Thursday, December 23, 2010

Aebelskiver Cookware

Aebleskivers (or Ebelskivers) are small spherical donuts similar to what we might "donut holes" in the United States.  Aebleskivers have been eaten by the dutch for generations.  Traditionally the donuts might be dipped in a jam or sprinkled with sugar, although today many are commonly stuffed with apple pieces.  Throughout the world,people make donuts similar to the aeblskiver.  Some cultures form them as the Danish do while others deep fry them like in the United States.  One thing is certain, whatever form you use to cook them, they are fun to eat.
While many traditional donut recipes deep fry well, our allergy-friendly version does not.  To make many of the donut or Aebleskiver recipes we offer on our website, you will need an Aebleskiver pan.  There are a number of vendors so I thought that I would give you a review of two with which I am familiar:

Aebleskiver Pan by SCI/Scandicrafts, Inc., sold at Cooking.com
Put plain and simple, I like the price of this pan.  For someone who wants to try making Aebleskivers, this is a great starter pan.  Having said that, I have two concerns that I must mention.  1- This pan is made of cast iron.  Although cast iron cooks and heats wonderfully, when using it with rice flour, the donut has a tendency to stick.  By using more oil, properly seasoning and caring for the pan, this problem can be minimized.  2- Cast Iron pans often come from the factory pre-sesoned using a soy, corn or vegetable oil.  Without contacting the company directly to find out this information, I can not recommend this product with good conscience.  Having said this, if these oils are not a problem for you, it would be worth trying this product.  Cooking.com has an exceptional return policy.  If you find that the pan is sticking and not working well with the rice flour batter, you can always return it.

Ebelskiver Pan by Nordicware, sold at Williams-Sonoma.com
This is the pan that I use at home.  The non-stick coating ensures a smooth texture so I do not have to worry about the rice flour batter sticking. However, the price of this pan is a draw-back for those who have not bought into the world of Ebelskiver making.  For this reason, I don't recommend this pan for everyone.

Regardless of which pan you choose, the creative cook will find their Aebleskiver pan regularly on the stovetop.

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