Waffle is a very popular street snack sold by hawkers in Hong Kong. It has got another special name, “grid cake” (格仔餅) as it is cooked in a larger waffle mould, round in shape and divided into four quarters.
Generally Hong Kong style waffle is spread with butter, peanut butter and white sugar, then folded into a semi circle, wrapped in a paper bag. People just grab the hot waffle and eat while walking away. You have to pay before going of course. Some dessert cafés in Hong Kong would also offer different flavours, like strawberry, chocolate sauce and honey to suit different tastes.
This waffle was really a comfort food to me especially when I was on the way home after school in winters. I only paid two dollars and was able to keep my stomach full and warm. I bought a waffle maker in the first few months of moving to Australia so that I can make this Hong Kong style waffle whenever I desire. Making this comfort snack becomes so much easy and handy.
By Christine’s Recipes
Prep time:
Cook time:
Yield: 2 to 3 serves
Generally Hong Kong style waffle is spread with butter, peanut butter and white sugar, then folded into a semi circle, wrapped in a paper bag. People just grab the hot waffle and eat while walking away. You have to pay before going of course. Some dessert cafés in Hong Kong would also offer different flavours, like strawberry, chocolate sauce and honey to suit different tastes.
This waffle was really a comfort food to me especially when I was on the way home after school in winters. I only paid two dollars and was able to keep my stomach full and warm. I bought a waffle maker in the first few months of moving to Australia so that I can make this Hong Kong style waffle whenever I desire. Making this comfort snack becomes so much easy and handy.
Hong Kong Waffle Recipe
(Printable recipe)By Christine’s Recipes
Prep time:
Cook time:
Yield: 2 to 3 serves
Ingredients
- 120 gm cake flour
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 2 eggs, whisked
- 20 gm caster sugar
- 1/2 cup evaporated milk (or milk)
- 50 gm melted butter
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- water, to adjust
Method:
- Stir caster sugar into whisked eggs until dissolved completely. Pour in milk. Add melted butter and vanilla extract. Stir well. Sift in flour together with baking powder and combine well. Set aside for 10 minutes. Add some water to suit your preferred thickness of batter as the batter would become a bit thicker after setting aside for a while.
- Pour 1/2 cup of batter into a preheated waffle maker. Cook until lightly brown. Done.
Note:
- The serving of waffle in traditional Hong Kong style is quite unique. Spread butter, peanut butter, condensed milk, sprinkle with white sugar. Fold in half and enjoy. Having said that, these extras are optional, depending on individual preferences.
- Waffle with vanilla ice-cream is a good choice as well.
- Don't over-beat the batter, otherwise the waffle will turn tough.
I like mine with peanut butter and condensed milk! yum yum!
ReplyDeleteTo pigpigscorner:
ReplyDeleteYeah, I love peanut butter and condensed milk too. Sometimes I spread them on my toast, just like my breakfast this morning.
Wow !!
ReplyDeleteI love waffle ball so much.
do you have a recipes?
Hi Christine,
ReplyDeleteI like your blog! I stumbled across it while looking for a recipe for peking style spare ribs. I absolutely LOVE the waffle balls (gai dan jai?) that they sell in the streets in hong kong. I actually bought a waffle ball mold while I was there but because it is not an electric one it is very difficult to heat to the right temperature. Is the batter for the waffle balls the same as for the regular waffles?
Hi Frankie,
ReplyDeleteThanks for dropping by.
You're lucky to have a gai dan jai mold. I can't get one here.
As far as I know the batters of gai dan jai and waffle are very similar. Yet they're quite different in taste. You can tell the flavour of eggs in gai dan jai is much stronger and richer than that of a regular waffle. Custard powder and more eggs are normally yielded in cooking gai dan jai.
Hi Christine- I stumbled across your blog while on my hunt for the perfect gai dai jai recipe. I will try your recipe next. I have both the electric and the gas based gai dan jai irons. I've tried about 30 different recipe variations, and I'm still not satisfied with a recipe :(
ReplyDeleteAll of the ones I've tried so far are too cake like inside, and not crispy enough on the outside. They are typically too doughy/fluffy inside, where the gai dan jai's I've had in the past are much more crispy, and are about 60% hollow inside.
With respect to water on your recipe, how much do you typically add? Also, do you use salted, or unsalted butter? Thanks!
To Anonymous,
ReplyDeleteThanks for dropping by.
You know, this recipe I posted here is for making waffle, not gai dai jai. Even though the ingredients are similar, both of them are different.
As I haven't got the mould for making gai dai jai, I haven't tried before, so can't say how much of each ingredient should be added. Sorry~
Thanks Christine. I tried the recipe anyways, just to see how it would turn out in my gai dan jai iron. Interesting results for sure, but in the end it doesn't work very well. texture, hollowness wise it was pretty good, but the condensed milk was pretty strong for my taste, and the inside "guts" of the egg shape were too liquidy after cooking as long as possible without burning (I used 3 oz water). It was a fun try though, and I enjoyed a different spin on the recipe.
ReplyDeleteIn case you are looking for an iron, I bought the gas one off Hong Kong Ebay for about $75 USD shipped. The electric one I bought off a seller on alibaba.com (seller was tanfar manufacturing)for about $330 shipped. Electric one is WAY easier and more consistent. I also found one on cnvolvo.com, but am content with the one I have right now for the time being.
Thanks for everything. BTW, I'll be trying out your egg custard tart recipe soon. :) Thanks for your efforts!
What is "cake flour"??Is it different from "plain flour"?
ReplyDeleteTo Jeannie,
ReplyDeleteCake flour is very different from plain flour. Take a look at this article.
I just got back from Hong Kong, and bought several from streetside vendors while there. However they use a much different style "waffle" egg cake maker. Anybody know who sells the kind used in Hong Kong?
ReplyDeleteoh, looking at the pix makes me soooo want to eat one now! where did you get the waffle maker from? is it one that you use on the stove top?
ReplyDeleteThose pics make me crave for waffles... ;)
ReplyDeleteI love waffles a lot...expecially with peanut butter. yum yum! :D
Oh Wow!!! I just stumbled across this and have so got to try them out! I was only just saying to my Aunty (who lives in HK) how much I miss these waffles... and the waffle balls... but mainly the waffles, spread with peanut butter and condensed milk... *drools*
ReplyDeleteThanks for posting! Right I'm off to heat the waffle maker... not the right shape but good enough! :D
@littlefoot:
ReplyDeleteSo glad you dropped by. The toppings of peanut butter and condensed milk make this snack so irrestible.
Enjoy!
Hi Christine,
ReplyDeletemy 'cook through' your cookbook just kick start now, in your cookbook, you have used 'milk' instead of evaporated milk. as i have you blog' recipe in my head for long time and great appreciation from everyone who tried it. even some belgium, i just want to share with you that the evaporated milk did play a important role in your recipe. i hope you don't mind i give you some feedback...
@catlux:
ReplyDeleteThank you for your feedback. :)
Evaporated milk adds a bit more creamy taste. Think that most people will get regular milk easier.
Hi Christine, Thanks for the waffle recipe...May I know if I can add pandan paste for a pandan flavour...How long can this recipe batter last ?
ReplyDeleteYes, you can add pandan paste.
DeleteThe batter can't last very long. About 2 or 3 hours or so in fridge. As baking powder is added, use it as soon as possible.
Hi Christine, I am from Singapore. We singaporeans love to eat the waffle with the taste of coconut milk and pandan juice. I would like to know what is the amount to add these 2 ingredients in your receipe? And when to add in?
ReplyDeleteSorry, no idea, because I haven't had any chance to taste what you described here.
Delete