I really got into the mood of pancake making, and of course eating, after my Poffertjes travel back in time experience. So, naturally, I was extremely happy when Simone has suggested we make more pancakes together, this time Danish ones called Ebelskiver, and this time Trissa from the beautiful blog Trissalicious joins too. I’m in the US, Simone in Holland, and Trissa in Australia! How cool is that? I think, that’s one of the the fun-nest aspects of blogging.

I have already made those Danish pancakes twice and I can easily predict the future and tell you I will be making them a zillion more times. According to Wikipedia, Æbleskiver (Danish meaning apple slices) are traditional Danish pancakes in a distinctive shape of a sphere. Somewhat similar in texture to American pancakes crossed with a popover, Æbleskiver are solid like a pancake but light and fluffy like a popover.

This brought up the need to buy yet another pan. An ebelskiver pan. After much debate on which pan to buy, I’ve decided to go with William-Sonoma after watching their video tutorial on how to make Aebleskiver. then I headed to the store to see the pan with my own eyes and all doubts were gone. I used the pan twice and I love it.

I found that making ebelskiver was much easier than making poffertjes. I think this was mainly because I only had to handle and flip 7 pancakes at a time instead of the 14 little poffertjes. (Some poffertjes pans have even 20 or more indentations which I can only imagine takes a high level of skill to make.) They also take a bit longer to cook compared to the poffertjes which allows you some time to breathe in between flipping and batches. With the poffertjes, by the time I poured the last teaspoon of batter in the pan I had to immediately turn them to the other side. So, bottom line, ebelskiver is much easier to make.

Flavor wise, they turned out just-right sweet and light as air. They reminded me of little doughnuts, but of the good kind, like those made with yeast and left to rise and then fried in oil. (Yu-um.) Only with ebelskiver what makes them have a light and fluffy texture is whipping egg whites. (Don’t let that scare you or stop you, in case whipping whites is something you think you don’t know how to do. 2 minutes in a mixer and it’s done!) I made them with different fillings: sliced banana, a bit of chocolate, strawberry jam, and plain. Sprinkled with powdered sugar and a drizzle of maple syrup or melted butter – optional, but recommended. My favorite was to eat them plain or filled with jam which reminded me of these Hanukah doughnuts,

Actually, when I served them plain with butter and sugar they reminded me more of the Dutch poffertjes I had 21 years ago on my trip to Holland than the poffertjes I made at home. Hmmm, could it be? Could it be some conspiracy going on in The Netherlands where Danish ebelskiver are being served in the disguise of Dutch poffertjes? I wonder…

You can watch the William-Sonoma tutorial video is here, more recipes here, or in photos and steps here. I used the recipe that came with the pan only I cut it in half since 20 mini pancakes are enough for the four of us. Each time we had leftovers to nibble on later throughout the day. Ah, don’t you love Saturday mornings?

Now, if I hadn’t told you about the little drama we had here on Thursday, could you have guessed? Or the mostly sleepless night we had last night? Ebelskiver are a major distraction from all of that, but this is what’s going on behind the scenes of our presumably perfect lives. The happy face we put on when we interact with the world outside.

My girl had to be weaned off the pacifier overnight after her injury. She likes to have it when she goes to sleep but we had to do it cold turkey. She cried during the night and asked for it so we haven’t slept much. We went in and out of her room a couple of times, taking turns, my husband and me. Then at around 3 am, when all we have tried to do did not work, we brought her to our bed. I only got kicked 2 or 3 times, got punched in the eye once, and got smacked on my head with her little fists 4 or 5 times. On the other hand, it’s just so funny to see her little face within 3/8-inch distance from mine, her soft curly hair in my face and tickling my nose. These are sweet moments.

Ebleskiver

Makes about 20 pancakes (or 4 batches)

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 tablespoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 eggs, separated
1 (250 ml) cup of milk
2 tablespoons butter, melted, plus more for cooking
For filings: jam, bananas, chocolate chips, apple sauce
Maple syrup, for serving
Powdered sugar, for serving

In a big bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt.
In a small bowl, lightly whisk the egg yolks, then add the milk and the melted butter.

Whisk the yolk mixture into the flour mixture until the batter is well combined.
In a third bowl, using an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whisk the egg whites on high speed until stiff but not dry peaks form, 2 to 3 minutes. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the egg whites into the batter in 2-3 additions.
Put 1/4 teaspoon butter in each well of the pancake pan. Place over medium heat and heat until the butter begins to sizzles. Using a pastry/silicon brush, coat surface of wells entirely with the butter. Pour 1 tablespoon batter into each well, then add some of the filling (if using) in the center of each pancake and top with another 1 tablespoon of batter. Cook until the bottoms are golden brown, crispy, and slightly pulls away around the edges, 3 to 5 minutes. Using 2 wooden skewers, flip the pancakes over and cook until golden and crispy on the other side, about 3 minutes more. Transfer to a plate.

Repeat with the remaining batter and fillings.
Dust the pancakes with confectioners’ sugar and serve warm with maple syrup.

*** Let’s check out what Simone and Trissa made…

The pan

My best props

Related Posts:

Zucchini Pancakes Addiction

Sweet Blintzes

Poffertjes

Tags : Breakfast, Dessert, pancakes, recipe
Categories : Breakfast, Recipes