Poffertjes

Poffertjes (pronounced|pɔfəɹcəs) are a traditional Dutch batter treat. Poffertjes look like tiny pancakes, but they are much sweeter. In contrast with pancakes, poffertjes are turned before one side is completely done, which results in a much softer core than pancakes have. Typically, poffertjes are served with powdered sugar and butter.

Poffertjes are not hard to prepare but a special pan is needed. This is a special cast-iron or copper pan also available in aluminium with teflon-coating with several shallow indentations in the bottom.In large restaurants, special plates are often used to prepare poffertjes. Restaurant chefs are quite skilled in turning the almost baked poffertjes with a fork.

Ingredients

* 420 g of self-raising flour
* 1 litre milk
* 3 eggs
* pinch of salt and a teaspoon of vanilla essence
* yeast

Instructions

* Dissolve the yeast in some milk.
* Put the flour through a sieve, make a small hole in the middle of flour and pour the milk with yeast into it.
* Starting in the center add the remainder of the milk, meanwhile whirling the batter. Finally add the egg.
* Put the batter away for 30 minutes.

* Place the pan on the stove and grease the pan with butter when it's hot. Add a little bit of batter to each hollow, only filling them half way.
* Just before the topside of the poffertjes is completely dry, turn it over. It should let go easily. Wait till the other side also has a nice golden brown color.
* Put them on a plate and dust them with the powdered sugar, till they are completely covered with sugar, and put a small piece of butter on top, this should melt.
* Serve immediately.

Variation

"Poffertjes" can also be baked without yeast and thus without the waiting time, but some would say that they do not taste as nice.

Supermarkets also stock mixes for "poffertjes", to which only the eggs and milk need to be added. Usually they contain some kind of leavening agent, like baking powder to prevent the issue mentioned above.

They can also be served with other sweet garnishes, such as stroop (molasses), slagroom (whipped cream) or aardbeien (strawberries), for added tastiness.

Served with strawberries and cream they are known as 'Poffertjes à la Bill Clinton' in honour of his visit to Delft.

Originate

Poffertjes were originally made to be served as a form of host in a Dutch abbey. During the French revolution the monks, faced with a shortage of wheat flour, started making the batter with buck-wheat flour instead, and the result was a thicker and even tastier host. As in many monasteries at the time, the friars traded goods with market sellers and merchants, and when they tasted this new type of host they immediately saw its commercial potential. They bought the recipe from its creators and ordered a blacksmith to make a furnace with 200 small hollows on the top plate on which they began making what they dubbed little friars. The noise of air escaping from the little friars when they were done however, soon had people calling them "poffertjes".

External links

* [http://www.gelskitchen.com/view/recipes/rec/10260/-/ Traditional Dutch Poffertje Recipe] .

ee also

*Æbleskiver, a similar Danish dish.
*Paniyaram, a similar dish from the south of India that comes in sweet and savoury varieties.
*Takoyaki, a similar Japanese dish that is savoury.