This post is a scheduled one being posted from my holiday hotel, as I check in online…..to return home, from an amazing week in Barbados. I hope you enjoy it.
Stroopwaffles are a common sight in shops, stalls and even vending machines all over the Netherlands. The average dutch person consumes 20 of these waffles each every year.
To think that like most other specialties, it was borne of a conglomerate of leftovers by a Gouda baker in 1784. In its infancy, it never cost more than a penny or two – certainly ‘biscuits for the poor’ as they were then known as. But with time, the status of the poor man’s cookie changed and by the 19th century, numerous treacle waffle makers were established in Gouda. Hence the reference to Goudse waffles.
Of course, no good thing stays hidden for long and so it wasn’t a long time before vendors began selling them at markets and festivals beyond the gates of precious Gouda. And thus spread the fame…all over the Netherlands.
And though I haven’t tried them at home yet, I was lucky enough..to catch some action and watch them being made and so I will know what to do when I get round to making them!
I don’t have a waffle-maker this shape but I guess that my heart-shaped mould will be just as good, and cute…if not more.
Essentially, you first make the dough and roll it into balls and then make the syrup.
Once the balls are ready to bake, one is placed on the waffle maker, which is then closed and left to cook for a couple of minutes.
As soon as it is brown, it is brought out quickly and sliced in two halves while hot, otherwise the waffle cools down and becomes one crumbly cookie…which for this syrup treat is not the aim. Is this the source of ‘that’s the way the cookie crumbles’?
This can be tricky….in this demo, as the lady sliced through one half, a piece broke off. She kept it….and carried on. She walked over to her pot of treacle syrup and using a spatula, spread some on the inside of one half.
The other half is placed over the syrup-coated one and lightly pressed together. Including the broken bit from before. The syrup worked like magic…glue!
And there – done. You can buy them freshly made,
or pre-packed.
You can even get bits which go great in ice-cream, on yoghurt….probably could be crushed into a sort of chewy cheesecake base.
Have you had them before? If you could make them, how would you?
I have a plan for when I make them….and that’s to use some caramelised white chocolate instead of the syrup with some coffee flavouring….or maybe make the treacle syrup with little bits of ginger for some heat…or maybe even put some cardamoms (I’m loving cardamoms now in sweet desserts ever since the Tarte Tatin experience)
Now assuming you have a waffle maker – preferably the ones that make small flatish waffles (not the Belgian waffle ones), then I believe you can attempt a go.
Recipe from the book – Dutch Delights by Sylvia Pessireron
You’ll need
For the waffles
Ingredients
250g plain flour, sifted 100g soft brown sugar 200g butter 10 g instant yeast 1 egg, lightly beaten Pinch of saltFor the Treacle syrup
Ingredients
600g treacle 300g cane sugar 100g butter 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamonTo make the dough
Put the sifted flour into a bowl. Slice the butter into the flour using 2 table knives.
Dissolve the yeast in 2 tablespoons of warm water and stir into the flour.
Add the egg and soft brown sugar and knead to a soft, smooth dough, about 10 minutes or less.
Place in a bowl, cover and leave to rise for an hour (at least)
To make the syrup
Bring the treacle, cane sugar and cinnamon to a boil while stirring then simmer for 10 minutes.
Cut the butter into small pieces and stir into the treacle. Once thickened, take off the heat.
Continue stirring while the treacle cools and thickens into a paste.
To bake waffles
Heat up your waffle iron.
When the dough is risen, divide it into about 10 pieces of roughly equal size.
Then roll them between the palms of your hands into slightly flattened balls.
Place them one/two at a time into the iron and let cook (a few minutes).
Once ready, remove them from the iron and let them cool slightly, then cut open quickly, spread syrup and assemble together. If they are allowed to cool down proper, they will crumble under your knife!
Enjoy the Dutch way – with some freshly brewed coffee. Make a cup of coffee and set a waffle above the top to soften the treacle filling (assuming that the waffle is at least larger than the diameter of your cup or mug . Then eat. Delicious.
Did you enjoy this? See other how-tos!
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Also, my cookbook giveaway continues till Sunday, March 28th, 2010. Help spread the word, please.
Nice! What is the temperature of the pan used (ºC)
My waffle maker doesn’t have grading but I suspect it will be between 165 and 180 degrees C
[…] thought the Dutch had a sweet tooth with Stroopwaffels, but that hardly compares with the national Scottish sweet, known as ‘Tablet’. Think […]
[…] you’re interested in making these yourself, check out my friend, Kitchen Butterfly. She posts from the Netherlands and has posted several stroopwaffel recipes that look fantastic. […]
[…] satisfied with having witnessed stroopwaffels being made by experts, I decided that I would try it at home – without a proper stroopwaffel maker. And try I did. […]
I spent a summer in Amsterdam one year and found I wanted to eat these every single day! I found them in a store here where I live, and only on special occasions do I buy them, but make them- Oh yeah! I am going to try these!
Yay! Thanks so much for this – I *adore* stroopwaffels, can’t wait to make these now =)
I will have to try this recipe. I need to find a good recipe for when we leave Holland we can take the one true dutch sweet gift to the world with us. I have just called my mom to see if she can find the Krumkake/pizzelle Iron that goes on the stove so I can try these out. There truly is nothing like the Street vendor fresh stroopwaffle though. It is the number 1 thing we will miss when we leave.
I recognise the stroopwafel stand! that’s in Leiden right?
I love stroopwafels, never tried making them myself…
These are so cool! Thank you for introducing these cookies/waffles to those who are not familiar with them, like me.
Yum, have not had stroopwaffels in a long time and now I have the recipe to make them at home – Thanks so much!
Ooh yes I’ve had these before! Thanks for the step by step! I think fresh ones would be just lovely 🙂
I have seen them at the delicatessan but have not really been familiar with what they are. A company here also makes a version of these with maple syrup and certainly not a poor mans treat, but very delicious.
Delicious! You’re making me very hungry on a long Friday afternoon at work.
Have a great holiday Oz! These look delicious, I haven’t had them “fresh” before, looks stickily sensational. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you for visiting my site! I am so glad I found yours…..I think somewhere in my former life there is some Dutch blood……I like the way you cook and I love the close up food shots…..really good!!!
Oh hooray, she’s back! (does a little happy dance…) 🙂
Never had them before, even when I was in Germany.. OMG, they look freak’n delish, and to think you can use them as a tart or cheesecake bottom…
well, they don’t have them in Germany, because it’s a Dutch specialty, not German (there are lots of things that are NOT the same in Holland and Germany 😉 )
OMG! I bow down to you.. THANK YOU THANK YOU! I love stroopwaffels! These are the bomb! When I was in Holland my Dutch friends gave me three bags of them! I think I finished one in a day! HAHA.. I have always wanted to make them and now I know I can! I can imagine them being oh-so-good when they are fresh. Thank you so much!
Yum! I love crunchy waffles especially from a street vendor! These with the creamy filling look like they’d be so good with a cup of black coffee~
I’ve never had these before and hope to try! Have a fantastic time on your vacation!
They look really cute and yummy, something I hope to try. Happy Holidays!~
Wow! I adore sugar waffles, I bet these are fantastic, especially with the fillings you mentioned.
I have had these treats many times. They are very sweet and you can only eat a few. I love to dunk these waffles into my coffee. I think I will continue to buy them in the package and not attempt to prepare them myself 🙂
These cookies look great! I have bought them before and they are delicious!
wow those step by step photos r just lovely……wonderful presentation!
I may not know what stroopwaffles are, but at least I know how to make them. GREG
Excellent. I’ve seen them before but never tried them. I heard you are supposed to let them sit on a hot cup of tea or coffee and the insides melt and become all gooey and nice 🙂
Please check out my new and improved blog. It just went up yesterday. I’d love to know what you think. Plus you can enter my giveaway for Amazon books 🙂
*kisses* HH
These always look s intimidating to make yet their sooo delicious I wish I had them around all the time. 🙂 Thanks for the step by step photos!!
Thank you for introducing me to these. Never heard of them before but I love any sort of waffle or sweet pancake or biscuit so these would definitely go down a treat with me!
Waw,…You actually make them yourselfe!! Waw!! I am truly amazed by your culinary talents!!
Lucky us too!
I have always wondered how these waffles are made. My family likes them very much. I would love to give a try. If they don;t come out successful, I know everyone will still like the syrup 😛
I am going to try these… thanks for sharing. The lady selling stroopwaffels must have asbestos hands cutting hot waffels without gloves. I may need to come up with a tool to help me cut hot waffels.
Wow, I can imagine how heavenly the aroma must be while these are being made!
Ohhh yay!!! 🙂 I’ve been wishing I knew how to make these ever since I had them piping hot and gooey in Haarlem in October. Delicious!!!
Thanks for the recipe. I am sue I will be treating my grandchildren to these real soon.
Thanks for the recipe, they look like an awesome treat. Enjoy your vacation.
Mimi
I hope you had a fantastic time on your vacation!
These sound wonderful and your ideas what to do with them are very inspiring. Hope you are having a fabulous holiday!