Ingredients
- a round electric waffle iron
- a biscuit cutter 8 cm diameter
Waffles (yield about 20 pieces):
- 250 g all-purpose flour
- 75 g white castor sugar
- pinch of salt
- 7 g easy-blend/easy-bake dried yeast
- 25 ml lukewarm milk, approx.
- 1 small egg, beaten
- 125 g melted butter, lukewarm
Filling:
- 225 g golden syrup
- 150 g butter
- 5 g ground cinnamon
These split waffles with a layer of toffee in between are a speciality of the Dutch city of Gouda, but have been made popular all over the country by itinerant waffle bakers who sell them at markets and fairs. Now it is a big industry. You can buy stroopwafels in every supermarket, and the waffles are even exported to the United States.
It is generally agreed that the name wafel, wafer, wafele (Middle Dutch) must be derived from the Germanic verb weben (to weave). Those biscuits owed their name to their appearance as a coarse type of weaving resembling a honeycomb: German Wabe.
Information about the origin of those waffles you can find under the button ‘And furthermore’ entitled ‘Wafers and waffles’ on this website.
- Mix flour with sugar and salt in a bowl. Make a well in the flour, pour the yeast in and mix with the milk. Cover the bowl with a clean dish towel and leave to stand for 10 minutes until the yeast starts to foam.
- Add egg and butter and, if needed, extra milk to be able to knead a supple dough. Leave it to rise a little bit, covered with a dampened dish towel, for about an hour. Shape 20 balls weighing about 25 g. Leave to stand under the towel for at least another 15 minutes.
- While the balls are resting, simmer syrup, butter and cinnamon for 10 minutes in an open pan, stirring all the time. Leave to cool off until lukewarm, then keep it lukewarm in a double boiler. This mixture cannot be boiled again or it will curdle into butter and syrup.
- Heat the waffle iron to its highest temperature. If it does not have a non-stick lining, grease the iron once before cooking the first waffle. Put a dough ball in the iron, press lightly (not firmly because then you will not be able to split it). Bake for no more than 1 minute.
- Remove the waffle from iron with a knife. Place onto a board and split it immediately horizontally with a very sharp and thin serrated knife, starting at the lighter side. Spread the inside with not too much filling or it may drip out afterwards. Put the two halves back. Then use the cookie cutter to make perfect rounds. The waffles will keep well for at least two weeks in an airtight container.