Chef making pancakes on griddle ()
If you ever get to attend a festival or fair in the Netherlands, there is a good chance you will come across a stand selling warm mini Dutch pancakes, known as poffertjes. Although they are similar to other pancakes, these tiny versions are made of a yeasted batter and need to sit prior to cooking up and enjoying. Another unique quality? One of the most important ingredients for poffertjes won’t be listed in the ingredient list: the poffertjes pan. This special cast iron pan has shallow indentations to create the bite-sized pancakes. If you can’t find one, some cooks use the Danish aebleskiver pan, filling only a small portion of the larger indentations. You can also simply use a regular nonstick pan, spooning smaller amounts of the batter than regular pancakes. These mini Dutch pancakes are traditionally made with buckwheat flour, and if you have access to this flour, try it out for a more traditional version.
The list of ingredients you can serve with these pancakes is truly endless: powdered sugar, syrup, strawberries, whipped cream, jam, Nutella or speculoos spread. All you need is an imagination and an appetite!
Poffertjes
Start to finish: Approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes
Serves: 4
2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 1/2 cups lukewarm whole milk
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
Pinch salt
1 egg
Butter for greasing the pan, melted
In a small bowl, sprinkle yeast over milk and stir to combine. Allow to sit for 5 to 10 minutes, until the yeast is frothy.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar and salt. Mix in the yeast-milk mixture and the egg until smooth. Cover with a towel or plastic and allow to rest about 1 hour, until bubbly and risen.
Place poffertjes pan (or other pan) over medium heat and brush the cavities with melted butter.
Transfer the risen batter to a piping bag or large Ziplock bag with a small corner snipped off. When pan is hot, pipe a small amount of batter, about 1 tablespoon, into the cavities of the pan.
Cook until bottoms are golden and bubbles form on the tops. Using a chopstick, knitting needle or toothpick, flip pancakes to cook on the other side. Once cooked, remove to serving dish and repeat with remaining batter, greasing cavities again as needed.
Serve immediately with your choice of toppings!
(This recipe was adapted from Tara’s Multicultural Table.)
