In pursuit of the perfect waffle...

This past Christmas, my dear inlaws gave me a very thoughtful gift...a Belgian waffle maker. Not just any waffle maker, but one of those that you put the batter on and then flip it over while it cooks. I have always LOVED making myself giant Belgian waffles when we travel and stay at hotels. They knew this because we last stayed in a hotel while en route to visit family over Thanksgiving. My new Belgian wafle maker is just perfect!!

We have tried a few different recipes with none tasting anywhere close to those hotel waffles I enjoy so much. While out shopping last weekend, my hubby suggested that I look to see if Williams-Sonoma carried a Belgian waffle mix. In the past, we have gotten their guacamole starter and LOVE it. It has the perfect blend of spices, it is de-lish. Anyhow, back to the waffles. They carry a brand called Bellegem so I picked up a can. We tried it this past Saturday and the taste was perfect. However, the mix didn't make as much batter as the recipe on the can called for nor did I fill the waffle iron up enough (because I was rationing the batter) so the waffles didn't fill out as much as they usually do. So, my next step was to work on fixing that.

Today is my husband's birthday and he decided to take the day off to enjoy it with the family. It is also the first day that his 15-year old cousin is here with us. She has come to stay with us for 2-4 weeks every Summer for the last 3 years. In the past I have called her my mother's helper although this year, I think we'll go with the term "au pair", it sounds more sophisticate doesn't it? She mentioned she had heard the term while on their family vacation to Louisiana. If she likes it, we'll go with it. I wonder if we'll have to increase her pay with the recent title change? :)

So for Mike's birthday, I decided to make up some Belgian waffles, this time following the directions on the can perfectly. And, lucky for you I documented it with photos...

Some "from scratch" recipes I've read called for using yeast, I suppose because the batter will rise thus giving the waffle the right texture. The can directions for this brand call for adding melted butter and warm water (110-120 degrees F). Because I was doing this exactly as instructed, I pulled out my nifty cooking thermometer that I picked up the last time I was at Ikea. Once the water got into the suggested temperature range, I mixed it with the butter. Next I added the canned mix in and like the directions stated, I let it sit for 15 whole minutes. Yes, I agree...that's a long time when you are hungry for waffles. I honestly didn't notice a difference in the batter before and after so I'm not really sure if this step is an absolute necessity. Regardless, I did it and then poured the batter onto the waffle iron and let it cook for 2 minutes. During that time, I washed and sliced up some strawberries I had to prepare for the finished product.

And yes, I must say this Belgian waffle did taste just as good as it looks, if not better! Funny thing, I discovered while doing some poking around online is that Amazon.com carries the exact same batter that the hotels use, it's called Golden Malted. We may have to order it up for some comparison testing. But in the meantime, we are very pleased with this mix! Happy Birthday to my amazing husband of almost 7 years (next month). I love you dearly and hope you enjoyed your special birthday breakfast :)