Belgian Waffles
In a way, you could say that there are no "Belgian" waffles, but there is rather a whole bunch of varieties. Here is a collection of home-made recipe from Jacques Deseyne
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In former years, it used to be the major delicacy (together with pancakes) at family reunions and on special occasions, such as Mardi Gras (in my dictionary, the dutch "vastenavond" is also translated as "Pancake Day") or Christmas Evening (where it has been replaced by turkey as we got Civilized in recent years).
At home, waffle irons are not really big-sized and make rectangular waffles of 4 by 6 (or 7) squares. Every family tends to have its own variation on the basic recipe you will find below.
In general, snack bars and waffle houses serve Brussels waffles, with a very light structure and baked in slightly bigger irons with coarse squares. The "sugar" waffles are much sweeter; they are smaller again and no yeast is used for the dough (they are usually called "waffles from Liege").

The best waffles are obtained by using yeast for the dough. You can also use self-raising flour or baking powder, but the result is not as tasty. Alas, waffles with yeast cannot be stored for longer than one or two days. You should eat them during the baking or as soon as possible afterwards (warm them up in the iron which was used for the baking).

Most recipes use melted butter. Butter should not be heated to much, that is why I mentioned the "bain-marie" method. It should certainly not boil ! A microwave is more convenient and has less tendency to spoil the taste of freshly melted dairy butter.

In the following recipes, I tried to convert our metric quantities into the anglo-saxon system. Please experiment with them and modify the proportions according to your taste. For Belgians and other nations having been exposed to the benefits of the French Revolution and Napoleonic Occupation (and since them saddled up with the metric system), I mentioned also the metric quantities.

I believe American waffle irons are often circular and some produce heart-shaped waffles. I don’t think that the geometry has any effect on the taste. Grease waffle irons with some oil or melted butter before you begin to bake. If waffles get to stick to the iron after some baking, re-grease the iron. A piece of (unsalted) bacon is even better, if you can manage to find some.

How do you eat them ? According to your taste, of course. I prefer them with butter and candy sugar. You could also apply whipped cream, fresh strawberries or anything you like.
Basic Recipe
  • 2 quarts and one pint of liquid (half mineral water, half full milk)(2,5 liter)
  • 2/3 ounce of yeast (20 gram)
  • 1 lb of flour (1/2 kg)
  • 5 oz of diary (cream) butter which you melt in a bain-marie (a "double" boiler)(150 g)
  • 1 spoon of (salad) oil
  • 3 or 4 eggs, depending on their size
  • 4 oz of sugar (100 gram)
  • a pinch of salt
Heat the liquid up until it is tepid. Take a cup of it apart and let the yeast dissolve in it.
Sift the flour into a bowl; sprinkle the salt at the edge of the flour and make a hole in the middle, where you pour the dissolved yeast and the melted butter. Add the egg yolks, the sugar and the remaining liquid in the hole.
Kneed the mass from the inside out until you have a homogeneous dough. If necessary, dilute it with a little additional liquid. The dough should be not so liquid as for pancakes.
Whisk the egg whites and scoop them carefully with a slice through the tough. Cover the dough and leave it to rise in a heated place (if in winter) until its volume has doubled.
Pour some dough unto the heated and greased iron. Close the iron immediately and bake the waffle until it gets golden brown.
Flemish Waffles
  • 1 lb of flour (0,5 kg)
  • 1 ounce of yeast (25 gram)
  • 1 1/2 pint of milk (as liquid) (0,75 liter)
  • a pinch of salt
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 spoon of sugar
  • 4 oz of melted dairy butter (125 gram)
Proceed in the same way as for the basic recipe, but use the above ingredients.(for about 20 waffles)
Some people add a bit of brandy, but I have my doubts about the usefulness of doing so.
Traditional
  • a quart and more than a pint of liquid (half of that being non- sparkling mineral water : we use french Vichy water, which is lightly salted, and full milk)(1,5 liter) 9 oz of melted butter (250 gram)
  • 3 spoons of sugar
  • 4 eggs
  • a pinch of salt
  • a pinch of cinnamon powder
  • 3 oz of biscuit rusks (sweet biscuits as we give them to babies may also do) (85 gram)
  • 1 ounce of yeast (25 gram)
  • 2 2/5 lb of flour (1 kg)
This is a century-old recipe of my mother-in-law (I don’t understand why some people tell all those bad things about mothers-in-law).
 Take a bit of the liquid apart, warm it slightly and let the yeast dissolve in it. Mix the liquid and the biscuits. Add the sugar, salt and the cinnamon powder.
Add the flour with a whisk. Add the yeast and the eggs. Let the butter melt in a bain-marie and add it to the mass.
Leave the dough to rise until its volume has doubled.
Brussels Waffles
  • 1 1/2 oz of yeast (40 gram)
  • 1 pint of tepid sparkling mineral water (4 dl)
  • 1 lb of flour (500 gram)
  • a pinch of salt
  • 1 pint of tepid milk
  • 8 eggs
  • 1/2 lb of melted butter
You need a bigger waffle iron for this variant. The light structure is due to the use of sparkling water.
 Dissolve the yeast in tepid water.
Sift the flour into a bowl and make a hole in the middle. Mix the dissolved yeast slowly with the flour, add the salt and the milk. Add the egg yolks.
Whisk the egg whites and scoop them carefully with a slice through the tough. Cover the dough and leave it to rise in a heated place (if in winter) until its volume has doubled. This should take about 15 to 20 minutes.
Serve with butter and vanillated sugar or powdered sugar.
Waffles from Liege
  • 1/2 lb of butter (250 gram)
  • 1/2 lb of sugar (250 gram)
  • 4 eggs
  • 1/2 lb of flour (250 gram)
  • 1 ounce of vanillated sugar (30 gram)
  • 1 spoon of (salad) oil
Warm the butter until it is almost melted. Mix the sugar with it and whisk the eggs, one for one, into the mass.
Mix with the flour and the vanillated sugar, stir vigorously and add the oil. Continue until you have a homogeneous dough.
Heat the waffle iron and grease it. Pour the dough unto the iron with two tea spoons. Bake the waffles golden brown.
Also known as "waffles from Liege", but since Liege has become the place for a number of political scandals (and even a political murder), this name seems a bit less attractive to observers of the Belgian scene. As a general rule, don’t buy a car from the immense majority of other Belgian politicians, either.