Amsterdam

Stroopwafels

I know I’ve mentioned it before, my fascination and appreciation of the Dutch stroopwafel. Visiting that street vendor was a highlight of my trip to the Netherlands. New York has its hot dogs. Paris has its crêpes. And Amsterdam has its stroopwafels. If you haven’t tried one before, imagine being attracted by a similar smell of an ice cream shop that is making its own waffle cones. But instead of cones, they are making fresh waffled cookie type sandwiches with a thin caramel-esque syrup-y  inner layer that you can hold in your hand while you walk around the outdoor market or town. They can be purchased in different sizes, but the stroopwafels are globally known for their cup-sized roundness; because the idea is that they come back to life as they are warmed through while resting on the rim of your morning (or afternoon… or evening…) coffee or tea. And the unfortunate truth is that I haven’t had any stroopwafels since being stateside that tasted remotely like what I remembered in Holland. Until now. When these are fresh, they are incredible.

As found on Food.com

Waffle cookies

4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 cup unsalted butter
2 large eggs
1 (1/4 ounce) package active dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water
Filling

1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
1 cup unsalted butter
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
6 tablespoons dark corn syrup

DIRECTIONS

Preheat a pizzelle iron. Or in my case a Belgian Cookie Iron.
To Make Waffles: Dissolve the yeast in the warm water.

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Cut butter into the flour.

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Mix in the sugar, cinnamon, eggs and yeast mixture.

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Mix well and set aside to rise for 30 to 60 minutes.

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Roll dough into 12 small balls.

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Squeeze each ball into the preheated pizzelle (or Belgian cookie) iron…

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and bake for about 30 seconds.

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Place the little beauties onto a wax paper.

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To make perfectly rounded edges, use a large biscuit cutter to trim off the excess. (Optional)

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Using a butter knife or the like, cut (or separate) the waffles into two thin waffles.

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Spread the filling…
To Make Filling: In a saucepan boil the brown sugar, the remaining one cup of the butter, cinnamon (this is a must-have ingredient), and dark corn syrup until it reaches the “soft ball stage” (234-240°F, 112-115°C), stirring constantly.

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To Assemble: Cut each waffle (or separate) into 2 thin waffles and spread with filling.

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I used an offset spatula and my fingertip table…

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Repeat this process until all the filling is used. If using store bought, simply spread about 1 tablespoon of filling on one waffle cookie, and place a second cookie on top.

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Makes about 12 servings. Look at these!!!

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Tip: Try eating stroopwafel by resting it over a warm cup of coffee or tea — the steam will warm these up just right.

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Ode to Amsterdam

A while back now I had the opportunity to spend a week visiting a friend from college who was spending his summer volunteering at a Christian youth hostel in the red light district of Amsterdam, Netherlands. It was an amazing experience in many ways. For one, a boat ride on the river brings one back hundreds of years to this thriving port town. The narrow rows of houses and architecture are really beautiful. Next, I don’t know if you’ve ever ridden a bike throughout the city, but it was probably one of the most adventurist things I’ve ever done. There are buses, and trolley/trains, and cars and other cyclists, etc. all moving quickly. Yes, there are bike paths -but everything criss-crosses, intersects and overlaps, and you are armed with only a ringing bell on your handlebars. In fact, nothing I say can capture the essence of how CRAZY it is. Insane. Another highlight was the morning we spent ministering to the homeless and strung-out people on the streets. Mind you, this is the red light district, and by morning, I mean around 2-5 AM, and by ministering I mean inviting people to a soup kitchen that would open in a few hours to serve them peanut butter sandwiches and hot soup. If you’ve never done that sort of thing, I highly recommend it- but not alone. Lastly, I would like to share with you the strides the Dutch have made in street food. Sure you have had ketchup with your fries; Perhaps at a fair you’ve doused them with vinegar & salt; If you’ve been to France or maybe a so-themed restaurant you have dipped your frites in a little Dijon style mustard? But in Holland, my friend, they dip those salty spud sticks (are you ready for this?) in mayonnaise! Soooo good! Don’t knock it until you’ve tried it, because the Dutch know delicious. And for further proof I give you the stroopwafel. Um, wow! Have you tried a stroopwafel? It’s like a thin round waffle sandwich cookie, with a caramel syrup filling. Oh, and when they are warm and fresh they are incredible! But not to worry because if you want to eat them all day long (which you wouldn’t because you are full of restraint, but some people- not to point fingers, at that girl in the mirror…) You can just place the cup-sized version right on the rim of your fresh hot coffee or tea and let them warm through and come to caramel-ly life.

That concludes my “ode” to Amsterdam. However, I would like to take this opportunity to thank my good friends Tara and Molly for buying me a Belgian Cookie Iron so that I can finally have thin enough plates to achieve my stroopwafel making goals! Thank you!