By Jennifer McClellan | AZCentyral.com
If a fresh waffle topped with homemade whipped cream and strawberries sounds like the best gift you could get this season, you’re lucky you live in the Southeast Valley.
That’s because in November, two Gilbert mothers opened Waffle Crush, a food truck specializing in liege waffles, which are denser than typical American waffles, made from dough instead of batter.
Owners and childhood friends Rachel Durling and Erica Brenay make the waffle dough from scratch, using pearl sugar imported from Belgium, where the style of waffle started. When the dough cooks in the waffle irons, the sugar caramelizes on the outside but stays whole in the inside, creating a delightful texture contrast.
“These are totally different from what you normally think of when you think of waffles,” Brenay said. “It’s a delicate process, the irons have to be at the perfect temperature — too hot and the sugar will blacken; too cold it will leave it doughy in the middle. It’s taken us a lot of time to perfect.”
The waffles cook in two-and-a-half minutes. Durling and Brenay offer four signature combinations: The Berry is topped with Biscoff (a European spread made of crushed cookies) strawberries and cream ($8); the Mellow is filled with chocolate and topped with Biscoff, toasted mini marshmallows and cream ($8); the Nana is topped with Nutella, bananas and cream ($7.50); and the Scoop is topped with Nutella, a scoop of vanilla ice cream and part of a chocolate bar ($7.50).
Want to build your own waffle? Choose a spread ($1.50) then add fruit such as bananas ($1), strawberries ($1.50) and raspberries ($2). If that’s not enough, get a scoop of ice cream ($2) or cream cheese frosting ($1).
Durling and Brenay each have four children, the eldest of whom help run the food truck with the women’s husbands. The truck tends to stay in Southeast Valley cities, such as Gilbert and Mesa, but also goes to Scottsdale.
Details: mywafflecrush.com, 480-304-5636.
