Filled pancakes

How is your summer going? We are loving it here. My son has been asking me to make him "SNEHULKY" as he calls in Czech; the yummy filled pancakes. Snehulky is a made up the Czech word for small snow balls and it is perfect for what they are. I was introduced to this deliciousness by my old Czech friend Monika, here in California and it has become our weekend special treat since. They are called ebelskiver in Denmark and can be made sweet or savory. We make them with sweet fillings, usually bananas, blueberries and/or chocolate chips (of course!).   The are a perfect choice for  brunch, but trust me, your kids and grown ups will inhale them at any time. They are best when served warm. Let's get this whipping going!

You will need to get an ebelskiver pan first, but once you have it you will  not regret your purchase.  It usually comes with special utensils for turning, but I like to be frugal with money and use plain chop sticks. Kids love helping to fill the little wells and I think with Father's Day coming up, this can be a big hit for your family too.

Ingredients:

2 cups of all-purpose flour

1tsp. baking soda

1/2tsp salt

1 Tbs sugar

4 eggs, separated

2 cups of milk

4 Tbs unsalted butter, melted

plus extra for cooking

Fillings: you can use jam, peanut butter, chocolate chips, fruit, cup up chocolate bars, what ever your heart desires. We made them with ricotta, grated apple and cinnamon once and they were wonderful.

Directions:

In a bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar.
In a small bowl whisk the egg yolks and then whisk in the milk with melted butter. Combine the flour mixture with the eggs yolk until you create batter. Do not worry it is going to be a bit lumpy.
In another bowl, with electric mixer, beat the egg whites on high until stiff, for about 3mins.
Using rubber spatula, gently fold the egg whites into the batter. Do not over mix!!
Put 1/4 tsp. butter in each well of the ebelskiver pancake pan. Set over medium heat until butter begins to bubble but not burn.
Pour about 1 Tbs. batter into each well and right away put the filling of your choice in the center. Top it off with about 1Tbs. of batter. Cook until the bottom is golden and crispy, about 3-5 mins.
Using the chop sticks, flip the pancakes over and cook the other side.
For big parties, keep your oven on warm and put the pancakes in to keep them warm before serving them. Transfer to a plate and serve with maple syrup.

For purchasing Ebelskiver pancake pan go to:
http://www1.macys.com/shop/product/calphalon-simply-nonstick-ebelskiver-pan-puff-pancake-pan?ID=571762&cm_mmc=Google_Feed_pla_pe-_-adtype-pla-_-target-19586772875-_-kw-&gclid=CPXwrZTPwbACFQkaQgodiGyWWQ
or:
http://www.target.com/s/aebleskiver+pan#?ref=tgt_adv_XS000000&AFID=google&CPNG=kitchen&adgroup=cookware&LNM=Aebleskiver%20pan&MT=broad&LID=26p367163&KID=7d77a79c-2878-26a9-bb7a-0000540e38ca
or:
http://www.amazon.com/Nordic-Ware-Danish-Ebleskiver-Pan/dp/B00004RFPL