Night Heron - Belgium

night heron books & coffehouse

Address: 107 E. Ivinson Avenue, Laramie, WY 82070

Website: https://nightheron.square.site/

Country Represented: Belgium

Special:

Belgian Liege Waffles made with Belgian pearl sugar three different options:

1. Plain or with powdered sugar.

2. Chocolate dipped or "Hershey Style" with peanut butter drizzle

3. A savory option involving brie, steamed spinach, and a fried egg.

These waffles are so sweet that butter and maple syrup are totally optional, but we'll have that too.

Drinks:

Special Belgian Rooibios Chocolate

Belgian coffee cocktail, similar to an "Irish Coffee", which is made with Cointreau and Bailey's Irish Cream.

 

Rebecca Wambeke

Retired UW Associate Director of Dining

My first memory of “cooking” was pulling a chair up to the stove and helping my dad fry pork chops. My father being a child of Belgium immigrants learned at a young age how to grow pork, butcher pork, and how to use every part of the pig for food. I was not fond of head cheese or bloedworst, blood sausage. While these recipes were passed down to my dad, what I would like to share is my memories and more of my passion, baking.

For a high school essay, I talked to my grandma about her life. I remember asking her how she made bread. By this time, my grandma had lost her eyesight due to diabetes. You see my grandfather would not eat “store-bought” bread, so grandma would make him bread. While watching her, to my surprise she never measured one ingredient. It was all done by feel. While this is a very precious memory, I don’t have the recipe. But I do have a recipe that reminds me of her and that I carry on. They are called Belgium waffles. However, they aren’t the traditional waffles Belgium is famous for these are cookies. They are buttery rich, sugary cookies that are baked in a waffle iron. Most of the ingredients are a pound. During the holidays I make these for my kids and grandkids and share with them the sacrifices my grandparents went through to leave Belgium to come to Wyoming for a better life.

Belgium Waffles: Alice Wambeke

  • 1 lb butter

  • 1 lb sugar

  • 8 eggs separated

  • 1 lb flour

  • 1 tsp baking powder

Cream butter and sugar. Add egg yolks. Add flour and baking powder. Fold in beaten stiff egg whites. Cook in hot waffle iron.