Although waffles might be more associated with France’s neighbours in Belgium, they are actually a popular snack all across Europe. I like to think of waffles as the crêpe’s big brother: a little more substantial with a crisp outside, but still light and fluffy on the inside. And, as with crêpes, they can be served with just about any topping, but here I’m sticking to a classic, hot chocolate sauce.
Makes 12
Ingredients:
For the batter
– 325g plain flour
– 2 tsp baking powder
– pinch of salt
– 60g caster sugar
– 2 large eggs, separated
– 450ml whole milk
– 1 tsp vanilla extract
– 100g unsalted butter, melted and cooled
For the hot chocolate sauce
– 75g cocoa powder
– 75g caster sugar
– 50g dark chocolate (60–70 per cent cocoa solids), finely chopped
Method:
To make the batter
1. Put the flour, baking powder, salt and half the caster sugar in a large bowl and whisk together.
2. In a large jug, whisk together the egg yolks, milk, vanilla and melted butter, then pour it into the flour mixture, whisking until you have a smooth batter.
3. Put the egg whites in a clean, grease-free bowl and, using an electric mixer, whisk until they hold soft peaks. Continue to whisk while you slowly pour in the remaining sugar until the meringue is stiff and glossy.
4. Add the meringue to the batter and gently fold together. Cook the batter according to your waffle iron’s instructions.
To make the chocolate sauce
1. Put 200ml water in a medium pan and add the cocoa powder and caster sugar. Whisk together until smooth.
2. Put over a medium heat and bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 2 minutes or until the syrup has thickened.
3. Remove the pan from the heat and leave to cool for a few minutes, then add the chocolate and stir together until melted and smooth.
4. You can serve the sauce warm or cold, but it gets a lot thicker as it cools down. If you have any sauce left over it can be kept in the fridge for up to a month and then reheated at a later point.
Tip
– This recipe makes quite a lot of waffles, so you could, of course, halve the quantities, but you can also freeze the cooked waffles. Leave them to cool completely then wrap them in a double layer of clingfilm.
– When you want to serve them, leave them to thaw fully before reheating them in the oven at 120c (100C fan oven)/gas 1/2 for about 10 minutes or until heated through.
Most of us have been wowed looking through the windows of a patisserie and sampling the delights therein. Now Edd Kimber shows you how to recreate these recipes at home.
With step-by-step photographs for basic pastry and icings, Edd guides you through the techniques, taking the fear out of a genoise sponge and simplifying a croissant dough.
Taken from Patisserie Made Simple by Edd Kimber. Published by Kyle Books. Photography by Laura Edwards.