This weekend I went back to my Dutch roots and made ‘poffertjes’. Poffertjes are a Dutch specialty, mostly served at fairs or pancake restaurants but you can also make them at home. They’re a bit like pancakes but way smaller, thicker and sweeter. Not like the American pancakes one has for breakfast either. They are served with real butter (no low fat crap) and powdered sugar. I usually add a bit of liquor as well, like Cointreau, Amaretto Disaronno or Mandarine Napoléon. Here’s a snapshot of what was on my plate:
(click thumbnail for larger size image)
Apparently originally poffertjes were made in a monastry serving as the consecrated wafer served in Roman Catholic church. At that time they were made from a different kind of flour. During the French revolution, there was a shortage of this flour and alternatives were sought. The monks also traded their products with traveling traders. Those sometimes attended mass and recieved the hostie. They convinced the monks to sell them the recipe and had a blacksmith make them a special four. The recipe was sold to different traders and they all made their own improvements to the original recipe.
Although it’s possible to make the dough yourself, I usually use a ‘poffertjes mix’:
That way, I only need to add water, eggs and sugar. You also need a special pan, either a non stick pan:
or a cast aluminium pan:
Apparently Dutch poffertjes are related to Danish Aebleskiver.
Further reading:
Aebleskiver and Poffertjes
Poffertjes (small puffers)
Poffertjes (traditional version)
Poffertjes (tiny pancakes)
Recipe cottage: Poffertjes
Poffertjes
Poffertjeskraam (in English)
Aebleskiver (Poffertjes)–best recipe and links
Aebleskiver recipes
Poffertjes (in Dutch)
February 2nd, 2004 | 
Close to Christmas – each year the whole family gathers around Aebleskiver and Glügg (Glühwein).
That’s our danish tradition.
I tried these once at a friend’s place here in Canada, and was instantly addicted.
I’m not sure how authentic they were (she served them with a berry sauce), but I certainly indulged in “several”.
It’s a bit sacrilegious but I’ve used my poffertje pan for baking snails too!
Aaaah… poffertjes – one of my best memories from my years working in Holland are definitely the poffertjes. Espacially snowed down in powdered sugar, eh..?
Wish they’d sell them in London…
Happy blogging!
I really should find that shop here that provides Dutch food and stuff…
That’s the most amazing pan I have ever seen. Can you make anything with it apart from poffertjes? Perhaps I can get one and just live on poffertjes. Though it might be interesting to put something different in each bit and fry them all at once.
Yes, yes.They’re delicious .. and home made.
So, let’s write a poem, called ” St. Morgaine’s Poffertjes Breakfast”.
I can’t.
Could you do that?
Looks yummy. I’m a total pancake fan, so I have to check the links for recipes. Would like to try that!
Last week I saw a stall selling poffertjes, standing in the city centre of Ghent. First time I noticed that in Belgium…