Forget everything Eggo told you about waffles. MUSC nurse and baker Louis Castellano confirms our childhood fear that those rubbery things Kellogg’s hawks are nowhere near the real thing. And to prove it Castellano has started La Gaufre, short for La Gaufre de Mon Père, or “My Dad’s waffles.” The business, named for Castellano’s Belgium-born father, is quite literally a cottage industry. From his home, the 29-year-old bakes his father’s recipe for authentic Liège-style Belgian street waffles. Which, he says, are not to be confused with Brussels-style waffles.
“There are two types of waffles. The one you see from Brussels is like an Eggo. You put syrup on it,” Castellano explains. “Ours are made from dough. We make a yeast and then put pearl sugars in it, like a little pellet. It melts when you pressurize it.”
The taste is just as he describes it. The fluffy pastry is made with flour, butter, eggs, evaporated milk, honey, yeast, vanilla, water, blueberries, and chocolate and peanut butter chips. As you bite into one of the small morsels, about the size of a baby’s hand, the caramelized sugar crystals crumble against your teeth — a surprisingly delicious phenomenon. (If you don’t believe me, the La Gaufre website has a link to video testimonials.)
And while Castellano is not looking to leave his day job, he and his sister Lila have had such great feedback from friends and fans of their work, they’re currently taking orders via Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, or phone at (856) 477-341. The waffles come in boxes of 12 for $20 or 16 for $25.
Coffee shops take note: it’d be wise to start carrying these treats. They’d make a perfect addition to an 8 a.m. latte.
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