Making Stroopwafels

“What is that, a torture device?” was the first thing the Sister said when she saw me pick up  the kitchen tool below. I took off the latch and made sure that the joints move smoothly before putting it into the shopping cart.

It, in fact, is no torture device, but a manual pizelle iron. And although it is not the tool used to make the traditional Stroopwafels, or Dutch Syrup Waffles, I figured it’ll have to do. 

Now for the Stroopwafels themselves - imagine if you will a crepe that’s shaped like a wafel and if you eat it in it’s proper way the outside is not crunchy but rather soft and chewy, with a sweet caramel filling oozing out with every bite. That’s a stroopwafel, with just a tad bit of amoure. And it just happens to be [or used to be] one of Karina’s favourite thing to get in the co-op back in our high school days. They’re generally served on top of a cup of tea. They serve two purposes: a) the steam from the tea melts the caramel inside and softens the wafel part on the outside; and b) it keeps the heat from escaping thereby keeping your tea warmer for longer. 

She left me a message a few days ago saying that she missed the old days and how she remembered the times we spent frolicking around on my roof. And so this is for her. I used to get so irked out when she would buy this (not having much of a sweet tooth myself), but now it doesn’t seem so bad any more…

STROOPWAFELS:

WAFELS:

[ 2 cups all-purpose flour + 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon + 1/4 cup white sugar + 1/2 cup unsalted butter + 1 large egg + 1/2 of a  0.25 ounce package active dry yeast + 1/4 cup warm water ]

Dissolve the yeast in the warm water.

Cut butter into the flour. Mix in the sugar, cinnamon, eggs and yeast mixture. 

Mix well and set aside to rise for 30 to 60 minutes.

While you wait, make the filling. You can fill the wafels with the traditional syrup (recipe below), or anything you want. I filled some of mine with the syrup and some with melted chocolate.

FILLING:

[ 3/4 cups packed brown sugar + 1/2 cup unsalted butter + 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon + 3 tablespoons dark corn syrup ]

In a saucepan boil the brown sugar, the butter, cinnamon, and dark corn syrup until it reaches the soft ball stage (234-240 degrees F 112 -115 degrees C.

*** You can test for this by dropping some of the mixture into a small bowl of cold water. If they form a soft ball, you’re good to go.

Set the filling aside until needed and get back to making the wafels.

Roll dough into 12 small balls, squeeze each ball into the preheated pizzelle iron and bake for about 30 seconds.

Cut the wafels into two thin wafels (or just sandwich two wafels together, if it’s too difficult to cut one into 2) and spread with filling.

STROOPWAFELS:

WAFELS:

[ 2 cups all-purpose flour + 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon + 1/4 cup white sugar + 1/2 cup unsalted butter + 1 large egg + 1/2 of a  0.25 ounce package active dry yeast + 1/4 cup warm water ]

1. Dissolve the yeast in the warm water.Cut butter into the flour. Mix in the sugar, cinnamon, eggs and yeast mixture. Mix well and set aside to rise for 30 to 60 minutes.
2. While you wait, make the filling:

FILLING:

[ 3/4 cups packed brown sugar + 1/2 cup unsalted butter + 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon + 3 tablespoons dark corn syrup ]

1. In a saucepan boil the brown sugar, the butter, cinnamon, and dark corn syrup until it reaches the soft ball stage (234-240 degrees F 112 -115 degrees C. 

• *** You can test for this by dropping some of the mixture into a small bowl of cold water. If they form a soft ball, you’re good to go.

Set the filling aside until needed and get back to making the wafels.

1. Roll dough into 12 small balls.
2. Squeeze each ball into the preheated pizzelle iron and bake for about 30 seconds.
3. Cut the wafels into two thin wafels  (or just sandwich two wafels together, if it’s too difficult to cut one into 2) and spread with filling.