Stroopwafel

Dutch Stoopwafels have interested me since I first saw them in a photo on Flickr.  The stroopwafel was placed atop a hot cup of coffee warming the filling inside while the outside stays crisp. How wonderful to utilize the escaping heat from my teacup.  A Dutch stroopwafel is a cookie or thin and crisp waffle  made using a pizzelle for the cookies and then making gluing the pizzelles together with a rich caramel filling.  I even dipped a few in chocolate at the request of my family.

These cookies are a bit labor intensive but worth the results. These would make a lovely hostess gift or a nice addition to a holiday cookie tray.

Dutch Stroopwafels
makes 24 filled cookies

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup butter melted and cooled
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 recipe Caramel Filling (see below)

Stir together flour, baking powder and cinnamon in medium bowl and set aside.
Beat eggs on high with an electric mixer until thick and lemon colored, about 4 minutes.
Gradually beat in sugar on medium.
Beat in butter and vanilla.
Using slowest speed, stir in flour mixture.

Heat and an electric pizzelle iron and oil the grid well.  I brush oil onto the upper and lower grids between each cookie or every other cooking depending on if they stick to the iron.
Place a generous tablespoon of batter in the center of your iron for a four inch pizzelle iron.  Adjust batter amount to the size of your iron.
Close lid and bake pizzelles according to the manufacturer's instructions.
Gently remove pizzelle and cool on a wire rack.
Makes about 48 cookies.

Caramel Filling
makes enough to fill cookies and 60 caramel candies

1 cup butter
2 1/4 cups packed brown sugar
1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
1 cup light corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Line an 8x8 inch baking pan with foil.  Butter foil.

Melt butter in a heavy saucepan over low heat.
Stir in the brown sugar, sweetened condensed milk, and light corn syrup.
Cook and stir until  mixture boils at medium high heat.
Attach a candy thermometer to the side of the pan.
Lower heat to medium and boil mixture at steady rate stirring frequently until the candy thermometer registers 248F, firm ball stage, about 15 minutes. It is important to maintain the steady boil so adjust your heat as necessary.
Once you reach 248F remove pan from heat and remove thermometer and stir in vanilla.

These steps must be done immediately:

Pour 1-1/2 cups of caramel sauce into a heatproof dish.

Pour remaining caramel into the prepared 8x8 inch baking pan spread to even out.  When cooled cut into squares and wrap in wax paper.

Quickly dollop a generous tablespoon of caramel filling  on one pizzelle  then quickly cover with another pizzelle working the caramel to the edges.  This must be done while the caramel is still hot.