Norwegian Heart Waffles
Soft, cardamom-scented waffles with sour cream and jam
- Makes
- about 8 full waffle rounds (40 hearts)
- Hands-on
- Total
- Level
- Easy
Norwegian vafler are cooked in a thin, heart-shaped iron and are soft rather than crisp, fragrant with cardamom and slightly tangy from sour cream. They are eaten warm or at room temperature, usually with sour cream and jam or brown cheese.
Ingredients
- 4large eggs
- 60 gsugar (⅓ cup)
- 250 gall-purpose flour (2 cups)
- 1 tspbaking powder
- 1 tspground cardamom
- 2 gfine sea salt (⅓ tsp)
- 400 mlwhole milk (1⅔ cups)
- 200 gsour cream (¾ cup + 2 tbsp)full fat
- 100 gunsalted butter (7 tbsp)melted, plus a little for the iron
To serve
- sour cream (rømme) and strawberry or raspberry jam
- Norwegian brown cheese (brunost)thinly sliced, optional
- Diet
- Vegetarian
- Allergens
- gluten, egg, milk
- Origin
- Norway
Method
- Whisk the eggs and sugar in a large bowl until pale and slightly thickened, about 1 minute.
- Mix the flour, baking powder, cardamom and salt in another bowl.
- Whisk the flour mixture into the eggs alternately with the milk in three additions, starting and ending with flour, until smooth.
- Whisk in the sour cream and then the melted butter.
- Rest the batter for 30 minutes; it will thicken.
- Heat a heart-shaped waffle iron to medium. Brush lightly with butter for the first waffle.
- Pour in about 100 ml batter, spreading it toward the edges, close and cook until light golden, 2–3 minutes.
- Lift out and cool slightly on a rack in a single layer so they don't steam each other soggy. Repeat with the remaining batter.
- Serve warm or at room temperature with sour cream and jam, or brown cheese.
Why it works
Whisking the eggs with sugar traps air and gives the waffles a light, soft texture. Sour cream adds fat and acidity, which keeps the waffles tender and slightly tangy, and its fat stops them from turning crisp. Resting lets the flour hydrate so the batter is thicker and holds its shape in the iron.
Common mistakes
- Iron too hot: dark outside, pale and doughy inside. Aim for light gold.
- Stacking hot waffles: they turn soggy. Cool them on a rack in a single layer.
Variations
- Belgian-style crisp waffles
- Use a deep waffle iron, separate the eggs and fold in the whipped whites last, and cook until deep golden, 4–5 minutes.
Make ahead and storage
Batter keeps 1 day in the fridge. Waffles freeze for 2 months; reheat in a toaster.
Notes
A regular (Belgian-style) waffle iron works, though the waffles will be thicker and take a minute longer.
