For 15 stroopwafels (8 cm ø)
In the old centre of Amsterdam, just behind Dam Square, you can almost smell your way to the domain of Kees Raat, enfant terrible of Dutch chocolate and ice cream makers. In a large open kitchen in Metropolitan, Kees’ chocolate and dessert paradise, he transforms chocolate beans into chocolate, to make the purest ice cream, bonbons and desserts. And that’s not all. Kees has also pledged his heart to the stroopwafel, but just as we would expect from him, with a twist. As proof, this recipe for the one and only Orange Stroopwafel, named after our King Willem-Alexander. They don’t come any Dutcher than that!
For the syrup
200 g treacle
125 g brown caster sugar
100 g butter
½ teaspoon of ground cinnamon
For the dough
25 g fresh yeast (or 8 g dried yeast with a little warm milk)
1 tablespoon of lukewarm milk
125 g butter
75 g white caster sugar
1 egg (beaten)
250 g Zeeuwse flour
Grated zest of ½ (organic) orange
1 pinch of powdered orange pigment
2 pinches of salt
Butter to grease
What else you need: waffle iron (e.g. Cloer 261), and a round cookie cutter (8 cm ø)
Melt the syrup with the brown caster sugar, butter and cinnamon and bring to the boil. Use an odourless and tasteless spatula. Leave to cool in the pan. Dissolve the yeast in the lukewarm milk. Melt the butter (it must be lukewarm), and mix with the white caster sugar, the beaten egg and the yeast. Then add the Zeeuwse flour, orange zest, orange pigment and salt and mix it into a dough. Leave the dough to rest in a bowl covered in a lukewarm, damp cloth, in a warm place (30 degrees) for 1 hour. Divide the dough into 30 g or larger pieces, as preferred. Mould them into small balls and lay them on a tray, not touching each other. Cover them with a warm, damp cloth and leave them for at least 10 minutes to rest in a warm place. Heat up the waffle iron and grease with butter. Bake each ball for approximately 1 to 2 minutes (depending on temperature). When the waffle is ready, slice through horizontally as quickly as possible. Smear one side with the syrup and push the other half against it lightly.
