Sweet Belgian Waffle with Berries

The evening before, rinse the fruit and drain. Trim and hull the strawberries. Place half of the strawberries in a medium bowl and crush them with a masher. Add the remaining strawberries and additional fruit. Sprinkle with sugar, cover tightly and shake to distribute sugar. Refrigerate until ready to use.

In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast in 1/4 cup warm milk. In a separate bowl, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form; set aside. In a large bowl, mix together the egg yolks, 1/4 cup milk, melted butter, and sugar. Add the yeast mixture, salt and vanilla extract. Gradually add flour and remaining milk, alternating between the two. Gently fold the egg whites into the waffle batter.

Cover the batter with plastic wrap, and place in a warm place to rise until it doubles in size, approximately 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 250º F (to keep waffles warm). Preheat waffle pan or iron.

Spray waffle pan or iron with nonstick cooking spray. Pour or spread an appropriate amount of batter into each waffle mold. Cook waffles according to manufacturer's instructions until cooked through and golden brown, approximately 3 to 5 minutes.

Transfer cooked waffles to rack in oven to keep warm, do not layer. Repeat until all the batter has been used.

For Whipped Cream:

In a chilled glass or stainless steel bowl, beat the cream until peaks start to form. Gradually add sugar and vanilla; whip again until stiff peaks form. Refrigerate.

To Assemble: