Chocolate and Waffles﻿ Heaven

Chocolate and Waffles Heaven

8/8/2016

Sweet Meringues That Are The Shape Of Cute Yellow Ducks

Last year during the time of Easter, I visited Brussels, the capital city of Belgium with two of my friends. Brussels is also considered as the capital or home of the European Union because it hosts the official seats of the European Commission, Council of the European Union, and European Council, as well as the European Parliament. However, this city is not only home to some of the most important political institutions in Europe, but also to famous chocolatiers around the region. Yup, that’s right. During my short visit at Brussels, I constantly stumbled across waffle houses and chocolate shops, literally they were everywhere. I had at least 2.5 waffles per day, if my parents knew they would be silently shaking their heads. There is a specific area in the heart of the city that has a high concentration of chocolate and waffle shops.

The area full of chocolate and waffle shops is a highly recommended and popular area for tourists visit. It is located near the Grand Place/ Market Square that are surrounded by guild halls in Brussels. Right next to the Grand Place are iconic architectural sites such as Stadhuis van Brussels, an elaborate 15th Century Gothic town hall and Les Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert, a 19th Century indoor shopping street.

Belgium Artisan Chocolate

Giant Chocolate Easter Egg

Beautiful Shop Display

Let’s Go Treasure Hunting!

Festive Easter Chocolate

Artisan Chocolate Overdose

Chocolate Lollipop!

Before heading for my trip to Brussels, I had a Belgian friend who recommended me to check out this store when I’m in town. I taste-tested their Speculaas cookies and Earl Grey cookies and was absolutely in love with it. Speculaas (Speculoo) is a type of cinnamon, spiced shortcrust biscuit tradition baked for consumption on or just before the St. Nicholas’ feast in Belgium and the Netherlands. The ones here at Maison Dandoy had just the right amount of sweetness and spice. The texture of the cookies also had a good crunch to it. The Earl Grey cookies at Maison Dandoy were very rich in tea flavour and were very crumbly. I bought a few boxes of these two types of cookies as souvenirs for my family and friends. For my British tea lovers, they were especially fond of the Earl Grey cookies, claiming that it is one of the best they have tasted.

Apart from cookies, cakes, jams and other sweet treats, Maison Dandoy also sell the famous Belgian snack, waffles. They offer two types of waffles. One called the Liege/ street waffles, which is similar to other waffles available in Brussels. A sweet and chewy waffles drenched in either syrup, chocolate sauce or cream. The Brussels waffle is the waffle to watch out for in Maison Dandoy. It is a light waffle, crispy on the outside and fluffy inside. This type of waffle is very unique and one of its kind. I thought it was a nice snack because it was light and not too filling. (Picture below)

Maison Dandoy's Official Website