Kay it doesn’t get much more delicious than liege waffles, but add some pumpkin, maple whipped cream, toasted pecans and caramel sauce and you have the most perfect fall food ever. Seriously these waffles are not for breakfast… although I pretty much eat them for every meal possible!
Like all traditional liege waffles these aren’t hard, but they are time consuming, to get the right yeast flavor you want to start these the day before you plan on eating them. Personally I think that’s the best part, I do a ton of work the day BEFORE I have company, then when I have guests I don’t have much to do other than enjoy them!
As you can see they aren’t as difficult as you’d think – just time consuming. And kneading in the sugar crystals takes some muscles, but it’s totally worth it, if I have some crystals that just don’t want to knead in I usually wait until I’ve cut the 13 dough balls and then just press the extra crystals into any bare spot I see!
- 1 Tbsp active dry yeast
- 1 tsp granulated sugar
- 3/4 C whole milk warmed, 110-115 degrees
- 2 lrg eggs slightly beaten
- 4 C Bread flour
- 3 Tbsp packed light brown sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 6 tablespoons pumpkin puree
- 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 2 Tbsp honey
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 2/3 C butter softened
- 1 1/2 C Belgian pearl sugar
- Place yeast, sugar and milk into your mixer and let sit for 5-10 mins to proof.
- Add the egg and mix, then add the 1 1/2 C measurement of the flour. Mix to blend.
- Scrape down sides of bowl.
- Sprinkle remaining 2 1/2 C flour over the mixture, but do not stir it in, this will keep the dough from getting crusty. Place the cover on the bowl so it stays moist. Let it rise for 90 minutes.
- Add brown sugar, salt, pumpkin and pumpkin spice and blend on low to medium-low speed. While the mixer is running on low add the honey and vanilla.
- Add the butter 2 Tbsp at a time until it’s all encorported
- Mix 4 minutes at medium-low speed, scrapping down sides once or twice. Let the dough rest for 1 minute and then continue to mix for 2 minutes. add pumpkin spice
- The dough will start to ball-up on the paddle. If not let the dough rest for 1 more minute and mix for another 2 minutes.
- Cover again and let rise, at room temperature, for 4 hours.
- Then knock the dough down. wrap it in plastic, weigh it down a bit (I put it in a bowl with another heavy glass bowl on top) and refrigerate overnight.
- The next day, place the cold dough (it will be quite firm) on a slightly floured surface and knead in ALL the Belgian sugar (a little bit at a time). Once mixed, divide the dough into 13 pieces of equal size.
- Roll each chunk into an ball and let it rise for 90 minutes.
- Cook in your waffle iron for about 4 mins at 360 degrees
- Give each waffle a few minutes to cool slightly before eating. that sugar melted on the outside is HOT!!!! I serve mine with fresh maple whipped cream, chopped pecans and caramel sauce, but they are wonderful plain too.
- Unused dough balls can be wrapped in plastic wrap and kept in the freezer for 4 months!
Sugar burns at 375, so you want to cook your waffles at 365-370 degrees! Use a waffle iron with a temperature gage or a stove-top one like mine.
Stove top waffle iron – Stove top temperates range from 200 – 500, so I went just above the middle, trying to achieve 360. I found mine cooked best 1 1/2 min on the first side (where the side was already hot) and then 2 1/2 on the other side (started cooler). OR I would put the dough in and immediately flip, cook 2 mins, flip again and cook another 2 mins.
Traditional home waffle irons – because they tend to be so hot they will burn the sugar without some tweaking – when they are at full heat put the waffle dough ball in the iron, leave for 1 min, then turn off the waffle iron for the last 3. Then plug it back and and bring back to full heat for the next batch.
You can also get a great fall flavor by rolling the warm waffles in cinnamon and sugar (then adding everything else, HA). These are going to be a sweet treat for my dad over the holidays. I’m always looking for more ways to use pumpkin, since I always seem to have half a can in the fridge during the fall. These are perfect.
Don’t forget the dough balls freeze great! I tend to make a double batch and serve company, BUT I like to put aside a few balls for myself later. That way if I have a serious craving I can pull one out and make myself a sweet treat!
more liege waffles
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