Dutch stroopwafels (literally meaning “syrup waffles”) originated in the city of Gouda in the late 18th or early 19th century. According to one legend, the baker Gerard Kamphuisen was the first to produce this confection of thin layers of waffle cookies held together with a sweet caramel syrup; his bakery opened in 1810, and the first known recipe for the preparation of syrup waffles was published in 1840. The confection was originally a way to use up leftovers from the bakery like breadcrumbs. Today, stores in the Netherlands sell stroopwafel crumbs in candy cones, continuing the tradition of using every bite of bakery produce. Initially only made in Gouda, by the 1870s stroopwafels began to be popularized elsewhere in the Netherlands. Factory production, begun in the 20th century, increased international sales of the confection. In 2016, the airplane company United Airlines began serving stroopwafels as the free breakfast snack on their domestic flights. If you want to make your own, rather than purchasing commercially-made stroopwafels, you will need a pizzelle iron or other small waffle iron.
Recipe Servings: 8
+ 45 minutes resting
Ingredients
Waffle Dough:
- 4 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
- 1⅛ cups butter, melted
- ¾ cup sugar
- ½ oz active dry yeast
- ¼ cup warm milk
- 1 egg
Filling:
- 1½ cups molasses
- 1⅓ cups brown sugar, packed
- ⅓ cup butter
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
Directions
- In a large bowl, combine the flour, melted butter, sugar, yeast, milk, and egg, mixing thoroughly. Continue to stir until a dough comes together and begins to stiffen.
- Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface. Knead for a few minutes. Let rise for 45 minutes.
- In a saucepan, heat the molasses, brown sugar, cinnamon, and remaining butter over medium heat, stirring to combine. When fully incorporated, set the mixture aside.
- Preheat a pizzelle iron. Knead the dough a few times; then divide it into 2-inch balls—or the size that will work with your iron press.
- Working one at a time, press each of the dough balls into the preheated iron. Cook until the iron stops releasing steam, or until the waffles are golden brown.
- While still warm, split the waffles in half horizontally, creating two round thin wafers. Spread filling between and press the halves together.
For Waffle Dough:
For Filling:
For Assembly:
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