but yet another to have the exact ingredients. I bet you that's where the secret lies. Find out just exactly what flour, oil, liquid and leavening (if any) is used.  Also cooking temp is a big issue here and how long they are "ironed."

Can you describe that "flavour" you are looking for? (buttery, salty, tea like, sour, caramel, vanilla, coffee...)

Mini O

The few recipes I've seen call for vanilla sugar.

I'm replying to the comments received. Indeed, vanilla sugar is usually required -- I substitute with natural vanilla extract + sugar. The flavor of the authentic Belgian "Luikse Wafel" has strong vanilla and it's sweet. The texture is chewy. The sugar coating on the outside adds a touch of caramelized flavor. The color is quite dark, and fresh yeast is used (I substitute with a very active pagckaged yeast), which makes big openings on the inside of the waffles when they are done. They feel a little sticky - although they don't stick to the waffle iron - and they are very moist. They smell the way they taste and have a lingering aroma, which draws people to the waffle stands in the train stations in Belgium. Everyone who has traveled the country by train knows these waffles and loves them. So far my attempts to make these have resulted in waffles that taste more like cookies, they are drier, they don't cook as dark, and they don't have that sticky feeling. I may need to buy a better waffle iron that cooks hotter. Will try another approach tomorrow and report back to The Fresh Loaf!