Ebel-sk-what?

A trip to Williams-Sonoma last weekend led to a new chef's knife and an Ebelskiver Pan. The knife was for me - the pan was for my husband. Mr. Charlestown Culinary had just finished watching a special on the Food Network that featured the Danish stuffed pancakes and couldn't wait to have his own.

I followed the batter recipe that came with the pan. For the filling I used mashed bananas, chopped macadamia nuts and chocolate chips. Finished with powdered sugar and syrup, these stuffed pancakes were decadent and delicious.

Williams-Sonoma's Recipe for Ebelskiver Batter:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
4 eggs, separated
2 cups milk
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. In a small bowl, light beat the egg yolks, then whisk in the milk and melted butter. Whisk the yolk mixture into the flour mixture until well combined; the batter will be lumpy.

In another bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the egg whites on high speed until stiff but not dry peaks form, 2-3 minutes. Using a rubber spatula, gently stir the whites into the batter.

Directions for Cooking Ebelskivers:

Put 1/4 teaspoon butter in each well of the pan. Set over medium heat and heat until the butter begins to bubble. Pour 1 tablespoon of batter into each well. Put 1 tablespoon of the filling in the center of each pancake then top with 1 tablespoon of batter. Cook until the bottom is golden brown and the pancake starts to bubble. Using wooden skewers or chopsticks, flip the pancakes over and cook for an additional 3 minutes until golden brown. Transfer to a plate and repeat with remaining batter and filling. Makes about 40.