Strawberry-Buttermilk Ebelskivers with Almond-Honey Glaze

** Special equipment needed: Ebelskiver pan and wooden skewers or chopsticks.

For the filling, combine the strawberries and 1/2 teaspoon of sugar in a small bowl. Set aside until ready to use.

To make the glaze, combine almond butter, honey, and 1/4 cup of hot tap water in a separate, small bowl. Whisk until smooth, adding more water to thin it out if you like, and set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. In a separate, smaller bowl, whisk together egg yolks, then add the buttermilk, melted butter, and vanilla (if using). Add the wet mixture to the dry and stir until well-blended. The batter will be rather lumpy.

In a clean bowl, beat the egg whites with an electric mixer on high speed until stiff, but make sure to not beat them too long as you don’t want dry peaks to form. Using a spatula, carefully fold about 1/3 of the whites into the batter to lighten it, then fold the rest in until no white streaks remain. Use the batter right away.

Heat the ebelskiver pan over medium heat and rub some butter in each cavity. When the butter begins to bubble, quickly put about 1 Tablespoon of batter in each spot, followed by 1 teaspoon of filling, then add another 1 Tablespoon or so of batter. When the sides begin to bubble and look a bit dry (like a pancake ready to flip), turn each ebelskiver over by manuvering it down and around with a pair of wooden skewers. (After a few flips, you’ll be a pro.) Continue to cook until the other sides are golden brown. Transfer to a large plate or platter and repeat with remaining batter and filling.

Serve with a drizzle of almond-honey glaze and some fresh fruit, if desired.

Makes about 21 pancakes.

Notes:
1. If you’re “making” your own buttermilk by adding lemon juice or vinegar to milk, reduce the quantity in this recipe by about 1/4 cup. Commercial buttermilk is substantially thicker than homemade, even after an acid has been added.
2. This version is also good with mashed banana as the filling. Or chocolate chips.