Sunday, January 25, 2009

Lemon-cornmeal ebelskivers with blackberry preserves

Scott and I were up so, so late last night, finishing an evening celebrating Norm's birthday with friends and 20-year old syrah that smelled like goat testicles (and Saxum Rocket Block (2005?) - a grenache that was like making out with black cherries and literally made me giddy). We got home late and then hung out for a few more hours until it was eventually 4:00 in the morning and we reluctantly collapsed from so much ado.

We woke up at around noon, ravenous and rheumy-eyed. A light dusting of snow covered the ground outside our window and we didn't hurry out of bed, despite our rumbling tummies. Planting kisses upon his bearded face, I promised pancakes with blackberry jam and whipped cream. Once in the kitchen, I decided to kick things up the proverbial notch and busted out the ebelskiver pan that he gave me for Christmas.

I whipped up a basic pancake batter, but subbed a third of the flour for cornmeal and folded in lemon zest and a little juice, and some sour cream. This made a very thick, yet porous batter (the acidic lemon juice reacting with the baking soda really kept things airy, despite the thickness of the sour cream). This was my first time using the ebelskiver pan, but it's really pretty easy. I just filled them 3/4 way full (allowing room to expand), and when they started smelling nice and the bubbles started to look dry, I flipped them in their little divots with a fork.

When they were all ready, I gave them a little pool of blackberry preserves (warmed with melted butter) and whipped some cream to a light froth. I dusted the ebelskivers with powdered sugar to mirror our snow-sprinkled day and we had a lovely brunch.

Serve with pink grapefruit mimosas and marital bliss.

35 comments:

Dewi said...

Hmmm, too bad that I can't make this, don't have the right pan...
Looks delicious.
Cheers,
elra

dp said...

We make Danish aebleskiver every holiday season. I carried the little pan with me all the way from Dk just so I could make them. It was nice to eat them this holiday, snowed in, sitting in front of the fireplace with a glass of mulled wine.

Peter G | Souvlaki For The Soul said...

They look fantastic Heather! I assume they're almost like little jam doughnuts? Perfect with my blackberry jam!

Alicia Foodycat said...

How could you possibly do those after such a late night? You are domestic goddess!

Anonymous said...

dang, that looks good. those swedish meatballs look crankalicious as well.

Maggie said...

Wow those look perfect. Sometimes a single-use gadget is just fun enough to be worth it.

Catherine Wilkinson said...

Well, my friend...this may be one of my most favorite posts from you. Not only dripping with blackberry and lemon goodness, but your adoration of the spousal unit makes me weepy. Nothing like food and love to make the world glow.

Syd said...

Smart man, to gift you with kitchen implements. He knows what he's doing.

anno said...

What gorgeously frothy confections! So perfect for a Sunday morning, and so perfectly matched with your pink grapefruit mimosas! It's only taken two of your weekend posts; I am now convinced: time to stockpile champagne.

Heather said...

Elra - They're still good pancakes, as is.

Darlene - These are good enough to warrant packing the pan from Denmark. I looked for one in Tokyo, too, actually.

Petah - I didn't fill these, but that's the idea. Next time, jam and mascarpone!

Alicia - I think I must've still been a little drunk. :)

Bubble Bobble - They were both cracktastic, each in their own way.

Mags - The beauty of this pan is that I bet I can use it to make takoyaki. I'm gonna try, anyway.

Syd - Well, sometimes having a nerd fetish is a two-way street.

Anno - I usually drink prosecco, but I am sort of a weekend lush. (#^_^#)

Anonymous said...

This is the second ebleskiver post I've seen this week which I think is the Internet's way of telling me I need to get one of these pans. Plus I think I could use the pan to make takoyaki which totally justifies another piece of cookware!

glamah16 said...

You guys sound so cozy. I need to invest in one of these pans.And you have cooking up a storm lately.

aforkfulofspaghetti said...

ebelsh... ableske... ebelske... eb

You mean doughnuts??

Jeez, ehy didn't you say so, damnit? ;-)

Anonymous said...

I love the description of your morning as much as these pancakes. I have a pan as well and I'm trying these very soon.

Anonymous said...

I could eat a stack of these right now. so are they doughnuts?

And how many goat's balls have you sniffed? I learn something new about you every time I visit your blog..

cookiecrumb said...

Wait, they already invented Smell-o-Vision? I swear I could smell those sweet, fluffy bombs as I read this post.

The Short (dis)Order Cook said...

I always see those little pans in the Williams Sonoma catalog and never knew anyone that tried one. My curiosity has been satisfied.

I love the addition of cornmeal. The blackberry and lemon flavors sound wonderful. I'm salivating.

May the two of you enjoy many more wonderful mornings like this together!

Mike of Mike's Table said...

I always see those pans and think that would be nice to have...and then I wander away like a defeated little kid with the image of ebelskivers left in my head, teasing me. I need to get this damn pan already--those look delicious

Lo said...

I really just want to repeat ebelskivers over and over and over and over again... until I'm dizzy!

Jam and marscapone sounds heavenly.

Brooke said...

Best. Wife. Ever.
I love ebelskivers. I had them at the viking days festival and have been pining for more ever since. Gotta get me one of those pans so's I can please my man too.

michael, claudia and sierra said...

i had a really great comment but i am too chicken to type it.

instead i will just say that you rule...

Brittany said...

AW I totally know where Claudia's comment was going, as my comment is probably along the same lines.

Yes, it does involve cunnilingus.

Should I not of said that? I wont be offended if you delete it. Pinky swear.

Anne said...

Wow, this is weird. I was just watching some lame ass Food Network special called "The Best Thing I've Ever Eaten" only to see my ChefCrush, Aaron Sanchez. His favorite thing were these- ebelskivers- which he pronounced "Evil Skivvers." I'd never heard of them before HotCakes Aaron Sanchez mentioned them and here you are blogging about them! Look, whatever SpicyChile Aaron Sanchez eats, I'm down for, but the fact that you blogged about them has made finding ebelskivers a priority in life.

Heather said...

i have one of these too, and have always done the "ebleskiver" batter which has a bunch of egg whites to let the dough puff more. i like that you used the basic batter more, because i always felt like it just tasted like egg whites. you are definitely better with the chop sticks and flipping than me - my apple filling popped out all over the place! they look lovely!

Emily said...

Aw. I like this post very much.

These look amazing! I love that cornmeal, lemon, blackberry combo.

I've never smell goat testicles before.

Heather said...

Marc - I looked for a takoyaki pan everywhere (even at Tokyu Hands), but have been excited to use the ebelskiver pan instead.

Courtney - I have been cooking up a storm! It's good for me. Keeps me out of trouble.

Sket - Well they are a little donutish, I guess. Next time, jelly-filled.

Kate - I knew the girls would like the sweetness. :)

Matt - If you smelled this wine, "goat balls" would be the first thing that came to your mind too, I just know it.

Cookie - There's really something about them. I might start making these all the time. Ooh, savory ones, too.

Rachel - That's the plan. ;)

Mike - They're not hard to make at all. It was completely intuitive.

Lo - Jam and mascarpone does sound really yummy. Or cherries and sour cream, like a blintz. Next time, for sure.

Brookie - He's pretty stellar, too. :)

Claudia - Go ahead and say it. Yes, we have sex. And it's not even boring married sex. It's like still-just-dating sex. :P

Brit - Ha! Well, if you're gonna go there, I'll just say that Aunt Flo was visiting and that wasn't on the menu.

Anna - I think I saw that too, out of the corner of my eye, and remembered that I have that pan. He did keep saying it funny.

Heather - The recipe that comes with the pan is way too fussy (I hate whisking egg white and folding shit), so I recommend the lemon juice/baking soda for fluff.

Emmy - It was a very nice morning, and I really wanted to convey that sweetness. :)

The Spiteful Chef said...

Holy SHIT. Those look absolutely phenomenal. I don't even know if I could replicate it, but I swear to all that is holy that I'll try. Actually, I want them now...

Anonymous said...

One of my dad's favorite meals to make are pancakes. So thank you for giving me a great Christmas idea, this pan will be perfect. I think I'm going to have to get one myself, Christmas is to far away to wait to taste your recipe.

Peter M said...

This is the second time I've seen these within a week. My friend Leslie (who's Danish) called them Ableskiver...good part of the hangover recovery I take it.

peter said...

There are so many things I could write here, but I'm just going to take my inspiration from one of the great literary figures of our time:

Those ebelskivers look great.

Anonymous said...

are you getting all sappy and shit on us? Totally cute... you're in lurrrve. i like the sweet side of heather. i'm sure you hubz does to- especially when you serve him a side of this with your 'marital bliss'.

Anonymous said...

are you getting all sappy and shit on us? Totally cute... you're in lurrrve. i like the sweet side of heather. i'm sure you hubz does to- especially when you serve him a side of this with your 'marital bliss'.

Anonymous said...

Goat testicule huh! You're a poet! :-)
I didn't know those were called ebelskivers, looks like the perfect breakfast!

Valerie Harrison (bellini) said...

The weeekend is coming up fast. There would be wonderful with some of my blueberries in Cointreau.

Anonymous said...

Mmmm this look great, but I really don't like it. In fact my grandpa who is always visiting Viagra Online made this at home and it was terrible.