Aebelskivers and Poffertjes
So for T’s birthday he was given an aebelskiver pan, from our very good friend Kristine. T LOVES aebleskivers, or however it’s spelled, and was beyond thrilled this morning to see them on his plate. The pan came with recipes, which I’m reproducing here since I WILL lose the piece of paper at some point.
Danish Aebleskiver Recipe
2 C flour
2 T sugar
1 t baking powder
1 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1/2 t cardamom, optional
3 large eggs, separated
2 C buttermilk
3 T melted butter
Mix dry ingredients. Beat egg yolks and add to buttermilk; add dry ingredients and mix, and then add melted butter. Beat egg whites until stiff, and fold in. Melt a little butter in each hole of the pan, over medium heat. Fill each hole 1/2 full and bake in pan, turning once with the point of a skewer, until evenly brown and cooked through. Re-butter holes before refilling. Serve hot, with butter, syrup, applesauce, or jam.
My notes: this is the recipe I used this morning, and it was REALLY TASTY. No cardamom, because we’re out, but I’ll bet it would only enhance the overall flavor. It takes a few tries to get the hang of turning them, but it’s not hard once you figure it out. (And yes, I know, most things aren’t! :))
Dutch Poffertjes, Recipe 1
4.5 oz wheat flour
4.5 oz buckwheat flour
(or just 9 oz wheat flour)
10 oz lukewarm milk
1 egg
1/3 oz yeast
2 T sweet syrup
pinch of salt
2.5 oz melted butter
powdered sugar
Sieve the flour, make a depression in the middle and pour a small portion of the lukewarm milk, which has been mixed with the yeast, into the hole. Sprinkle the salt along the outer edge of the flour, and start making the poffertjes mix, stirring from th center, adding slowly the remaining milk and afterwards the beaten egg and then the syrup. Let rise about 45 minutes in a warm place. Put butter in each hole of the pan and fill 1/2 full with batter. Let poffertjes become light brown and dry at the bottom, and turn, with a small fork, to bake on the other side. Serve HOT. Sprinkle generously with powdered sugar and put a small lump of butter on top, or put some sweet syrup in the poffertjes instead of sugar and butter.
Dutch Poffertjes, Recipe 2
1 C flour, sifted
1/4 t salt
1 T sugar
1/4 c butter
1 C milk, scalded
3 eggs
Add butter to milk and stir until it melts in a saucepan. Add flour and salt, and beat until smooth. Cook, stirring constantly, until the dough leaves the sides of the pan; remove from stove and blend in sugar and eggs. Shape into small balls and fry until dark brown.
The above recipes were from pleasanthill.com; the below recipe was from the aebleskiver pan maker.
Great Grandma’s Danish Aebleskiver
2 C flour
1 t salt
1 t baking soda
2 C buttermilk
3 eggs, separated
optional: apple slices of other fruit for filling.
Sift together flour, salt, and baking soda. Add buttermilk and egg yolks. Beat egg whites until light and fluffy and softly peaking; fold into batter.
Heat pan on medium heat, grease each cup (butter, oil, or spray veggie oil), and fill 2/3 full. Cook 1-1.5 minutes per side, until golden brown, and flip using a toothpick. When done, serve warm with a sprinkling or sugar.
Optional: Fill each cup only 1/3 full with batter, place a small piece of fruit in each cup, and cover with an additional 1/3 cup.
Yields: 35-40 aebleskivers
and the info that came with it:
Danish Aebleskiver Pan
A holiday in Denmark often begins with a breakfast of puffy fried cakes called Aebleskiver. The flavorful dough may be fried with a piece of apple inserted into the center or served with apple sauce or apple butter – the cake takes its name from its fondness for apples. The 6.5-inch-diameter cast-iron pan with seven round indentations fits over a stove burner and fries the cakes to golden perfection. If you make aebelskiver frequently, the heavy iron pan will remain seasoned and the cakes will not stick.