Today the difference between wafers and waffles is a matter of texture Wafers are thin, dry, crisp, and when high in sugar are dense, almost hard The most familiar wafer is the ice cream cone; there are also French cookies called gaufres that are similar to very thin, crisp tuiles Waffles came to the United States from Holland in the 18th century and are thicker, lighter, and more delicate thanks to leavening by either yeast or a baking powder, which interrupts the cooked structure with gas bubbles They’re served fresh and hot, their honeycomb structure filled with butter or syrup Modern waffle recipes are often essentially a lean pancake batter cooked in a waffle iron instead of on a griddle, and they often produce a disappointing result that is more leathery than crisp Crispness requires a high proportion of fat, sugar, or both: otherwise the batter essentially steams rather than fries, the flour proteins and starch absorb too much softening water, and the surface ends up tough Cream Puff Pastry, Pâte À Choux Choux is the French word for “cabbage,” and choux pastry forms little irregular cabbagelike balls that are hollow inside like popovers Unlike popovers, choux pastry becomes firm and crisp when baked It provides the classic container for cream fillings in such pastries as cream puffs (profiteroles) and éclairs, and also makes such savory bites as cheeseflavored gougères and deep-fried beignets, whose lightness inspired the name pets de nonne, “nun’s farts.” Choux paste was apparently invented in late medieval times, and is prepared in a very distinctive way It’s a cross between a batter and a dough, and is cooked twice: once to prepare the paste itself, and once to transform ... Unlike popovers, choux pastry becomes firm and crisp when baked It provides the classic container for cream fillings in such pastries as cream puffs (profiteroles) and éclairs, and also makes such savory bites as cheeseflavored gougères and deep-fried beignets,... late medieval times, and is prepared in a very distinctive way It’s a cross between a batter and a dough, and is cooked twice: once to prepare the paste itself, and once to transform ...softening water, and the surface ends up tough Cream Puff Pastry, Pâte À Choux Choux is the French word for “cabbage,” and choux pastry forms little irregular cabbagelike balls that are hollow inside like popovers