew where the city of Brussel’s was, so they renamed them Brussels’ waffles. Since then, they have evolved into a breakfast food and are often eaten in the same way as traditional American waffles, with butter and syrup, but many Americans enjoy them with berries and whipped cream. Not only that, now Americans eat traditional American waffles and even pancakes with berries and cream. Did Belgian waffles inspire that? We’ll never know.
So, why were Belgian Waffles originally called Brussels’ Waffles? Well, that’s easy to answer, it is simply because they come from Brussels, the capital of Belgium. As far as recorded history, Brussels’ Waffles were created in the 1950s and served on the streets on Sundays outside of Cathedrals and churches.
This recipe I am giving you is Buttermilk Belgian Waffles, so definitely not authentic Belgian or Brussels as Buttermilk is an American ingredient for the most part. In a way you can call this a Belgian-American fusion dish.
A few rules about using buttermilk versus using regular milk. If you use buttermilk, you must use baking soda as well. The two ingredients work hand in hand to create a carbon dioxide bubbles that help the batter rise more than just using regular milk. In a buttermilk pancake recipe a good rule of thumb is a teaspoon of baking soda for every 2 1/2 to 3 cups of buttermilk and to 2 cups of flour. In Belgian Waffles, it’s good to cut back on the baking soda (and baking powder) because you want the dough to rise a little less. This way you must use a little bit more batter in the waffle iron and it creates a slightly more firm Belgian Waffle, which is desirable for the the deeper pockets that Belgian Waffles have. Otherwise, you send up with a really flimsy waffle that seems to go flat really easily. So, if anyone asks you if pancake recipes and Belgian waffle recipes are interchangeable? NO, they are not. That is unless you like flimsy waffles, or super thick bullet proof pancakes.
Below is my recipe, I hope you enjoy it as much as I do and as much as my kids do.
Ingredients
2 eggs
2 cups buttermilk
1/4 cup of butter melted
2 cups white flour
1/2 tbsp baking powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp sugar
Instructions
Place eggs in a lukewarm bowl of water for 10 minutes
Bring 2 cups of buttermilk to just under room temperature
Allow melted butter to cool a little so you’re not cooking the batter when you pour it in
Combine all dry ingredients in a mixing bowl.
In a separate bowl, beat the eggs, buttermilk and melted butter until mixed well
Create a crater in your bowl of dry ingredients and pour wet ingredients into the crater.
Combine the wet ingredients and dry ingredients. You want to make sure not to overmix. There should be lumps. I recommend using a spoon to mix, not a wire whisk so you don’t accidentally over mix and end up with tough waffles that you’ll have to eat with a steak knife.
Once mixed, add to your Belgian Waffle Iron and follow the directions of your specific appliance.
Once completed, top with your choice of fruit, berries, whipped cream, butter, syrup, honey, whatever you like.
Should feed 4 to 6 people
Enjoy!