Lukken Waffles (Belgian Cookies)

Last year, I made pizzelles – but, they were more like bread and less like cookies.  This year I found a lukken recipe – they turned out more like my grandma’s “Belgian cookies”. However, this is definitely a “cookie level: expert” job.  Making these takes a steady hand, patience, and an openness to a lack of perfection.  These cookies come off the press floppy and tear very easily.  However, they quickly dry stiff and are full of buttery sugary goodness.

The original recipe called for whiskey, but I substituted vanilla.  Also, the cookies shown in the picture contain a mistake – I was in a rush when making the dough and forgot to double the flour (I only used 3.67 cups).  So, they ended up extremely fragile (but still very crisp and yummy).  Next year, I’ll fix the flour issue and see how that alters the outcome.  I may end up using only 5 cups of flour to up the crispness.  Definitely a recipe to experiment with!

I used the PizzellePro brand of iron from QVC.

Ingredients:

2c butter

6 eggs

2tbsp vanilla

2 1/3c brown sugar

2 1/4c white sugar

6c flour

1/2 tsp salt

1. Beat sugar and butter together until creamed
2. Add eggs and vanilla, beat
3. Add dry ingredients and mix well
4. Roll out logs of dough about 1″ in diameter and wrap in plastic wrap
5. Refrigerate overnight
6. Warm the iron
7. Slice small section of dough and cook in iron (the exact amount will require experimentation for the particular iron you have)
8. Remove cooked waffles with a small spatula and cool – they will firm up as they cool