Sweet, crunchy, buttery... These waffle "cookies" are a traditional treat in Belgium, where street vendors cook and serve them to delighted aficionados.

Read our blog about these cookies, with additional photos, at Bakers' Banter.

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks, 6 ounces) butter, melted and cooled to room temperature
4 large eggs
3/4 cup (5 1/4 ounces) granulated sugar
1 tablespoon (1/2 ounce) vanilla extract OR 2 teaspoons vanilla extract + 1/4 teaspoon vanilla-butternut flavor, or the extra-strong flavor of your choice
1 1/2 cups (6 1/4 ounces) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
2 tablespoons (1/2 ounce) malted milk powder (optional)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (4 ounces) coarse sugar crystals

Preheat a greased waffle iron. A heart-pattern iron makes attractive cookies, but any kind of "regular" (not Belgian) waffle iron will do.

In a medium-sized mixing bowl, beat together the butter, eggs, sugar and vanilla/flavoring till light and fluffy. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, malted milk powder, baking powder and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, beating until well-combined. Stir in the coarse sugar crystals.

Pour a scant half-cup of batter onto the preheated waffle iron. Bake the waffle until it's a deep golden brown; this takes 8 to 12 minutes in our test kitchen waffle iron, depending on just how brown you like them. Don't underbake; they won't be crisp when they cool.

Open the waffle iron, and use a flat spatula or a couple of forks to transfer the waffle — which will be quite tender — to a wire rack to cool. (We also found it worked well to pick up the waffle iron and flip the waffle out onto a rack, but this takes a bit of coordination... use it if you have it!). The waffles will be very delicate until they cool, so expect a few to tear.

When the waffles are cool enough to handle, use a pair of scissors to cut them into pieces. Allow the waffles to cool completely, for maximum crispness. Yield: 25 to 30 sugar waffles.