Equipment:

• 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

 

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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.

Baking tool:

• electric wafer iron,
• diameter about 15 cm

 

Batter (makes 18):

• 2 eggs (L)
• 1 egg yolk
• 100 g caster sugar
• 250 ml creamy coconut milk
• 50 g plain flour
• 50 g rice flour
• pinch of salt
• (pinch of vanilla seeds)

To grease:

• pandan leaves
• sunflower oil

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Kuih Kapit (cupid cookies) or Love letters. These are the names the Peranakan – Chinese in Penang – have given such wafers; in Borneo they are called Kuih Sepit (Semprong in Indonesia).  It is said that the names date back to a distant Chinese past. Army battalions fighting against the Mongols would have sent each other messages in this type of small rolls. Lovers would also have used them for secret communication. Could be, because the more common name Kuih Belanda points to love relations that were once deemed improper. Belanda stands for Hollands and recalls the 17^th century influence of the Dutch in Malaysia.

The wafers are made over a charcoal fire in wafer irons that are romantically decorated with flowers and birds. The recipe is clearly based on Dutch knieperties (squeezed cookies), but has become wonderfully exotic. What a special message to receive from your secret love..

 

You can make them in that electric wafer iron that stays in your cupboard most of the time. Try to buy a few pandan leaves in an Asian shop and grease the iron with a bundle of them. Smells great! If pandan is not available you can come close to the original taste by adding a pinch of vanilla seeds to the batter and use an oiled rag for greasing.

Baking tool:

• electric waffle iron, heart shaped
• (15  cm  diameter: 5 hearts),
• preferably  double
• butter for greasing

Every day waffles (makes 12):

• 300 g plain flour
• or fifty-fifty wholemeal/
• barleymeal/ oatmeal
• 4 tablespoons sugar
• ½  teaspoon ground cardamom
• ½  teaspoon baking powder
• pinch of salt
• 500 ml milk
• or fifty-fifty buttermilk
• 100 g molten butter
• 4 eggs

 

Cream waffles (makes 8):

• 400 ml whipping cream
• 100 ml crème fraîche
• 200 g plain flour
• pinch of salt
• 100 ml water

Garnish:

• crème fraîche,
• jam, butter, sugar,
• cheese

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In Scandinavia people like to bake waffles. A smart idea when you have to go a long way  for a bakery. Sweden knows even a national waffle day, Våffeldagen, on March 25, because that name is very much like Vårfrudagen (Annuciation Day), which is celebrated at that date. But in Norway everday is waffle day considering the Hverdagsvafler, made from what the pantry offers. A so specific titbit that emigrants call them Hjemlengsel ( homesickness). Those are still served in Norwegian Seamen’s Churches all over the world.

In this case we can speak of a real old tradition for waffle irons scratched with runic characters are found, dating all the way back to the 7^th century. And the Norsemen obviously could not do without because it is certain that they introduced the irons in England around the year 1000. No doubt the use of cardamom is also inspired by the travel-mad Vikings. It is a Middle Eastern taste, that only in Scandinavia was incorporated into the national cuisines. Here you will find two of the numerous waffle recipes.