Aebleskivers

Kai asked if I could bring Cake pops to his class for his birthday.  I had no idea how to make them, so was delighted to see I could just buy this iron on Amazon and pop them out.  Well, when I posted about it on Facebook, my friends told me it was NOT how you make real cake pops.  You are supposed to make a sheet cake, shred it into little bits, mix frosting into it, roll balls, and then dip into chocolate.  Thank goodness they straightened me out because if I was going into trouble to make anything at all, I wanted Kai to be happy about it. 

I had other plans for this cake pops iron, so we went straight to one of them.  Aebleskivers.  We mixed up a batch of our favorite pancake batter.  A large cookie scoop helped keep the process clean.  And it was the easiest thing to do that produced beautiful balls of yumminess.     

 

          

Now we can't wait to try other things.  Home made Takoyaki would be really great.  I wonder if the kids agree.   

Here is the recipe for the pancakes.  It really is the best.

Cooks Illustrated Best Buttermilk Pancakes   

To create a buttermilk pancake recipe with a tangy flavor and fluffy texture, we added sour cream for flavor and cut back on leaveners to keep the pancakes from rising too high and then collapsing. The result was a pancake recipe for light, fluffy pancakes with the trademark buttermilk tang.

Makes sixteen 4-inch pancakes; Serves 4 to 6

The pancakes can be cooked on an electric griddle. Set the griddle temperature to 350 degrees and cook as directed. The test kitchen prefers a lower-protein all-purpose flour like Gold Medal or Pillsbury. If you use an all-purpose flour with a higher protein content, like King Arthur, you will need to add an extra tablespoon or two of buttermilk.

Ingredients

• 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (10 ounces) (see note)
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon table salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 cups buttermilk
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 2 large eggs
• 3 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
• 1 - 2 teaspoons vegetable oil

Instructions

1. 1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 200 degrees. Spray wire rack set inside baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray; place in oven. Whisk flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and baking soda together in medium bowl. In second medium bowl, whisk together buttermilk, sour cream, eggs, and melted butter. Make well in center of dry ingredients and pour in wet ingredients; gently stir until just combined (batter should remain lumpy with few streaks of flour). Do not overmix. Allow batter to sit 10 minutes before cooking.
2. 2. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Using paper towels, carefully wipe out oil, leaving thin film of oil on bottom and sides of pan. Using ¼ cup measure, portion batter into pan in 4 places. Cook until edges are set, first side is golden brown, and bubbles on surface are just beginning to break, 2 to 3 minutes. Using thin, wide spatula, flip pancakes and continue to cook until second side is golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes longer. Serve pancakes immediately, or transfer to wire rack in preheated oven. Repeat with remaining batter, using remaining oil as necessary.

Technique

Ensuring Tender Texture

Too much gluten development in pancake batter is the enemy of tender texture. Here’s how to keep it in check.

• KEEP IT LUMPY, THEN LET IT REST
  Mixing encourages gluten to form. For best results, whisk the batter briefly and don’t smooth out the lumps. Then, let the batter rest for 10 minutes—this allows the gluten to relax, yielding more tender pancakes.