The Waffle or Gaufre are crispy waffle cookies with a soft interior. They require a special grid or honeycomb iron, hence the name gaufre, which in French means honeycomb.

Gaufres are believed to have originated in ancient Greece, where they were identified as wafers called ὀβελίας obelías. Gaufres, like other similar preparations, were a wish for good luck and good health and were traditionally prepared for the feast of Candlemas and for Mardi Gras, the last day of Carnival before Lent. Gaufre irons appeared in many family dowries as a gift and wish for a happy marriage. Later, the Pilgrim Fathers stayed briefly in Holland before heading towards the American colonies and learned how to make what they called wafel, meaning honeycomb cakes with hot irons called poffer. They brought this recipe to America where gaufres became known as waffel and then more commonly waffle. Even Thomas Jefferson, according to the Monticello Historical Society, brought gaufre irons with him from France. It is not known exactly when yeast was added to the batter or if it was always present, but it is assumed that baking powder was added to the recipe no more than two centuries ago, as it was developed only in the 1800s.

There are several variations of Gaufres typical of Belgium, France, Germany, Scandinavia, and the Netherlands. In Italy, they are made drier to make wafer. They are of the same composition used to make cone-shaped ice cream wafers.

Its “close relative” is the pancake, but they are part of the same family as crêpe and crunchy cookies like canestrelli and sweet tiles.

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