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.

strawberry tart with basil-infused whipped cream

strawberry tart, originally uploaded by isabelle gr.

Let the strawberry season begin! This picture shows the second strawberry tart of the year, made with the extra ingredients from the first. The first was for Mother's Day brunch, and it was much neater and prettier, with concentric circles of heart-shaped berries. It did not survive long enough to be photographed any closer than this:

For the second one I just heaped the berries into the tart pan, and I think they tasted better for the lack of organization. Especially since we ate both batches of berries with the most incredible confection in the universe: basil-infused whipped cream. Yes! It's real! A thousand thank yous to the cooks at Martha Stewart, who published this minor miracle in the May issue of Living alongside their strawberry galette. Here is my adaptation:

BASIL-INFUSED WHIPPED CREAM
Serves 6 as an accompaniment to a pie or tart.

ingredients

1 c. heavy cream
1/3 - 1/2 c. fresh basil leaves
2 tbsp sugar
1/2 c. mascarpone

equipment

hand or stand mixer or whisk
sieve or fine-hole colander

preparation

1. In a small Pyrex or stainless steel bowl, combine first three ingredients over a saucepan of simmering water. Stir gently until the sugar has dissolved, which will only take a minute or two. Remove bowl from heat and allow it to cool slightly. Cover the bowl and refrigerate it for 2 to 3 hours. The basil flavor with strenghten over time. Yum! While the cream chills, find your mixer whisk attachment and stick it in the freezer along with a stainless steel bowl. My grandma always told me that this was the crucial step to perfecting whipped cream, and I believe her.

2. When the cream is ready (you'll probably need to taste test this once or twice), remove the larger leaves, then pour the cream through a sieve into the frozen mixing bowl. Add the mascarpone before whipping the whole thing until peaks form. The mascarpone will keep the cream from becoming too stiff.

At this point you can either serve it immediately or refrigerate it until dessert time, up to 2 hours or so. After that, someone is going to eat it right out of the fridge. If you can save some till morning, I've heard it tastes great on an omelette full of fresh herbs. If!

mexican chocolate cake

mexican chocolate cake, originally uploaded by isabelle gr.

I am not a chocolate eating maniac, but I can appreciate the need for a special cake now and then. I made this little extravagance as a present for Chad and Emily when we had dinner at their house recently.

The amazing recipe comes from chef Rebecca Rather, courtesy of Epicurious. I did little to change it, except adding a bit more cinnamon and a dash of cayenne to the batter; and substituting coffee for water. The outcome of these three adjustments is simply to turn up the volume on an already good flavor: cocoa. I also took other reviewers' advice and dusted the inside of my buttered cake pan with cocoa powder rather than flour, which just makes you feel decadent.

Same goes for the pecan-laden glaze. By the time I got to glazing, I felt like this recipe may cause riots, fits, hysteria, and fainting. I did not bother to spread the glaze gracefully over the Bundt pan; I let gravity do the work.

By the end of the evening, I was surprise at how easily and quickly it all came together, how the outrageous ingredients mellowed, and how satisfying a slim slice with one or two pecans tasted as we talked and laughed and sipped wine in the kitchen of Chad and Emily's cozy new home.