Ebelskivers - Norwegian Pancakes

This ebelskiver did not survive long after this photo was taken.

I received and ebelskiver pan for Christmas, much to my delight! Williams-Sonoma had a luscious-looking recipe in its latest catalog, so I dusted off the pan and put it to the test.

Ebelskivers are little, round Norwegian pancakes made in a special pan. They are usually filled with fresh fruit or a jam. Here is another photo of the cooking process. Er, or should I say the overcooking process:

Surprisingly, these little briquets still tasted delicious, a testament to the rich batter!

Some thoughts: Ebelskivers are tricky to make, but boy-oh-boy are they tasty. Flipping them over, without making a mess, is not easy and, even on medium heat (as instructed), they overbrowned. For some reason (the excitement of trying a new recipe??), I was so distracted that I forgot to add the beaten egg whites to the batter until I made my second batch. Not much of a taste difference, but the egg whites do lighten the batter considerably, and allow the center to cook through.

If you use a jam filling, use a good one. I chose Bonne Maman cherry preserves. I also added extra lemon zest to my batter.

The entire cooking process is kind of messy and fast-paced . . . but did I mention these little gems are really tasty? Oh, yes, I see that I did. They're worth the effort, and I think worth the practice to get them right!

Ebelskivers

Adapted from Williams-Sonoma's Recipe

• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1 1/2 Tbs. granulated sugar
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• Zest of one lemon
• 3 egg yolks plus 5 egg whites
• 1 1/3 cups buttermilk
• 3/4 cup ricotta cheese ( used part skim)
• 5 Tbs. unsalted butter, melted
• 7 Tbs. jam, as needed
• Confectioners sugar for dusting
  
  Whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, granulated sugar, salt, and lemon zest. Set aside.
  
  In another bowl, lightly whisk the egg yolks. Whisk in the buttermilk and ricotta. Whisk the yolk mixture into the flour mixture until well combined; the mixture will be lumpy. Set aside.
  
  In another bowl, whisk the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Using a rubber spatula, gently stir the whites into the batter in two additions.
  
  Put 1/2 tsp. butter in each well of a filled-pancake pan. Place over medium heat and heat until the butter begins to bubble. Pour 1 Tbs. batter into each well, place 1/2 teaspoon jam in the center of the batter, and top with another 1 Tbs. of batter. Do NOT use more batter.
  
  Cook until the bottoms are golden brown and crispy, 3 to 5 minutes. Using 2 wooden skewers, turn the pancakes over and cook until golden brown and crispy, about 3 minutes more. Transfer to a plate. Repeat with the remaining batter and jam. Dust the pancakes with confectioners sugar and serve warm. Makes about 30.