Liege Waffles With Nutella

Preparation time: 30 minutes plus 1 hour 10 minutes waiting time

Cooking time: 30 minutes

• 2 teaspoons instant dried yeast
• 1 teaspoon white sugar
• 1/4 cup milk, warmed to room temperature (not exceeding 48.8°C/120°F)
• 2 - 2 1/4 cup plain all purpose flour
• 2 eggs, at room temperature
• 113g/1 stick/1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled for a few minutes
• 2 teaspoons honey
• 2 teaspoons best quality vanilla
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups Belgian pearl sugar*
• 50g/1.7ozs butter, melted
• Nutella to serve

*Belgian pearl sugar is needed to create these waffles as the hard sugar crystals caramelise against the hot element. You can buy Belgian pearl sugar from The Essential Ingredient and other fine food stores. It is not available at the supermarket.

Step 1 - Stir the sugar into the milk and then stir in the yeast. Cover with cling film and allow to foam and bubble for 10 minutes. Add 2 cups of the flour to the bowl of an electric mixer, Place the eggs, butter, honey, vanilla and salt in a jug and whisk to combine. Add this to the flour along with the yeast mixture and knead for 4-5 minutes using a dough hook. It is a soft, buttery dough but it may need the extra 1/4 cup of flour to be able to shape it.

Step 2 - Shape the dough into a round and place in a warm, draught free area for an hour or so until doubled in size. Then knead 1.5 cups of pearl sugar into the dough making sure to reserve 1/2 a cup. Divide into 12 equal pieces and shape into rounds. Allow to rise again for 10 minutes.

Step 3 - Heat a waffle iron to the full heat-you basically want it to get to 185C/365F as this is the temperature at which the pearl sugar melts. Brush lightly with the extra melted butter and sprinkle some extra pearl sugar on each side of the dough rounds. Cook for 2.5 minutes. Be careful when removing them as the sugar is very hot. Serve with Nutella and fresh fruit.

View more in:  Not Quite Nigella