Puff Daddy

As a rule, I much prefer kitchen tools that can multitask and I tend to avoid single-use items (honesty, do we really need to spend $8 for a citrus peeler? I think not!). But all rules have their exceptions, which is why I own an ebelskiver pan.

I know, I know...what a goofy name: ebelskiver. Say that three times fast, I dare you. In my house we refer to the ebelskiver pan as the Nebekenezer pan, but that's just because my husband and I are somewhat nerdy.

Anyway, I'm getting off track. Despite the funny name and it's ability to only be used for one thing, an ebelskiver pan is an awesome kitchen addition if you're a fan of breakfast. See, the ebelskiver pan is used to make super yummy pancake puffs.

Here's how it works:

• Mix up some pancake batter using your favorite recipe or mix.
• Heat up the ebelskiver pan on your stove. Some companies do not recommend using the pan on glass cooktops, but that's what I have and so far I haven't caused any damage to either the pan or the stove.
• Lightly grease each well of the ebelskiver pan.
• Pour about 1 Tablespoon of prepared pancake batter into each well.
• Top the batter with the filling of your choice (see below), about 1/2 teaspoon per pancake puff.
  
• Cover the filling with another tablespoon of batter.
• Cook the ebelskivers 2-3 minutes, until the batter bubbles and gets firm around the edges.
• Using a pair of chopsticks or two toothpicks, carefully flip each puff so the other side cooks.
• Continue cooking about 1 more minute.
• Remove each puff with the chopsticks/toothpicks and serve warm, topped with maple or other flavored syrups or powdered sugar, a dusting of cocoa, or a sprinkle of cinnamon sugar, depending on your taste.

Filling ideas:

You can fill your pancake puffs with anything you'd like. Pancake puffs are just begging to be experimented with! Try:

• Your favorite jams/fruit spreads
• Chocolate chips
• Fruit, like blueberries
• Pie fillings, especially spiced apples--throw in some nuts for added texture
• Nutella
  
• Cheese (marscapone, ricotta with a bit of orange, etc.)
• Meat (cooked and crumbled bacon, sausage, etc.)
• Williams-Sonoma recently featured pancake puffs with a sticky, nutty toffee filling and a gooey sauce on top. Wow!
• Mix up chocolate pancake batter and fill with raspberry jam. Yum.
  

Other considerations:

• I want to try this with a lighter batter that will yield a crispier coating.
• Speaking of batter: you could add some spices to give the pancake part more flavor.
• Patience is a requirement when making ebelskivers. And practice makes perfect. Give yourself permission to make a few batches that are less than perfect. You'll need to get your technique down.

Equipment:

• Ebelskiver pan, approximately $30 to $40 (check here and here for ordering info).
• Optional: squeeze bottle for your pancake batter or a pancake dispenser (check out this one--it's pretty awesome!).
• Toothpicks or chopsticks.

Photo above from Williams-Sonoma. They also have a handy-dandy video on how to cook up these bad boys.