Stroopwafels are a yeasted cookies, cooked with a shallow waffle cookie press, split down the middle and filled with a gooey butterscotch filling.
A couple of years back my colleagues and I would buy these Dutch cookies almost every day at a grocery store on the way to work. And we were not alone, the store could not keep up with the demand. And then one day there were none ever to be found again, we were very upset. So you can imagine my excitement when I saw this month’s Daring Kitchen challenged was to make Stroopwafels, the very cookies I missed so much.
Stroopwafels are originally from Holland and date back to 1784. A baker in the town of Gouda made waffle from leftover crumbs and spices, then filled this waffle with syrup. The Stroopwafel first was born from leftovers. It gained popularity and it now can be purchased all over Holland. You could call it the national cookie. This Daring Baker’s challenge is brought to us by Julianna from Egg Day and the recipe comes from Diana’s Desserts.
Now I really had to improvise because the waffles are normally cooked in a pizzelle iron or waffle cookie iron, waffle cone iron, or shallow waffle iron. I have a Belgium waffle iron and the grooves are too deep.
My dusty Georges Foreman grill came to the rescue. The cookies were not as large in diameter as they should be and the waffle cooked quite a bit thicker, but it totally worked to make the cookies.
Alas my butterscotch was a bit granular but the taste of my Stroopwafels cookies was amazing and very close to the real deal! Had my cookies been wider I would have enjoyed them the ideal way: placed over the rim of a steaming tea or coffee mug where they get warmed up and the butterscotch gets gooey.
Dutch Stroopwafels
Ingredients Â
For the Wafels:
- 1/2 cup / 120ml warm water 105-110°F / 40-43°C
- 1/4 ounce / 7g / 1 envelope active dry yeast regular, not quick rise
- 1/2 cup / 100g granulated sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup / 2 sticks / 8 ounces / 225g unsalted butter melted
- 2 large eggs
- 4 cups / 500g all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
For the Stroop Filling:
- 1 1/2 cups / 300g brown sugar packed
- 1 cup / 2 sticks / 8 ounces / 225g unsalted butter
- 1/3 cup / 80ml dark corn syrup or molasses
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Oil spray for cookie press
InstructionsÂ
- In a stand mixer bowl combine water, yeast, a pinch of sugar from the ½ cup and salt. When the yeast is foamy (about 3 minutes) add the remaining sugar and butter, blend together. Add the eggs and mix. Add the flour and cinnamon. Mix one minute beyond just combined. Allow the dough to rest, covered or wrapped in film, while you make the stroop.
- In a heavy bottom pan combine the brown sugar, butter and corn syrup. Over medium high heat, bring mixture to a boil, not stirring. Attach candy thermometer.
- Brush the sugar down from the sides of the pan with a wet pastry brush. Bring to 234-240°F / 112-115°C / soft ball stage. If you don’t have a candy thermometer, you can test it - at this point the syrup dropped in to cold water can be formed into a soft and flexible ball. Remove from heat, add cinnamon. Stir until smooth.
- Preheat waffle iron. Measure the dough into 24 to 26 x 1 1/2 ounce / 42g balls. Roll into round balls. Lay out a cutting board, round or decorative cookie cutter, knife, and offset spatula.
- In quick order spray the cookie press, put in a ball of dough into each side of the cookie press. Close quickly using pressure to flatten the dough. Timing varies for each iron, roughly 1-3 minutes, allow your cookies to cook. Look for the steam coming from your press to diminish noticeably. You are looking for a dark golden brown. If they are undercooked they will not be crispy when cool. If they are overcooked you cannot split the cookie to fill it.
- As soon as the cookie is cooked (it may be puffed, if you’re lucky) cut with the round cutter. This gives you a clean edge to halve the cookie.
- Cut it through the middle to make two disks. It will be hot, use a clean tea towel to handle the cookie if necessary.
- Spread 1-2 tablespoons stroop onto one half of the cookie, then top with the other half. Allow to cool.
- If you move quickly, you can refill the cookie press after you’ve cut and split the cookie. Those cookies can cook while you are filling the ones you just removed from the iron.
- They store well wrapped at room temperature for up to a week.
Wow! They look amazing! A butterscotch filling inside a waffle. YES, please!
They are so good, hope you try them!
These look so good! I have read about them and always wanted to taste one. Thanks for sharing the recipe. I’m sure I’ll be tasting more than one.
Thanks Liliana, I hope you do get to taste them or make them soon, so good!
When I visited Holland couple of years ago, I tried these waffles and I loved them. Yours look perfect and they are even more valuable because they are homemade!
So cool you got to eat them on Holland. Aw thank you so much for your lovely words 🙂
I’ve had these before (like once), but never made them. They’re good, and impossible to buy here, so I should do this. Like the idea of them steaming over a hot cup of tea, too! Really good stuff — thanks.
Thanks John and glad to see you have tried them before, they are amazing and it is a sin to not be able to find them 🙂
So nice , never heard of this before, I can see how what I’ve missed these look so delicious.
Thanks Amira 🙂
What a fun challenge! I really like these but I was thinking that freshly baked ones would be so much nicer. And then this came up! 😀
It is a totally different texture in a more baked yeast cookie but the taste just as good 🙂 Hope you give the recipe a try 🙂
Did you say gooey butterscotch filling??? Count me in as a fan! These would be a fun holiday cookie!
Indeed they could become the new holiday favorite treat real fast! Great idea to add to the holiday cookie list.
OMG Evelyne, these cookies look awesome…I love the idea of yeast in waffles…and yes, the butterscotch filling will just complement it…thanks for the recipe!
Have a great week 🙂
Great eye for the yeast Juliana, yes these have yeast and I had thought it unusual too. My pleasure and have a great week.
You’re joking?! Seriously. WTF – this is BOMB LOOKING! You make me want to make it GiGi-Style!!! You need to come over and taste test 😉
I dare you to make it GiGi style. And I’ll go tate yours if you come taste mine 😉 BTW the black bean brownies were good but no idea what recipe it was lol.
Okay let me just say, this will be the last.. the very last time I come to your beautiful blog and not eat LOL. You should see my face right now.. I am just sitting here drooling. Seriously, drooling lol. Love it.
Kia / KTS
http://www.houseofkts.com
Kia, you are the best with your amazing comments! So snack first and snack a lot before coming here lol.
Well, this is new. Have never heard to these, but how on earth could you go wrong with butterscotch and waffles? These look quite delicious!
Exactly MJ, only good things can come of butterscotch and waffles 😀
Even if you needed to improvise because of the waffles, it really turned out great! Yummy and excellent!
Thanks Nagi, so great to try and improvise sometimes!
You did an amazing job with your cookies.
Thanks Juliana and loved the challenge
Yours look delicious, Evelyne! They’re new to me and I’d really like a sample! 🙂 Sounds like my kind of cookie!
Thanks Pam, I wish I could hand you a sample over loo 🙂
I really admire your passion for foods from different cultures. Have never heard of stroopwafels, let alone had one. They look super, Evelyne.
Hope you find some Angie, I put them in ‘thing you must eat once in a life’ category!
Wow! Great improvising! I have now found them at my local delicatessen.
Thanks Marcellina!
I tried some of this before when one of my blogger friends send me one from Netherlands, I love it as it is but I guess a home made version will even be more magical
They were pretty good looked different, but just as addictive 🙂
Yours look excellent. I used my traditional waffle machine and got some interesting shapes ?
Oh I cannot wait to go check them out!