Ebelskivers

Are you still there? Are you still speaking to me? I understand if not.

Sometimes life gets in the way of blogging. You know what I mean??

Can I win you back with some delightful filled pancakes also known as ebelskivers? Oh, did I notice you perk up a bit? How about that I filled half with jam and half with a Nutella buttercream? Yes? OK. Good.

My sister bought me this fancy little pan for my birthday and I just adore it. It is so easy to use. The batter is really thin but it gives you a very light and fluffy "pancake" to fill. I used strawberry jam for a few and then made a delicious filling of Nutella, butter, and cream. FABULOUS!! These were gone in no time!

Ebelskivers
Source: Williams Sonoma
Yield: A ton

1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
1/2 Tbs. ground cinnamon
1 cup seedless berry jam
4 cups all-purpose flour
5 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. salt
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
3 eggs, lightly beaten
3 cups milk
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
About 5 Tbs. unsalted butter, melted

In a small bowl, combine the confectioners' sugar and cinnamon. Transfer to a mesh sugar shaker. Fit a pastry bag with a plain round tip and fill with the jam. Set aside.

In a bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, salt and brown sugar. In another bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk and vanilla. Whisk the egg mixture into the flour mixture until smooth.

Put 1/4 tsp. butter in each well of a filled-pancake pan. Set over medium heat and heat until the butter begins to bubble. Pour 2 Tbs. of the batter into each well. Cook until the bottoms are golden brown and crispy, 3 to 5 minutes. Using 2 wooden skewers, turn the pancakes over and cook until golden and crispy, about 3 minutes more. Transfer to a plate. Repeat with the remaining batter.

Using the tip of the pastry bag, pierce one side of each pancake and pipe jam into the center. Dust the pancakes with the confectioners' sugar mixture and serve immediately. Makes 55 pancakes.

A Decade

I watched my mother die. I was 19 and the process was slow. She held on to life so dearly. She wanted to see the grandson she had been waiting to meet (he was born 14 days later). She wanted to be sure that it was OK to let go, to be sure that her husband and her three children would be OK. Eventually, either she grew tired of holding on or she knew that we would be OK. She died late at night and it was pouring rain.

Do you know what that did to me? It changed me. Forever. For the first few years it just made me sad and mad. I couldn’t (and still don’t) understand why it happened to her. To us. She was a good woman and the best mother. I was always able to deal with my sadness, anger and confusion through words, spoken and written. I always kept a journal. I would visit her grave on April 10th and on Mother’s Day with the journal and write until my hands cramped. I have always talked openly about her death. Now, a decade later, her death has left me with a raw and honest passion. I want to educate people. I want to make a difference.

It is so frustrating to watch people with a “passion” which is really just self fulfillment. Don’t drink the Kool Aid kids! Think outside of the box about education. Every single person needs education regarding cancer. Not just the wealthy. Not just the poor. Not just young or old, male or female. All. This isn’t about you as the volunteer. This is about helping, educating, and changing the world.

Hug your moms, your aunts and your sisters. Let them know you love them. I still let my mother know I love her, everyday.