I have been experimenting with waffle flavors for some time. Was never impressed with any of the various waffle flavors on their own. For my tastes no single waffle flavor was convincing or interesting tastewise. Each was lacking a component another had.
Over months I tested various waffle combinations. My goal, tastewise, was to create a well rounded and complete waffle profile (base). And one that would hold its own when adding additional flavors.
In real life store bought waffles do not deliver much in the way of flavor (bland). We experience truly flavorful waffles when they are made at finer restaurants. And also homemade waffles, depending on whose recipe is being used.
IMO, the best tasting DIY waffle is a combination using multiple waffle flavors. What follows is a complete waffle profile...
SMT's Belgian Waffle Base
MB Classic Belgian Waffle 3%
SSA Waffle with Butter 1%
SSA Soft Waffle 0.75%
WF Vanilla Cream Extra 2%
Optional: FA Maple Syrup 0.25% - 75%, warning: 75% will be very sweet. VTA Golden Syrup 1%.
IMO, bakery and cream flavors require a decent 4 week steep for the flavors to gel and for the mix to come to life. As always, YMMV.
The above recipe will give you a very tasty waffle. The toasted note is there via MB CBW. The butter notes come from SSA Waffle with Butter and MB CBW. SSA Soft Waffle adds the fluffy inside texture of a waffle. MB CBW and SSA WWB add to the overall texture of the waffle. WF VCE adds a pleasant, but light, vanilla note and some rich, but light, creaminess.
For syrups I listed two options. FA Maple Syrup 0.25% - 75% will give you a very accurate, and excellent tasting, sweet maple syrup. VTA Golden Syrup 1% will give you a syrup that is much less sweet compared to FA MS. VTA GS is excellent but it proves difficult to describe. It is not a maple or honey flavored syrup. I would describe it as a darker tasting syrup versus brighter tasting maple or honey syrups. Each is an excellent syrup.
I've used each in my waffle recipe. Combined they make a very fine tasting syrup (FA MS 0.25% + VTA GS 0.75%). IMO you can't go wrong with either one. If you want sweet maple go with FA MS. Something less than "sweet" sweet then go with VTA GS. Or get both and experiment!!!
Also tested my waffle mix using 1% SSA Whipped Cream. IMO no one makes as fine, or as rich, a whipped cream as SSA. FA Whipped Cream or FLV Whipped would make fine substitutions. Both are excellent but neither matches the richness or flavor of SSA WC.
Any fruit, or fruit combinations, will work well with this waffle mix. For waffles with ice cream see below. Obviously butterscotch or caramel will work. A light touch with a nut flavor would offer more complexity and an interesting note. A dark chocolate (VTA Dark Chocolate or MF Dark Chocolate) will deliver waffles with chocolate chips.
For Belgian waffles à la mode add one of the following ice cream combinations. I've used both with my waffles mix. Each is tasty.
SSA Ice Cream 1.5%
SSA Vanilla Ice Cream 1%
OR
VTA Vanilla Ice Cream 1.5%
WF Vanilla Ice Cream 0.75%
Each of those IC combinations tastes very different. IMO the SSA IC's taste more like Häagen-Dazs VIC. The VTA and WF VIC's lean more towards a nondescript generic VIC. All are excellent IC's that I use regularly in various combinations (along with other IC flavors).
ETA: None of the above IC's have the peppery note that TFA VBIC has (which some people taste and others don't).
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