Ebleskivers (Aebleskivers) –

“A cast iron pan for $7?!? Yes, please. I don’t care if I don’t know what to use it for yet, I’ll figure that out later.”

Oh yes, I’d figure out how to use it, in a round scrumptious way.

After I searched the Google, I figured out that this pan was used to make ebleskiver, Danish pancakes made in the shape of a sphere. Like a little waffle pancake donut hole! A waffle hole? A pancake hole? A waffle pancake hole!

Ebleskiver (sometimes spelled aebleskiver) can be savoury or sweet, filled (often with apples or jam) or not, topped with or dipped in sauce, or dusted with confectioners’ sugar. The possibilities are quite endless. I’m already dreaming of a million flavour combinations.

They’re eaten anytime of year, but particularly at New Year’s.

The Google also revealed a neat little nerdy fact about the ebleskiver and my province. New Brunswick is home to New Denmark – Canada’s largest and oldest Danish community. Founders Day is celebrated there on June 19th every year with lots of ebleskiver. Neat!

Basic Ebleskever Batter (makes about 3 dozen)

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 lg eggs, separated
1 cup whole milk
2 tbsp butter, melted and slightly cooled

Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl. Combine wet ingredients, save for the egg whites, in another bowl. Keep the yolks in yet another bowl.

Beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form, but not until they’re dry. Set aside.

Add the egg yolk mixture to the dry ingredients, and mix with a wooden spoon until combined. The batter will be lumpy and that’s just fine.

Add about a third of the whipped egg whites to this batter, folding them in gently until combined.

Add the remaining egg whites and fold again, until no white streaks remain.

Use the batter right away.

To make the ebelskivers, heat the pan over medium low heat.

Putting the little guys together goes really quickly:

Butter the cups in the pan well with butter and a pastry brush.

Add about a tablespoon of batter to each cup.

Fill with your choice of filling, either sweet or savoury, or none at all. Today’s filling choice was maple smoked salmon and whipped chive cream cheese.

Once filled, top them off with a bit more batter, to cover.

Cook on the first side for 3-5 minutes. You will know they are ready to flip when bubbles come up to the top side, much like a pancake. Have two chopsticks (or the like) ready for flipping. When they’re ready to flip, flip!