Gaufrettes are a French delicacy which have become very popular with top chefs. They are cast on an aluminum iron that makes a wafer with tiny waffle-like design of rich butter dough. The gaufrette, delicious on its own as a cookie, is traditionally served with wine on festive occasions.
There are at least three different foods called "gaufrettes." One is waffles - Belgian waffles are called gaufrettes. Another is waffled french fried potatoes, which are called "pommes gaufrettes". And then there is this thin, almond flavored cookie similar to a pizzelle.
Gaufrette
2 egg whites
3/4 cup confectioner's sugar
1/4 tsp vanilla
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 cup flour
4 tbs butter, melted and cooled
Beat egg whites until very stiff; fold in sugar gradually, then add vanilla and salt. Sift flour into egg whites and fold in melted and cooled butter.
Drop spoonful in center of preheated gaufrette iron, close iron, and bake on top of range, first on one side, then the other. Use medium heat for baking. Never allow your iron to stand on a burner with highest heat. You can also use an electric waffle iron or pizzelle iron to make these cookies.
When wafer is golden-colored, remove from iron and allow to cool. If tiny wafers are desired, put a very small portion of batter in opposite ends of the iron. By shaping the wafers while still warm, one can make rich, delicious cones for ice cream or other fillings.
Yield: 7 or more large wafers (or approximately 14 small wafers)
In my house these are Italian and called "pizzelles". I didn't know the French made them as well. They are delicious whoever and where ever they are made.
ReplyDeleteif i can make these i will married tmrw
ReplyDeleteMy family was from Belgium, and we pronounced them "go-flats." I make mine--one at a time--on a go-flat iron that was brought here over a hundred years ago.
ReplyDeleteMy g. grandparents came from Lodelinsart, Belgium. My grandparents called the "go-flats" or "goof-lats". My dad called them gullets which is an Americanized way of saying gaufrette. Anyway, my recipe is much different than that one posted.
ReplyDeleteI have an iron like others mentioned, but I also have an electric go-flat iron that I bought from a Pennsylvania firm. It makes the making of these treats that my family thinkgs of as "Christmas treats" much easier.
My family has made these for generations as well. We call them either galettes or just Belgian waffles. We have two irons in the family that came over from Belgium. My brothers and I have been on a hunt for more irons for years. I'm trying to contact the cpalmer mfg co in PA, but if anyone has other hints where to find them, please post!
ReplyDeleteWow! Very strange how everyone has been looking for these irons I found what my great grandmother use to use at www.fantes.com they have several diffrent irons to choose from but my family is from France and we call them "gaufrette" or "gulfs" in English... Hope this helps I was looking for her old fashioned recipe but can't seem to find it. It yeilds about 12 dozen cookies.
ReplyDeleteMy family has also been making what we call Belgian Galette cookies for generations. We had a tradition in our home to make them during xmas time. My mother has a stovetop cast iron galette maker which was handed down to her from her great grandparents...After many years of not making them, we made galettes this year...we really enjoy making them again ...YUMMMMMM. I too have been looking for history on the iron as well as a place to purchase one. I found a site (Fantes.com) that has electric as well as the stove top cast iron galette makers. http://www.fantes.com/waffles.html . I hope this helps you find what you are looking for. Enjoy!
ReplyDeleteMy family is from france and we have made them since my 4 greats grandpa came over here. I have hs iron. And my family pronounces it zo-flett.
ReplyDeleteMy family(from northern France) has made these for generations. I have an antique iron with the tiny squares. My daughters started making them thicker with a pizelle iron a couple years ago. We like them better that way. We also use brown sugar. neffsman4@yahoo.com
ReplyDeleteMy paternal grandparents also came from Belgium.Growing up we traditionally made Galettes at Christmas time . I retain the original iron which came with them from Gilley, Belgium, and my brother has the one which my father had made in a foundry where he worked in Uniontown Pa. We have tried for years to find additional irons. Our recipe called for "Good Bourbon Whiskey" as a flavoring. Tradition has it that the Belgian neighbors would go from house to house on Xmas eve drinking and eating these galettes, and they kept them from getting drunken. My neice found a co. called Verkinderen Bolle's & Lukkenyzers in Minnesota where she purchased an electric version which I have not yet seen. But understand that it works well.
ReplyDeletehow interesting this was to read... my father's family from France made a cookie called Bricelet - VERY thin and delicate. for YEARS i've looked for an iron that would make these cookies thin enough... they are good thick, but that delicate texture makes them just melt away in your mouth. I have a pizzelle maker, but it's just not the same
ReplyDeleteThe Urbain family originally from France also called them zofletts. Someone in my family has the recipe and the irons. I am trying to find them.
ReplyDeleteMy mother is an Urbain.We have Original brown sugar recipe.Makes 17 dozen.My cousin Joe has original irons brought over from France.I use a remake iron from the 50's made by Nordicware.
ReplyDeleteAfter coming across Pizzeles I started googling around to try to find the equivalent cookie from the French region of Switzerland. My mother, whose family came over from La Valle de Joux, Canton de Vaud, in the mid 19th century, recalled these being made by her father when she was a child, using an heirloom iron that pressed the family coat of arms into the cookies. I saw the iron but never saw the cookies as it would appear the iron was used with a wood stove and no one in the family still had one. I had never seen the name for these cookies written so it was difficult to research.
ReplyDeleteBut here Anonymous refers to "bricelet", from France, and this is close to the name I remember hearing as a child.
The iron passed to another branch of the family, not sure how we'd heat it if we had it, and I'm type2 diabetic to boot, but at least this is one mystery solved.