Gofry

Ingredients

Batter

• 300 gplain flour
• 400 mlmilk
• 3eggs, separated
• 60 gsugar
• 100 gbutter, melted
• 2 teaspoonsbaking powder
• 1 teaspoonvanilla
• a pinch of salt

To top

• 300 mldouble cream, whipped
• or 300 ml whipped cream from a can
• 400 gstrawberries, sliced
• or blueberries, raspberries, cherries
• icing sugar, for dusting

Sometimes added

• chocolate sauce
• jam or fruit sauce
• vanilla ice cream

Directions

1. Put the flour in a large bowl. Add the baking powder and salt. Add half of the sugar to the bowl. Whisk them together thoroughly. Make a well in the middle of it. Adding the wet ingredients takes care.
2. Add the egg yolks to the well. Pour in the milk slowly gradually. Whisk from the middle outwards. It prevents any lumps from forming. Add the melted butter and vanilla. Whisk it into a smooth batter. Cover it over and let it rest. Give it at least thirty minutes.
3. Use a scrupulously clean and dry bowl. Any trace of fat stops whites whipping. Whip them up to soft peaks first. Add the rest of the sugar gradually. Whip until glossy and quite firm.
4. Stir a spoonful of white into the batter first. Fold with a large metal spoon. Cut down and lift over, turning the bowl. Stop the moment no white streaks remain.
5. Heat the waffle iron thoroughly first. It must be genuinely hot before the batter goes in. Ladle batter into the centre of the iron. Do not overfill the iron at all. Steam pours out of it at first. That steam slows right down when they are ready.
6. Lift them out onto a wire rack. Never stack them up on a plate. Keep them in a warm oven on the rack. Whip the double cream to soft peaks. Stop while it still folds softly. Set one hot waffle onto a plate. Pile the whipped cream over it.
7. Heap the sliced fruit on top of that. Add chocolate sauce if you want it. Dust icing sugar over the whole thing. Serving them is done immediately. Make each one of them to order.

Technique

• Polish gofry are the thick deep-pocketed Belgian style rather than the thin kind, because deep pockets hold the cream and fruit while a thin waffle collapses under the topping.
• The whites are whipped separately and folded in, which is what makes them light inside, and the extra step genuinely changes the result.
• Never stack cooked waffles on a plate, since stacking traps steam and softens them; keep them on a wire rack in a warm oven.

Substitutions

• Canned whipped cream is what the stalls use and works perfectly well.
• Any seasonal fruit works, with strawberries the summer standard.

Variations

• Some stalls use a simpler batter with whole eggs beaten in.
• Chocolate sauce, jam and ice cream are all offered as toppings.
• A savoury version with cheese is sold at some kiosks.

History

A fixture of Poland’s Baltic promenades and mountain resorts, sold from summer kiosks.

Frequently asked questions

What is Gofry?

Gofry is a street food from Poland: thick waffles heaped with cream and fruit at seaside stalls. A fixture of Poland’s Baltic promenades and mountain resorts, sold from summer kiosks.

How long does Gofry take to make?

Gofry takes 20 minutes plus resting of preparation and 25 minutes of cooking. The recipe makes about 8 waffles. It is rated easy to make.

What can I substitute in Gofry?

Yes, within limits. Canned whipped cream is what the stalls use and works perfectly well. Any seasonal fruit works, with strawberries the summer standard.

What is the most important thing to get right in Gofry?

Heat the waffle iron thoroughly first. It must be genuinely hot before the batter goes in. Ladle batter into the centre of the iron. Do not overfill the iron at all. Steam pours out of it at first. That steam slows right down when they are ready.