Recipe: My Attempt at Æbleskiver

Two weeks ago me and my mom were browsing Williams-Sonoma, and I spotted that they have Æbleskiver pans for sale. I've never heard of Æbleskiver, but since I grew up in Taiwan, we have something similar, but salty instead of sweet, and it's called Takoyaki. Takoyaki is a yummy Japanese dumpling with chopped octopus bits and other goodness in it, and they can be made using the same pan. So I ordered a pan on Amazon.com (because it can produce 14 Æbleskiver at once, instead of the one I saw in the store which can only make 7 at a time.)

I guess I really can't call mine Æbleskiver, since they doesn't have any apple in it. Plus I got lazy and used regular pancake mix, so they are more like pancake puffs. I failed twice before successfully made a batch of nice looking puffs! I found out the trick is that you really have to grease the pan well, no matter if it's nonstick or not, otherwise the puffs won't turn nicely.

Here is the material list:
1. an Æbleskiver pan (nonstick or cast iron; mine is nonstick)
2. 1 cup of regular pancake mix (I use the kind that only water is needed)
3. 3/4 cup milk
4. 1 whole egg
5. small marshmallows
6. bamboo skewers
7. nonstick cooking spray (or cooking oil for cast iron pan)
(make about 28 puffs)

Mix 2+3+4 all together to make the batter. On the gas/or electric stove (an induction stove won't work), heat up the pan over medium heat and give a generous dose of nonstick cooking spray. When the pan is well heated, pour batter into each cubby only a little more than half way full (because the batter will expand). Then I add one marshmallow into each one of them; you can also add jam or other stuff. After that it's only the matter of using two bamboo skewers to turn the puffs and get it well cooked. This is the most difficult part and hard for me to describe. But here is a teaching clip that I found really helpful:



Here are some photos of my process:





And then sprinkle some powdered sugar on top, and enjoy! :)