There’s more to waffles than deciding what kind of syrup you want to put on them, as I discovered when trying the new Grand Place Bakery’s Gourmet Liege Waffle Mix.

In fact, these waffles don’t need syrup at all. That’s because “Liege” waffles are not the same thing as the typical American variety. They originate from Belgium, where they are a popular treat sold by street vendors. That’s where Rick and Bev Napurski, the founders of Grand Place Bakery’s Leige waffle mix, first experienced them. After several months of research and taste testing, they came up with the mix.

The biggest difference between American waffles and Leige waffles is that they are made from a yeast-based dough and have a burned-sugar coating. You really don’t need syrup to sweeten them, but you can top them with fresh fruit and whipped cream, ice cream or pie filling.

Of course, when I fixed them for my family, the first thing they asked for was syrup. Habits are hard to break. Luckily, they do taste good with syrup. The yeast makes a denser texture than the airy American waffles we are used to eating, so they are more like yeast rolls. If you added cinnamon to the dough, they would taste remarkably like fresh cinnamon rolls with a caramel topping.

The bottom line: This mix is not for the cooking illiterate. You don’t just add water and stir. You must add milk, butter and eggs and, since it has yeast, it needs to rise. Then you knead in small “pearls” of sugar that melt when you bake them on the waffle iron. And the resulting caramel can turn your waffle iron into a sticky mess if you don’t follow the instructions. But if you want a really unique treat, with an incredible fresh-from-the-bakery taste and aroma, this mix is the one to get. They come in vanilla, blueberry and maple. A $7 mix makes 12 two-ounce waffles. Buy them at www.grandplacebakery.com.

Lifestyles reporter Sylvia Anderson can be reached at sylviaanderson@npgco.com