Liege Waffles (Belgian Pearl Sugar Waffles) With Mangoes And Whipped Cream

I have a "thing" for authentic pearl sugar Belgian waffles. I have only had them a few times, but they are just so delicious! Liege waffles are hard to find. Not many places in America serve them that I know of. Now, that is not to say that I haven't had a good American waffle. I have. It's true however, that they do not even compare to these Authentic Belgian waffles. They are leaps and bounds better. I finally got around to making them myself last weekend while we were at the cabin in Bear Lake. I adapted a recipe from Food.com that I felt was pretty good, but I changed the amount of pearl sugar by half. I would also like to try halving the butter content next time and see how it goes. It seemed a bit excessive, but it sure was delicious! In reality these were the best waffles I have ever made. The flavor was fantastic. No doubt about it, but I will still probably play with the recipe a little more next time. I would say these are definitely worth making. I don't think I will ever want to eat another plain old floury American waffle again. Why, when I could have these?

The Swedish pearl sugar is a little bit tricky to find. Most grocery stores don't carry it. I found it at Spoons And Spice and also at Orson Gygi. It is about 6-8 dollars for 10 ounces. That is a little on the pricey side for my taste, but if you want a wow breakfast it is worth it. Too bad my husband's company only carries pearl sugar in 25 pound bags! Eek! I think I would make these all too often if I had that much pearl sugar on my hands.

What makes these waffles special is the caramelized crunchy outer layer. It is to-die-for. The center stays nice and fluffy with little sweet crunchy surprises inside! I love that these waffles don't actually have more sugar than American waffles generally. It is just used more effectively with the pearl sugar. Liege waffles are a yeast risen batter that is thicker and more dough-like. It has a 1.5-2 hour rise time to give it that amazing texture. These really are super simple to make. They take a little planning, but the pay-off is big. I served mine up with some ripe mangoes and fresh whipped cream. If you are real old fashioned with your waffles you can drizzle a little maple syrup over them too! 

Oh dear. I am craving these something fierce now, as I type away with a stomach full of cereal. Blah. Ha ha ha. I guess every breakfast cant be one of champions......

These little waffles made my heart go pitter-patter. Oooh. So delish! I am loving fresh mangoes this summer. I have had such great luck finding juicy ripe ones. So, on that note, lets get cooking!

First mix your yeast, warm water and salt in a small bowl. Let it rest for 15 minutes.

Next, in a large bowl pour in flour. Make a well in the center and pour in the yeast mixture. Begin to knead the dough. Continue to knead adding one egg at a time followed by two tablespoons of soft butter at a time. Repeat this until all eggs and butter are incorporated well. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it rise in a warm place for 1.5-2 hours, or until doubled. 

This will give you time to cut up your juicy mangoes and whip up some whipped cream. Then you can curl up and read a book or pretend to sleep a little longer before breakfast time! 

How do you dice up your mangoes? I learned a little trick that makes mango dicing much easier. Slice mangoes on two sides following along the pit. This will give you the largest fruit flesh in one place. 

Run a knife through the flesh without cutting the skin. Do this in a criss-cross pattern. 

Now hold onto the edges of the mango skin and gently press the center of the mango skin up to pop out the flesh. Now you can cut off the perfectly diced fruit from the peel! Voila! I also cut any remaining flesh from the mango core and dice that up to add in. (Then I eat the rest off the core like an apple! Lol.) Who can stand to waste even a bite of that goodness?

Your mangoes are ready to top your sweet golden Liege waffles!

Your dough will look a little something like this when it is doubled!

Preheat your Belgian waffle iron. Gently fold in the Swedish pearl sugar into your dough. 

Get out your freshly whipped cream, and maple syrup if desired. Now it is time to cook the waffles. Add about 1/3 cup dough to the center of the waffle iron and cook until the outer layer is golden brown and has a little crunch to it. I usually flip the waffle when it is almost done to make sure the top layer gets evenly golden with the bottom. 

Plate up your authentic Belgian pearl sugar waffle breakfast and enjoy! I hope you appreciate these as much as I do! Mmmmm. Happy breakfast friends!

(Note. Everything is better with bacon...)

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