Showing posts with label pancakes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label pancakes. Show all posts
It's been a while I know. But over the last few months, I kind of became occupied with stuff and then made myself unoccupied and then all over again. Life has been transitional for a while and it shall be for a while more. The more I take cognizance of that fact and accept it, the easier it will be for me I guess. Besides, gobbling my way through Gochujang noodles on a regular basis does not make good blog features.
Meanwhile, Aebleskivers have been on my list of things to do for a while now. In October, when I pitched initially to contribute to a site, I actually wrote down Aebleskivers. It never saw the light of day till now though. Aebleskivers are traditional Danish Pancake Balls. (I'm still silly enough to giggle every time I write balls.. heeheee) Apparently made during Christmas and supposed to have apple in them I think? I butchered a recipe from Nordic Food & Living and kind of made it this Sunday morning for the kids. Not that the kids I know really appreciate anything their aunt slaves over the stove for them. They always and always go back to their Ammachi's pineapple jam & toast. Spoilsports!
The adults loved it though. Wait! before the adults came in, quite a few of these balls (heehee..) ended up in my tummy as well. Oh! who am I kidding? I tend to forget I belong to the adult category. Having the mental/emotional capability of an under-aged teen in an over-sized body doesn't really help anyone. Meh! on that.
I got my Unniappam Chatti out for this one. Not that I'd ever used it before. I got it a while ago thinking I'd make unniappams sometime and then forgot about it. But Aebleskivers seemed like a good way to inaugrate it. Unniappam Chatti = Paniyaram Chatti = Whatever other pans there are which have semi circular (hemispherical sounds better perhaps?)indentations on them. I could put up a pic here, but then that would make my blog too big and have too many pics and I'm just that bit unfriendly enough to not want to do that. (Pat on my back for being selfish.)
In reality, the recipe is actually that of a pancake, just that the treatment is different or rather the equipment used is different. the pan really helps give that 'Wohow' effect. If you'd rather make pancakes who am I to stop you. But these make nice snacks you can take on road trips, pack it up in a hamper for a picnic or even an after school snack for kids. Texturally mine were crispy on the outside and soft as clouds in the middle. It's better had warm or rather straight off the stove, but I really can't imagine anyone making this on order unless it were a restaurant!
I made them plain, some filled with chocolate chips, and some with homemade Strawberry Orange Jam. One word of caution, you always need more filling than you think! For those peevish about making their own jam, roll up your sleeves and get to it, cos strawberry season is getting over soon and you really want to bottle up all that goodness till next year right? Here's a link to help you out - DIY: Making Jam
Makes approximately 24 teeny weeny balls
Ingredients
2 eggs separated
11/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup buttermilk
60g butter melted and cooled
1 tbsp sugar
pinch salt
1/4 cup chocolate chips (optional)
1/8 cup jam (optional)
2 tbsp icing sugar
Method
- Whisk egg whites till stiff peaks form and set aside
- in a different bowl, dry whisk flour, soda, sugar and salt.
- Add yolks & buttermilk and mix till thoroughly combined. Used hand mixer if required
- Pour melted & cooled butter to the batter and mix it in.
- Using a wooden spoon/spatula fold in egg whites gently to the mix in three parts till you do not see white streaks. (Do not whack the shit out of it, you want the air from the egg whites to remain in the batter)
- Heat the aebleskiver pan, add butter to each of those indentations.
- Gently drop enough batter to fill 3/4 of the indent if making plain balls, else fill 1/4 of the indentation, add the topping and then cover till it reaches 3/4 of the indent.
- Flip the balls using a skewer when they are firm on one side.
- You're ready when both sides are golden and firm.
- Serve onto plate. Sprinkle with icing sugar. You're good to go!
Aebleskivers (Pancake Balls)
This is my first motion shot. I have a long way to go, but atleast it's a start. I've still not unpacked the tripod. I balance my camera on a chair sometimes, but mostly I still work handheld. I got my dad's tripod from home a little less than a year ago, but the thought of using it makes me shiver. Have I really progressed that far to be using my father's tripod? Daddy is one of the best photographers I've ever met personally or have seen their work. Back in the day when there was only black and white film, he indulged in SLRs and took some really nice shots mostly of family and my cousins. By the time, I came around, he'd lost his interest in photography, so sadly I didn't look good in pictures even as a child! But my brother and sister? They could have been child models from the photos he'd taken.
Why cornmeal pancakes? Last week, I made a solo trip to Indigo Deli and indulged in some pork chops which came along with cornbread. I was so enamoured by the flavour, though I think it could have been a teeny weeny bit more moist. Made me think, perhaps I've been treating cornmeal with a little too much trepidation. After all, I'd made polenta myself and liked it. I could maybe try out other things as well at home. There's cornbread, that polenta cake recipe I'd been eyeing for a while, but the easiest to start off with? Cornmeal pancakes. As usual, the internet is my friend when it comes to these things. So I read up and figured, I could use my regular pancake recipe, but substitute half the flour with cornmeal. And so I went ahead. I really liked it. Maybe my palate is getting used to cornmeal now.
After having these pancakes again, this time with bacon & poached pear jus, I think these are going to replace regular pancakes for me now. Mostly because of the savoury element which cornmeal imparts that really sets it apart from a regular pancake.
Serves 2
Ingredients
3/4 cup cornmeal
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1 cup milk *
1/2 tsp vinegar *
1 egg
Butter for seasoning the frying pan
Method
1. Whisk all the dry ingredients together in a bowl.
2. In another bowl add vinegar to milk and wait for 5 mins to let it curdle to become buttermilk.
*Alternately use buttermilk
3. Whisk buttermilk and egg together
4. Add wet ingredients to dry and stir till just mixed. Do not overmix. The batter will be thick at this point. If its too thick, add a little bit of milk/buttermilk to loosen it up.
5. In a well season frying pan over low flame, add a little butter to coat the surface and then pour in the batter 1/4 cup at a time.
6. Cover and cook till its golden brown on the underside. Flip and cook again till its cooked through.
7. Repeat till the pancake batter is over.
Serve this with honey, maple syrup, your favourite preserve/compote. I had some strawberry syrup from my last roasting session which I used. Not quite thick as a regular syrup, but very very delicious.
Cornmeal Pancakes
I admit it. I favour a good breakfast over most meals. Mainly cos simple things are good enough to make me happy. Also helps that breakfast is also the easiest meal to cook with not too many complications. No wonder I can have breakfast anytime of the day.
Beer Buttermilk Pancakes
When life gives you lemons, stuff your bra I say.
Oops! I gave away why I'm so booby haha!
The pistachio pancake came from a pistachio peach cake I wanted to make this morning. Unfortunately my oven conked out on me right after I'd done the prep for the cake. So I decided to make the best of it and make some pancakes instead.
Pistachio Pancakes with Peach Compote
Fluffy Fluffy Pancakes
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