Hong Kong egg waffles
Gai daan jai, or egg waffles, are a famous Hong Kong street snack shaped like a little tray of eggs packed tightly together. Each bubble has a thin, crisp shell with a lightly hollow inside that's soft like sponge cake and fragrant with egg custard. They're best once they've cooled just enough to crisp up, pulled apart bubble by bubble and eaten by hand.
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 30 min
- Rising or chilling
- 1 hr
- Total time
- 1 hr 45 min
- Method
- Pan-cooked or waffle iron
Ingredients
For the batter
For oiling the pan
Instructions
Step 1
Sift 120 g all-purpose flour, 15 g tapioca starch, 15 g custard powder and 6 g baking powder together into a bowl. Tapioca starch makes the outer shell crisp, while custard powder adds the familiar yellow color and aroma. The mixture is ready when it's fine, airy and an even pale yellow.
Step 2
In another bowl, whisk 100 g eggs with 100 g granulated sugar until the sugar has nearly dissolved, add 120 g evaporated milk, 80 g water and 4 g vanilla extract, then pour it into the dry ingredients, stir until just smooth and finally stir in 30 g vegetable oil. The oil goes in last so it doesn't stop the flour from absorbing the liquid. The batter is ready when it's smooth, as thick as heavy cream and falls in an unbroken ribbon when you lift the whisk.
Step 3
Cover with plastic wrap and let the batter rest in the fridge for at least an hour. Resting lets the starch absorb enough liquid, so the bubbles puff up round and even and the shell stays crisp longer. The batter is ready when it has thickened slightly and most of the foam on top has disappeared.
Step 4
Set the egg waffle pan over medium heat, heat each side for about two minutes, then brush to taste vegetable oil thinly over both sides of the pan. The pan must be very hot so the batter puffs into round bubbles as soon as it hits the surface. It's ready when a drop of water sizzles and evaporates immediately.
Step 5
Stir the batter again and pour it into one side of the pan so it fills the round cups and thinly covers the area between them, then close the pan and flip it over right away. Flipping immediately lets the batter run into the top half of the cups, forming round, hollow bubbles. You've got it right when you hear a steady sizzle and steam escapes around the edges of the pan.
Step 6
Cook the first side for about two minutes, flip the pan and cook for two minutes more, then open it to check the color and cook for a few more seconds if needed. Keeping the heat at medium makes the shell crisp without scorching the inside. The waffle is done when the bubbles are puffed and taut, evenly golden brown and release easily from the pan.
Step 7
Use chopsticks to lift out the waffle, set it on an open rack or gently roll it into a cone, and let it cool for about two minutes before eating. Steam escaping as it cools makes the shell crisp up again, while stacking the waffles would make them go soggy. They're ready when a bubble sounds crisp when tapped and the shell has firmed up.
Equipment
- Waffle iron
- Whisk
- Sieve
- Mixing bowl
- Kitchen scale
- Pastry brush
- Wire cooling rack
- Plastic wrap
Tips
- A traditional cast-iron pan holds heat best; with an electric egg waffle maker, heat it on the highest setting and add about a minute per side.
- You can stir matcha powder, cocoa powder or chocolate chips into the batter for different flavors.
- The first time you make these, weigh the batter for each waffle so you know exactly how much fills the pan without overflowing.
Storage
Egg waffles are best within thirty minutes of cooking. If they go soft, you can reheat them at 180°C for about three minutes; unused batter keeps in the fridge for one day.
Common problems and how to fix them
- The bubbles are flat and not hollow inside.
- The pan wasn't hot enough or you flipped it too late. Heat the pan longer and flip it as soon as you close it.
- The waffles are crisp at first but quickly go soft and soggy.
- They didn't cool with enough air around them or the batter lacked tapioca starch. Cool them on a rack with space underneath and don't stack them.
This recipe is based on the common ratios for this bake and is written entirely in our own words.
