Aebleskiver and Poffertjes

Aebleskiver and Poffertjes: Scandinavian culinary cousins with their own Wikipedia entries! These delightful baby pancakes have two noticeable differences that I have observed, which are that aebleskiver are more puffy and less sweet than poffertjes. They both are served under a blizzard of powdered sugar, jam, maple syrup, or a combination of all three. They are not really served for breakfast, like the all-American flapjack; they can be found at fairs and social events.

I was introduced to poffertjes by my Dutch friend Erik, who brought his own special poffertjes pan with him when he moved to New York. That's how good they are!! We quickly incorporated them into our annual New York City Marathon Brunch, taking big plates of them downstairs to eat as we watched the throngs of runners push past our apartment building in Brooklyn. Northern European runners looked on longingly, nearly tripping over their flag-cape wearing competitors.

Earlier this month Nick and I went to Portland for the day; we got there just in time for brunch at Broder, a Swedish-style cafe where everything is wonderful and beautiful. We sat at the counter and watched the cook prepare order after order of aebles on the enormous old stove.

cooking aebleskiver at broder in portland
Originally uploaded by isabelle gr

In the video, you can see a brand new batch on the right burner, a half-done batch being turned over on the left burner, and a nearly-done batch in the middle. The cook turns them halfway through with a skewer, although I read on Wikipedia that it is traditional to use a knitting needle. So feel free.

The photo up top is of our order of aebles (with apologies for the poor photo quality). They were well worth the wait. We had a great experience at Broder: the food was delicious and not too fussy, as was the decor. The staff was stylish and nice, a combination that is disarmingly common in Portland and rare everywhere else.

Flatbread with Sea Salt and Sesame Seeds

This recipe is so simple and good; it involves sesame seeds, which are the poster seeds for simplicity and goodness.

We rolled out this recipe with Sarah, Scott, and Brittany the other night, to accompany this deliciously spicy vegan soup and a mint-enhanced salad that I'd made earlier. I started the dough at lunchtime, let it rise for an hour and a half, then formed it into balls and let it rest on the countertop until dinner time.

FLATBREAD WITH SEA SALT & SESAME SEEDS
serves 6 - 8 or more

ingredients
2 cups warm water
2 tsp active dry yeast
3 cups organic all purpose flour
2 cups organic whole wheat flour
3 1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 cup olive oil

2 tbsp coarsely chopped fresh herbs: thyme, marjoram, oregano
2 tbsp sesame seeds, lightly toasted (don't scorch them!)
sea salt

equipment
cast iron pan or griddle
pizza stone or baking sheet
rolling pin* and nice clean counter top

*Sarah taught me a great tip: if you need a rolling pin, or if several cooks are in the kitchen but there is only one pin, just substitute a tall glass, like a pint glass. Clever girl!

preparation
1. Fill a bowl with 2 c. warm water and sprinkle in yeast. Leave it to dissolve and get bubbly, about 7 - 10 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, whisk together white and whole wheat flour and salt. Now switch to a rubber spatula or wooden spoon and stir in oil, just three tbsps. Add yeast and water; mix until the dough begins to come together. It will be sticky and messy, but some kneading will fix that.

3. Generously flour your counter top and your hands. Turn the dough out onto your work surface and knead for 5 minutes or so. Don't be afraid to strong arm the dough: use your fingers to pull and fold the dough over itself, then use the base of your palm to push the dough into the counter top. After 3 or 4 minutes, the dough will become much smoother. Keep kneading until it is stretchy and elastic, dusting it, the counter, and your hands with more flour if needed.

4. Drizzle some olive oil in a large bowl and rotate it to coat the interior evenly. Roll your dough into a ball and place it in the bowl, rolling it around so that it gets oily all over. Cover loosely with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap. Leave the dough in a warm place to rise until it has doubled in size, which takes about 1 1/2 hours.

5. Punch down the dough. Divide it in half, then half again, and again until you have 12 even pieces. Your hands will be pretty oily by now; shape each piece into a ball by lightly rolling it in your palms. Place the balls on a plate and cover until you are ready to bake, or roll them out one by one into ovals or circles.

6. Set oven to warm with the pizza stone or a baking sheet in it. Mix together herbs, sesame seeds, and salt. Set aside.

7. Heat a small amount of olive oil in your cast iron pan. Cook the flatbread for 3 minutes per side, or until cooked through. Lightly brush with oil and dust with salt and sesame seeds. Place in the oven to keep warm while you make the rest.