Showing posts with label breakfast recipe. Show all posts
Showing posts with label breakfast recipe. Show all posts

Sunday, March 6, 2016

Middle Eastern Breakfast: Pita, Fool and Labneh


Sometimes as the end of the day approaches, I need a family meal everyone will enjoy and will make enough for my hungry crew. Getting everyone around the table at the same time, from the pickiest eaters, to the hungriest among us, is also a challenge. For all these reasons, I am a huge fan of breakfast for dinner.

Of course, breakfast for dinner doesn't just mean pancakes, waffles or frittata. This past month I was thrilled to have had a glimpse at a few items often found on a Middle Eastern breakfast table. We tried pita bread, fool and labneh.

For my March Secret Recipe Club reveal, I was matched up with Sawsan from Chef in Disquise. Looking through her blog recipes I flipped at all the amazing recipes I haven't tried or even heard of before. Her Egyptian Layered Pastry (Feteer meshaltet) sounds amazing, as do her Macarons with Biscoff filling. But it was breakfast that really caught my eye. She had a gorgeous 3 part breakfast series with an amazing spread of items typical for a weekend breakfast.

It was like taking a culinary trip around the world, minus the jet lag!

Now, Sawsan mentions that the staples of hummus, fool and falafel are often available for purchase at a local restaurant, bright and early, for weekend meals. Since I don't have access to my own favorite neighborhood restaurant, I had the opportunity to make them for myself. Most of the work was passive time, rising and simmering away. As we got closer to dinner time, everything came together pretty quickly.


My biggest challenge was just hunting down the ingredients I needed. I felt very "small town" America when I tried to hunt down fava beans. Though I have grown my own in the garden, I had a hard time finding them canned or dried in my grocery stores. I was finally able to find some in the city at Whole Foods in the dry bulk section. I also had good luck finding things like zataar on amazon.com.

By the way, if you have never tried zataar before, pictured below, it is amazing! It is a Middle Eastern spice blend with differing balances of thyme, oregano, marjaram, sesame seeds, etc. It is wonderful with the labneh or mixed with olive oil for dipping bread.


Labneh is one I had to try, I have often heard of "yogurt cheese" but this was unique. Drained for several hours then hand rolled into balls, it is stored in olive oil. I knew immediately I wanted to try this one with fresh yogurt.

Labneh Balls
recipe from Chef in Disguise

You Will Need:

  • 2 c. plain yogurt or greek yogurt
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • olive oil to cover the balls
Stir together the salt and yogurt. Drain the yogurt with cheesecloth for 3-5 hours or overnight in the fridge. Put a small amount of olive oil on your fingers and form uniform balls, about a tablespoon in size. I used a small melon baller to achieve consistent sizes. Store in an airtight jar covered with olive oil. Make sure the top of the balls are covered with the oil.




Then of course I had to make fresh pita to go with the labneh and fool! Pita is very easy to make and I have made it before, but this recipe has an addition of honey and is very easy to follow.




Pita Bread
recipe from Chef in Disguise

You Will Need:

  • 2 1/2 tsp. dry yeast
  • 1/2 c. warm water
  • 1 tsp. sugar
  • 1 Tbsp. honey
  • 4 - 4 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
  • 2 Tbsp. olive oil
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 3 Tbsp. powdered milk
  • 1 1/2 c. lukewarm water
First, proof the yeast by combining the yeast, 1/2 cup warm water, sugar and honey in a bowl. If the yeast is active it will bubble up in a few minutes.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, olive oil, salt and powdered milk. Use your fingers to rub in all the oil till well mixed.

Then create a well in the middle of the bowl and add the proofed yeast and 1 cup of lukewarm water. Mix to bring the dough together (with a wooden spoon or in a stand mixer).

Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and begin to work the dough. Slowly add more water (from the reserved 1/2 cup) as necessary. Knead till a smooth and elastic dough has formed.

Place the worked dough into a large oil coated bowl. Turn the dough to coat lightly with oil. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise till doubled in size.

Preheat the oven to 520 degrees and move the rack to the lowest position. Place a baking sheet into the oven during preheating.

Divide the dough into small portions. Mine were a little larger than a golf  ball. I like smaller pita pockets. Let these rest under a damp towel for about 10 - 15 minutes.

Once they have rested, roll out to thin circles of dough (3-4 mm). Then cover again with a damp cloth to rest for another 10 minutes.

Carefully place the dough,  on the baking sheet. Be careful to lay it on the hot baking sheet without folding or crimping. The hot baking sheet and hot oven will create the dough to puff up as steam is trapped inside the dough. Bake for 2 - 5 minutes, then flip and bake for another 1 - 2 minutes.

Remove from the own and place under a clean dry towel. The bread will stay pliable if kept covered.

Repeat the steps with the remaining pita dough. Once cooled, place in storage bags and use within 2-5 days.

Also, if you only want to make a few at a time, pinch off what you need and store the remaining dough in the fridge.




Fool (or Fool Medames)
recipe from Chef in Disguise

Fool is a dip of cooked fava beans and a very filling addition to the breakfast foods. I started my recipe from dried beans because it was all I had access to. Sawsan's recipe begins with a can of already cooked fava beans. If you need to start with dry, too, start with this step:

Rinse and soak 1 pound fava beans the night before. Cover the beans with warm water and 1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar. The next day drain and rinse the beans. Simmer them for 4-6 hours covered, on low till tender.

Then you can continue with the recipe....


You Will Need:

  • cooked fava beans
  • 1 clove garlic minced *optional
  • 1 medium tomato, chopped finely
  • 1 lemon juiced 
  • 1 Tbsp. tahini *optional
  • 1/4 c. mint leaves chopped
Heat the fava beans, cooking liquid (or remaining liquid in the can) and garlic till it comes to a boil. Turn it down to a simmer. Take off the heat and mash the beans coarsely. Stir in the tomatoes, lemon juice, tahini and mint leaves. Drizzle the top with olive oil and garnish with a little more chopped tomato.

Fool can be used as a spread in the pita with tomato and cucmber slices.




Now that is my idea of breakfast for dinner! I hope this inspired you to try some of these recipes. This was my first time and it was a lot of fun.

Be sure to check out the whole blog, Chef in Disguise, for more wonderful recipes and Middle Eastern cuisine as well as beautiful baked goods and other treats.



Andrea
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Thursday, April 30, 2015

Raisin Cinnamon Swirl French Toast


Happy National Raisin Week!

What? You didn't know it was National Raisin Week? Well, from May 1st - May 7th there is a little extra raisin love going around. Jumping on that trend, I am here kicking of this sweet week with 10 other food bloggers. Be sure to check out all the links at the end of my post.


When trying to think of a great raisin recipe to share, I thought about my childhood. Sometimes growing up, but not often, a loaf of raisin cinnamon swirl bread would end up in our grocery bag. It was sweet, cinnamon-rich perfection. I loved to enjoy a slice toasted with lots of butter.

I was never one to just snack on raisins, but in certain dishes, I loved them! Besides the sweet bread, I also thought they were amazing in the bottom of my Mom's rice pudding. And my Mom's giant oatmeal raisin cookies? I couldn't get enough of them.

As I was making this bread I realized that my son, almost 2, hadn't tried raisins before. I wasn't sure what he was going to think of them - he is currently in that picky toddler phase. But, since he loves all breads right now, I hoped he would at least give it a taste test.

This bread was simple to make, in fact, I let my bread machine do all the hard work for me. I added all the ingredients to my dough pan, set it on dough cycle and went off to do other things (you can find the recipe below)


After the dough has been kneaded and goes through an initial rise in the bread machine, it is ready to come out and to be filled and rolled.

 Instead of the usual brown sugar and butter paste, I used King Arthur's Baker's Cinnamon Filling since it is much thicker. I was trying to cut down on excess moisture that might cause my roll to have gaps. Then I plumped up my raisins in a little warm water and drained off the excess before adding them to the top of my rolled out dough.


Little excess moisture and a tight roll really help this bread to form a nice solid loaf.


Then I placed my roll into a baking pan sprayed with non-stick spray to rise for a final hour.


The finished loaf came out with a nice swirl of cinnamon and raisins.

Now, I could have stopped there. I could have sliced up my loaf and had it toasted and buttered like the good 'ole days. But, no. I wanted to really have some fun with it. I sliced my loaf and then let them dry slightly on a sheet pan at 200 degrees.

I mixed up a simple French Toast batter with eggs, milk, sugar and vanilla, then dipped my slices and pan seared them to a nice golden brown. Topped with a little pure maple syrup... and a few more raisins, my Raisin Cinnamon Swirl French Toast was a big hit with the family.

Yes, even the picky toddler enjoyed a big plate of this French Toast. And you know, he picked out every raisin to eat first!


Raisin Cinnamon Swirl French Toast

Bread machine Raisin Cinnamon Swirl Bread

(2 lb. loaf) You will Need:

  • 1/3 c. water, room temp.
  • 1 c. buttermilk, room temp.
  • 3 Tbsp. unsalted butter, cubed
  • 1/3 c. sugar
  • 4 1/2 c. bread flour
  • 1 Tbsp. + 1 tsp. gluten
  • 1 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 2 1/2 tsp. SAF yeast
  • 1/4 c. baker's cinnamon filling
  • 1 Tbsp. water
  • 1/4 c. raisins + more for serving
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1/3 c. milk
  • 1 tsp. nutmeg
  • 1 tsp. sugar
  • 1 tsp. butter for brushing the top of the loaf

Place the first 8 ingredients in your bread machine, in the order suggested by your machine's manual. Set the machine for the dough cycle and let the dough rise once inside the machine.

When the dough is nearing the end of the cycle, place the raisins in a cup with hot water and allow them to plump up for at least 5 minutes. Prepare the cinnamon filling by mixing the Baker's Cinnamon Filling with 1 tablespoon water to create a thick paste.

Flour your work space sparingly, or use a rolling mat and rolling pin. Roll the dough out to a 12" by 24" rectangle. Smear the cinnamon filling evenly over the top and sprinkle with the plumped raisins. Starting at one end, tightly roll up the dough into a log. Pinch the seam and place the roll seam side down in a greased loaf pan. Cover with kitchen wrap and a tea towel and let the loaf rise till it is almost to the top of the loaf pan.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Brush the top of the loaf with 1 teaspoon butter. Bake the bread for 30 - 35 minutes, tent lightly with foil if the top starts to brown too quickly. Let the loaf cool completely before slicing

For French Toast

Slice the loaf of bread and allow the pieces to dry overnight or for about 45 minutes to an hour in a 200 degree oven

Heat a griddle or cast iron skillet to medium heat with a little bit of butter.

Whisk together the egg, milk, nutmeg and sugar to form the batter. Let each slice soak up a little of the egg mixture before cooking in a pan till golden brown. Flip and brown on the opposite side.

Serve with pure maple syrup and a handful of raisins.

Enjoy!


For more delicious recipes featuring raisins for National Raisin Week, visit a few of my favorite blogs:

Andrea
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Tuesday, April 14, 2015

DIY Apple Pie Spice - Apple Cinnamon Steel Cut Oats


This might seem like an out of place Fall recipe post, but I just had to share one of my favorite breakfasts this past week. Spring brings a combination of crisp morning weather and warmer afternoons. The floor downstairs are still cold on our toes and slippers add to us being able to venture forth from our carpeted upstairs to face the day.

Once Summer hits, and berries are in season locally, I will be filling my breakfast bowl with fresh berries, granola and yogurt. But, for now, I am still needing a warm and filling breakfast. This Apple Cinnamon Steel Cut Oat bowl is perfect.

It is also the perfect way to get back into the Daring Cook's monthly challenges. For the month of April, Sawsan from Chef in disguise challenged us to spice things up by making our own spice blends from scratch. Now, I make some of my own spice blends; dry ranch seasoning, taco seasoning, and Italian Seasoning, but there are still several mixes that I buy.

I know right? Why spend the extra money, right?


Well, this was a great nudge in the DIY direction to have me create my own Apple Pie Spice. My kids love this sprinkled over sauteed apples for their pancakes or just by the spoonful.

I have a lot of work to do on my poor neglected herb garden, but I hope to have enough to dry this Summer and Fall so I can make even more of our own mixes.


So this mix is really quite simple. Just whisk it up and store in an airtight container like a small Mason Jar.

Apple Pie Spice

You Will Need:

  • 4 Tbsp. ground cinnamon
  • 2 tsp. ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 tsp. ground allspice
  • 1/4 tsp. ground cloves
  • 1 tsp. ground ginger
  • 1 1/2 tsp. ground cardamom
Whisk together and store in an air tight container.



Like I said, this is such an easy breakfast, yes, steel cut oats take a few minutes to simmer, but while you have that cooking go ahead and simmer some fresh apples with the Apple Pie Spice, brown sugar and a dab of butter.

Apple Cinnamon Steel Cut Oats

You Will Need:

  • 1 apple, chopped
  • 1 tsp. unsalted butter
  • 2 Tbsp. brown sugar
  • 2 tsp. Apple Pie Spice
  • 1 Tbsp. boiled cider
  • steel cut oats, cooked according to package directions
In a skillet, heat the butter, brown sugar and apple pie spice. Toss with the chopped apples and boiled cider. Simmer gently until apples are tender. Serve over steel cut oats.



Enjoy! 




Andrea
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Friday, January 23, 2015

Waking up My Creativity with Bigelow Tea

 This Bigelow #AmericasTea shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #CollectiveBias



Motherhood is a 24/7 kinda job and it seems like there are never enough hours to get everything done, let alone squeeze in some moments of creativity for myself. 2015 is going to be my year to carve out a few minutes in each day to spend with my thoughts, ideas and creative pursuits.

Since the baby no longer wakes me up in the wee hours of the morning, I set my alarm to go off 30 minutes earlier. In the early morning the house is all mine. My only distractions are the cats looking for their breakfast.


One of my goals is to get more of time to finish a few in-progress knitting projects that have been haunting me for over a year and also tackle the crochet hook. I do better when I can concentrate and focus on the clack of the needles and rhythm of knit and purl. It is a refreshing way to start the day.

This week as I sat down to the Basketweave Baby Blanket pattern with a cup of American Breakfast from Bigelow Tea and an Egg and Sausage Breakfast muffin. I made a whole batch of breakfast muffins I froze ahead for quick fuel for the ahead. 

The tea is a new find, an enjoyable way to greet the day with 50% more caffeine in every tea bag. Because it contains the natural compound Theanine, I not only start my day with a little caffeine boost, but I also feel relaxed and ready to follow my creativity.


I was already a fan of Bigelow Tea, but the American Breakfast Black Tea and Black Tea and Honey are a new fun alternative to my morning cup of coffee. It was a great find at my local Walmart in the tea aisle. Just look for the red, white and blue packaging. 


Tea is my favorite way to start the day, but now I can also get that little extra boost my morning needs. Just enough to help me be ready when the kids start coming downstairs and my "Me Time" is over.

And as added incentive, Bigelow tea is giving back a portion of the proceeds from their American Breakfast Tea line purchase to support our U.S. service men and women. That is something my morning cup of inspiration usually can't boast. Learn more about the Tea for Troops program Bigelow has.


Of course, having a ready-made breakfast to go along with that perfect cup of tea also helps my morning run more smoothly. I make these Egg and Sausage Breakfast muffins at home in a big batch to pull out of the freezer as needed.


I like to cook my eggs fast, but keep them uniform. I used a whoopie pie pan and broke the yolks on each egg. You could also use ramekins or jumbo muffin tins, whatever you have on hand is fine. Bake them for around 25 minutes, or until they are cooked through.


After the eggs have cooked, I remove them from the pan and use the same pan to portion out and mold my sausage patties. I like a nice spicy breakfast sausage to add flavor to my breakfast muffin.


Then I toast the English muffins and lay them all out, assembly line style. I folded in the cheese corners so it doesn't make too much of a mess. Can you tell I like cheese? These breakfast muffins have both Provolone on the bottom and Colby Jack on top.


Egg and Sausage Breakfast Muffins

You will need:

  • 12 eggs
  • non-stick spray
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 12 English Muffins
  • Breakfast Sausage, formed into 12 patties
  • 12 slices of Provolone Cheese
  • 12 slices of Colby Jack Cheese

Start by preheating the oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a whoppie pie pan with non-stick spray. Crack one egg into each well and break the yolk with the tip of a knife or fork. Season with salt and pepper. Bake for about 25 minutes, or until the egg is cooked through.

Toast the English muffins and set the bottom halves out on a baking tray. Set the tops aside. Place a slice of Provolone Cheese on each muffin half. 

When the eggs are done, remove them from the pan and place on the muffins Use the pan as a guide to form your sausage patties. Cook the sausage patties through and place onto the muffin halves.

Top with Colby Jack Cheese and the other half of the muffin. 

Wrap each breakfast muffin in a deli sheet. The Deli sheets come in a handy size for wrapping, or cut parchment paper will also work. Wrap by folding over one corner, then the sides, and last fold over the front. Place all wrapped breakfast muffins in a freezer bag.

To reheat, microwave a sandwich for about a minute wrapped. Then open up the wrapper and open the sandwich in half and heat for another 30 seconds, or until the egg and sausage are warmed through. 

Enjoy!


Now with those extra few minutes and added focus from my morning caffeine, I decided to make myself a new mug for 2015. Have you seen the cute Sharpie dot monograms on Pinterest? Well, after looking at a few of those I wanted to make myself a "Mom" mug for the morning.

The first things I grabbed were a blank white mug and some oil based Sharpies. 


With the Silhouette Cameo I cut "Mom" out of stencil material and then began dotting all around my cut-out. Really, does it get any easier?


I used 4 colors of the Sharpie oil markers. Then peeled off my stencil and baked the mug at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. I let the mug cool for a few hours before washing and using it. I am not sure that craft projects get much easier than this.

I just love how it turned out! You better believe people in my life will be getting their own Sharpie dot mug this year as a gift.


Can one cup of American Breakfast tea make me more productive? Only time will tell... So far, at least, I have a freezer full of breakfast muffins and a new mug to enjoy my Bigelow Tea favorites in. I consider that a win.



What would you do with more time for creativity?
Andrea
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Wednesday, November 26, 2014

Cranberry Orange Syrup with Orange Poppy Seed Belgian Waffles


Got cranberries?

This time of year I make fresh cranberry sauce, cranberry orange bread and even cranberry muffins and scones... but have you ever made cranberry orange syrup to go over Orange Poppy seed Belgian Waffles? I highly recommend it.

Cranberry is one of the simple holiday flavors that I look forward to every year. I enjoy getting a bag of locally grown Oregon cranberries, but wanted to make something different this year.

Fresh syrup is so simple, but oh, so good.


I started out by throwing a cup and a half of fresh, firm and tart cranberries into a 2 quart crock pot. What can I say, they matched! 

I didn't have a lot of free time - with the holiday meal prep going on, so this was perfect to let simmer away overnight. I added some sugar and orange peel as well.


The next day I just needed to strain the berries, thicken the syrup and adjust according to my tastes. I don't mind my syrup having a little tartness to it.

These cool little bottles I found through zulily. I really want to find more for gifting.


Then I whipped up a batch of Orange Poppy Seed Belgian Waffles from scratch and smothered them in my new syrup.

My 7 year old licked his plate. They were that good.

But, don't take my word for it. If you have any extra cranberries, give this little recipe a try. Who knows, you might find a new love in this tart, fresh syrup.


Cranberry Orange Syrup

You Will Need:

  • 1 1/2 c. fresh cranberries
  • 2 c. water
  • 1 c. sugar
  • peel of 1 orange
  • 2 Tbsp. cornstarch

Place  the cranberries, water, sugar and orange peel in a 2 quart slow cooker on low for 8 - 10 hours or overnight. In the morning strain the liquid, smashing the berries against the strainer to release all juice. 

Place in a small saucepan and add water to the cornstarch to dissolve and lumps. Add to the cranberry juice and whisk as the syrup comes up to a simmer. This is a great time to taste your syrup and add more sugar if necessary. When it begins to thicken turn on low until ready to serve.


Orange Poppy Seed Belgian Waffles

You Will Need:

  • 1 3/4 c. all-purpose flour
  • 2 tsp. baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp. baking soda
  • 3 Tbsp. sugar
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1 Tbsp. poppy seeds
  • zest of 1 orange
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1/2 c. unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 1/2 c. buttermilk
  • 1 Tbsp. fresh squeezed orange juice
Start by preheating your waffle iron.

Whisk together the dry ingredients. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients and add to the dry. Stir till the dry ingredients are moistened through. Let the batter sit for 20 minutes.

Cook the waffles according to your waffle iron's instructions. Serve immediately with Cranberry Orange Syrup.




Mmm... such a simple way to enjoy the flavors of the season. And my whole house smelled divine during the process.

How do you use cranberries? Any creative recipe ideas?

Andrea
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Saturday, September 20, 2014

Caramelized Banana Aebleskivers - A New Breakfast Favorite!


Whether you call them aebleskivers, ebelskivers, filled pancakes or something else. These little filled delights are simple, delicious and amazingly easy to customize. I finally got around to getting my own little aebleskiver pan, a simple cast iron pan from Lodge. Seasoned it, like my other cast iron pans, and then went to work on finding the perfect fillings for our.

One big hit I was excited to share is this caramelized banana filled aebleskiver. Perfect for our weekend family breakfasts. Now, you could go one step farther and add rum for a bananas foster filling, but I think the banana and brown sugar combo is just perfect for our family.

With 3 small children pancakes and breakfast for dinner is always a hit. With aebleskivers I can do another pancake night while still keeping it fun and different. With a simple batter, you could customize them to fit your family.


To start with this easy caramelized banana filling was a hit with everyone in my family. ...and a fabulous way to use up some bananas that were starting to brown on the counter.


The other little tweak I added for my aebleskivers was to make my batter slightly sweet with decadent little vanilla bean specks throughout. Yes, I am currently in love with my Nielsen Massey Vanilla Bean Paste. No more dried out bean pods in my cabinet!


So, you will need a good pan. You can find everything from the simple cast iron pans to non-stick and even electric versions.

I like cast iron. It needs a little more love and seasoning, but you can't beat the price and you know it will last for-ever.


Don't let turning scare you off. Just let them cook on one side... then with cooking chopsticks, skewers, knitting needles, etc. Flip them so the filling can ooze down and cook on the other side.

Filling gets dropped on top and it will magically end up baking inside the ball.


Then them brown all around then take them out and dust with a little powdered sugar or drizzle with warm maple syrup.

But, I like simple. The banana filling packs a lot of flavor and I just went with powdered sugar. What would you fill or top your aebleskivers with?


Caramelized Banana Aebleskivers

You Will Need:

  • 2 ripe bananas, sliced and quartered
  • 2 Tbsp. brown sugar
  • 2 Tbsp. + 2 tsp. + more butter for brushing the pan, unsalted
  • 2/3 c. all-purpose flour
  • 1/3 c. whole wheat flour
  • 1  tsp. sugar
  • 1/2 tsp. baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp. salt
  • 2 large eggs, separated and at room temperature
  • 1 c. milk (buttermilk or whatever you have on hand)
  • 1/2 tsp. vanilla bean paste
Place 1 tsp. butter in a cast iron pan over medium add the bananas and brown sugar.Let the sugar start to bubble and gently caramelize the bananas. Let the bananas soften slightly, then take off the heat and let the filling cool slightly while you prepare the pancake batter.

Start preheating your aebleskiver pan over medium heat and brush lightly with butter.

In a large bowl whisk together the dry ingredients. Melt the remaining 2 Tbsp. butter and add this, milk, egg yolk and vanilla bean paste to the batter. Stir just to combine. Whip the egg whites till fluffy, but just soft peaks. Fold the whites into the batter.

Fill the aebleskiver cups 3/4 full and spoon a tsp. or so of banana filling onto the top. With your turners (I like long skewers) check to see your aebleskivers are not sticking to the pan. Once the bottom has good color, start turning the cake. Let the batter flow down into the bottom to create a round aebleskiver.

When they are done all around, remove from the pan and dust with powdered sugar. Serve immediately.

Enjoy!


Andrea
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