In honor of International Waffle Day (March 25th), we are celebrating with Liege waffles!

Have you tried a Liege waffle? They are from Belgium, they are magical and they have a bit of a cult following. People who love them, effuse about them and their singular not-exactly-a-waffle characteristics. (read: us J). Liege waffles are yeast waffles that contain copious amounts of pearl sugar* that give them bits of crunchiness inside and a dark, caramelized exterior. The dough is brioche-like; soft and slightly chewy. They truly are a little bit of heaven and if you have the opportunity to try one, do not pass it up.

Making these waffles may seem daunting but do not fear! They aren’t hard to make at all. The dough seems like it takes a long time to make but most of it is hands-off resting time. You will need to plan ahead because after you make the dough (including a two-hour rise) it has to rest in the refrigerator overnight before you make the waffles. The good news is they freeze and reheat really well so make a big batch…some for now and some for later!

Your family and friends will thank you. And what is better than that, really?

*Pearl sugar isn’t something that most grocery stores stock. We use King Arthur pearl sugar but there are several other online sources, such as Lar’s Own or Waffle Pantry.

Add in the soft butter a few pieces at a time.

Place dough in lightly oiled bowl, cover and allow to rest at room temperature for about 2 hours.

After 2 hours, the dough should be about doubled in size. Punch down, cover and refrigerate overnight.

After mixing in the pearl sugar, divide into 10 equal portions.

Cook in Belgian waffle iron for 4-5 minutes.

Keep warm on baking sheet in 200 degree oven until ready to enjoy!

Liege Waffles (adapted from Handle The Heat)

• ½  cup whole milk, lukewarm
• 1/3  cup water, lukewarm
• 3 tsp instant yeast
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature and beaten
• 1 TBS vanilla
• 2 TBSs honey
• 3 TBS light brown sugar
• ¾ tsp fine salt
• 3 2/3 cups (16.5 oz) bread flour
• 2 sticks (8 oz) unsalted butter, cubed and at room temperature
• 1 ½ cups (8 oz) pearl sugar

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine the milk, water, yeast, eggs, honey, vanilla, sugar, and salt. Mix until well combined.

On low speed, add in all but 1 cup of flour and mix until combined. On low speed, add the butter, a few cubes at a time, thoroughly kneading in each addition and scraping down the bowl as needed before adding in any more butter. Once all the butter has been incorporated, add the remaining flour and knead on medium speed until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes.

Remove the dough to a lightly oiled bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Let rise until doubled, about 2 hours. Punch the dough down, cover again with plastic, and place in the fridge overnight or up to 24 hours.

When ready to cook, heat up a Belgian waffle iron. Remove the dough from the fridge and knead in all of the pearl sugar. Divide the dough into 10 equal pieces and roll each piece into a ball.

Place first ball of waffle dough on grid and cook according to waffle maker’s instructions. Cook until deeply golden all over, about 4 to 5 minutes. Carefully transfer with tongs or a fork to baking sheet.

Keep waffles warm in a 200°F oven if you plan to eat them right away. These waffles are best served warm, topped with your favorite waffle topping(s). Freeze any leftover waffles in a well-sealed ziplock bag and reheat in a 200°F oven until warmed through.

Makes 10 waffles