This recipe has been on my to-bake list for probably longer than I would care to admit(mostly because I forgot exactly when I came up with the idea, but it was definitely before Easter). I love liege waffles, which are waffles made from a yeast-leavened dough, giving them this breadier texture. On top of the yeast, I went with sourdough or levain, since I happened to have a lot of sourdough lying around, and I figured it would give the final waffle dough a loftier texture – which is totally did! Usually a liege waffle is cooked with pearl sugar around it, but I went with these edible glitter sprinkles instead just to give it a more festive feel to them. I was surprised by how visible the edible glitter stars were on the actual waffle itself!

To accompany the waffles, I made a straightforward strawberry jam, and a chantilly cream, you know, the staples for what you would serve a breakfast waffle with, and some edible flowers, just for that garden party aesthetic! The jam adds a nice tartness, since there is lemon juice in there to balance out the sugar that helps to “preserve” the berries. Fun fact, jam is also called preserves because you’re cooking the berries down with sugar to prolong the shelf life of the fruit! The chantilly cream(which is just a fancy and French way of saying whipped cream flavored with sugar and vanilla) is minimally sweetened, just so that the sugar from the preserves acts as the main source of sweetness for the waffle itself!

Makes about 16 liege waffles
For the waffle dough:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup sourdough starter
1 packet active-dry yeast
2 tbsp granulated sugar
3 tbsp canola oil
3 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
a pinch of salt
edible glitter sprinkles

Mix all of the ingredients together to form a dough, minus the sprinkles. Cover the dough and allow it to proof at room temperature for at least 45 minutes. Punch down the dough, then refrigerate the it, still covered, for at least 2 more hours. This will firm up the dough so that it will be easier to portion. Divide the dough into 16 pieces. Keep any dough that is not being currently used in the refrigerator, still-covered. Garnish the dough with sprinkles on both sides. Cook the dough pieces in a lined waffle iron. for about 3 minutes. The edges should be crispy and the entire waffle should pull neatly off the iron.

Reduce everything together on medium heat until the sugar is dissolved into the liquid. Allow the syrup to cool down to room temperature before using.

For the strawberry jam
1 cup fresh strawberries, hulled and halved
zest and juice of 1 lemon(I prefer Meyer lemons here!)
a pinch of salt
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup granulated sugar

Stew everything together on low heat, stirring occasionally, until the berries are completely broken down. Allow the jam to cool before using.

For the chantilly cream:
1/2 cup heavy cream
a pinch of salt
1 tsp confectioner’s sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

Whip to stiff peaks. Refrigerate the cream until time to serve.

To assemble:
Edible flowers

Start by spreading the jam on top of the waffles. Finish with the cream and flowers.