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French Wafers
Put one-half pound of finely-sifted flour into a basin with one-half pound of crushed sugar, one pinch of salt and one tablespoonful of vanilla. Beat the whites of four eggs with one-half pint of whipped cream. Beat them gradually in with the flour, etc., and work the whole into a smooth batter; then pour in one wineglassful of brandy and work it thoroughly for about ten minutes. Heat the wafer irons, brush them over on the inside with a paste-brush dipped in clarified butter, pour one good tablespoonful of the batter on the bottom or under sheet of the wafer irons, close the tongs tightly and bake the wafers on both sides. They must be of a very light fawn color, and when done are to be immediately rolled into shape upon a stick made for the purpose about five inches long and one inch in thickness. When all are done the wafers should be packed in a tin box and kept in a warm, dry place until required for use.
A rolled wafer in the krumkake and pizzelle family, baked in hinged irons over direct heat. The batter is simple; the difficulty is entirely in the timing between the iron and the rolling stick.
- Weights and volumesHalf a pound of sifted flour is about 1 3/4 to 2 cups; half a pound of sugar is a scant 1 1/4 cups. "Crushed sugar" means loaf sugar broken down fine, so ordinary granulated is the nearest equivalent. A half pint of cream is 1 cup, though the text does not make clear whether that is measured before or after whipping.
- The wineglassfulA wineglass in period American cookbooks is roughly 2 fluid ounces, or 1/4 cup. It is there for flavour and for a crisper wafer, since alcohol drives off quickly on the hot iron.
- A tablespoonful of vanillaThat is a great deal of modern extract. Older recipes often meant vanilla sugar or a homemade tincture of split beans in brandy, both far weaker than commercial extract. Start with 1 to 2 teaspoons of extract and taste the batter.
- The ironsWafer or wafer-tong irons are long-handled hinged plates heated on the stove and turned to cook both sides. A krumkake or pizzelle iron, electric or stovetop, does the same job. Grease with clarified butter only; whole butter's milk solids scorch and glue the wafer to the plate.
- Colour is the doneness cue"Very light fawn" means pale tan at the edges and no more. These are thin and sugary, so they pass from set to bitter in seconds. Expect roughly 30 to 60 seconds a side on a hot iron.
- Roll instantlyThis is the hinge of the recipe. The wafer is pliable for about ten seconds off the iron and brittle thereafter. Have the 5-inch dowel ready in one hand and lift with a thin spatula; if one hardens flat, return it to the iron for a few seconds to soften.
- StorageWarm and dry, as written, is correct and worth honouring. Sugar-rich wafers pull moisture from the air and go leathery in a humid kitchen or a sealed container with any residual steam. Cool completely before boxing.
- YieldA tablespoon of batter per wafer gives several dozen from this quantity, depending on the size of the iron.
Rolled wafers of this kind descend from the medieval European gaufre, baked between long-handled iron tongs held in the fire, a technique documented in French and Flemish kitchens for centuries before the batter was ever poured into a waffle plate. By the time Oscar Tschirky, the Waldorf's celebrated maître d'hôtel, published his Cook Book in 1896, the same irons survived across Europe under local names — Norwegian krumkake, Italian pizzelle, German Hohlhippen. Its presence in the Waldorf's own kitchen chapter reflects that logic: a garnish or accompaniment made ahead, requiring no oven space at service, and finished on the plate with cream or ice.