Since I bought my waffle iron a couple of years ago – I think that it’s been a little underused. That’s why, when I saw this recipe for coffee-flavoured Belgian waffles, I felt I needed to give them a try.
I made my own buttermilk – it’s something that isn’t always available in the supermarket – using 300ml of full fat milk with a couple of tablespoons of lemon juice stirred into it. Also, the original recipe calls for espresso powder; however, I finely ground some espresso coffee beans, which worked perfectly fine.
There are two different types of sugar and a tablespoonful of cream cheese in the batter, so that means the waffles can easily burn if the hob temperature is too hot. You don’t want it so hot that the butter begins to smoke, but also you want it hot enough so that the batter doesn’t stick to the iron… it’s a careful balancing act!
These are perfect for a late, lazy weekend breakfast – drizzled with maple syrup… or perhaps some chocolate sauce. You can make them in advance and either refrigerate or freeze them until you’re ready to reheat them in the oven.
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Coffee-flavoured Belgian waffles
Ingredients
- 175 g/6oz plain flour
- 25 g/¾oz granulated sugar
- 50 g/1¾oz light brown sugar
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 1 large egg beaten
- 1 tbsp ricotta room temperature
- 330 g/11½oz buttermilk
- 1 tbsp instant espresso powder plus more for serving
- 35 g/1¼oz unsalted butter melted, plus more for brushing
To serve
- Maple syrup and/or whipped cream
- ½ tsp instant espresso powder
Instructions
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine the flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, salt and bicarbonate of soda
- In a large mixing bowl (I like to use a large, Pyrex measuring jug), whisk the egg and ricotta just to incorporate, then add the buttermilk and tablespoon of espresso powder. Whisk until smooth
- Whisk in the melted butter, before folding in the dry ingredients with a rubber spatula. Be careful not to over-mix (a few lumps are OK)
- Allow the batter to sit uncovered at room temperature for half an hour to let the flour hydrate
- Turn your oven on to its lowest setting - about 90ºC/200°F/Gas mark ½. Set a wire rack inside a rimmed baking sheet and place it in the oven
- Heat your waffle iron and brush it generously with butter
- Pour about 125g (dependant on the size your waffle iron) batter onto the iron and cook until the waffle is golden brown and cooked through, about 5-7 minutes. Flip the iron half way through if you have a cast iron one like mine
- Remove the waffle from the iron and transfer it to the wire rack in oven to keep warm
- Repeat with the remaining batter, brushing the iron with more butter in between as needed
- Serve the waffles topped with whipped cream, drizzled with maple syrup or runny honey and sprinkled with more espresso powder
The waffles will be limp at first but will crisp up as they sit
