Aebleskivers

Directions

1. 1
   Put the aebleskiver pan on the stove over low heat to begin warming up.
2. 2
   Melt butter in a small dish in the microwave or on the stovetop.
3. 3
   Beat the eggwhites until stiff (look for those beautiful peaks to form).
4. 4
   Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl. Add buttermilk and stir well. The batter will be lumpy, and that's as it should be.
5. 5
   Fold in half the egg whites, then fold in the second half. The batter should remain airy, so don't overstir.
6. 6
   Turn up the heat under your pan to medium-high.
7. 7
   Add the melted butter and mix just until combined. Remember, you want the batter to remain as fluffy as possible, so only stir as much as required to get the butter well-distributed, then stop stirring.
8. 8
   If the pan sizzles when water is sprinkled on the surface, add a small amount (about 1/2 teaspoon) of oil to each indentation. If it doesn't sizzle, turn up the heat and try again in a minute or so.
9. 9
   Fill each cup of the pan with batter. Don't under-fill, or you'll end up with small and deformed balls.
10. 10
    Using a knitting needle or a wooden skewer, begin rotating the balls in the order that you scooped the batter into the pan. If the batter hasn't yet cooked enough for you to begin turning the balls, the pan is not hot enough. It takes time and practice to know just how hot your stove has to be with your own pan.
11. 11
    As you rotate each aebleskiver, the raw batter will flow out of the cup that has formed and will form the next section of the sphere.
12. 12
    After each ball has been rotated a quarter turn, go back to the first ball and give another rotation to each ball in turn. Again, the batter should flow out of the now-smaller opening and begin forming the next part of the sphere.
13. 13
    It should take about four or five rotations to completely seal the aebleskiver. In a perfect world, the aebleskivers would now be done, but I usually find I need to cook them for another minute or two, carefully rotating the balls so they don't overbrown on any one side.
14. 14
    Remove the cooked aebleskievers from the pan to a large bowl in a warm oven. Repeat the cooking process with the remaining batter.
15. 15
    Aebleskivers are usually served in a group of three, topped with jam or jelly and a sprinkling of powdered sugar. Raspberry jam is traditional, and my favorite.
16. 16
    My family also likes these with maple syrup, chocolate syrup, or dulce de leche. I won't deny that whipped cream may have entered the picture once or twice as well!