''Poffertjes'' () are a traditional

Dutch Dutch commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands * Dutch people () * Dutch language () Dutch may also refer to: Places * Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States * Pennsylvania Dutch Country People E ...

batter treat. Resembling small, fluffy

pancakes A pancake (or hotcake, griddlecake, or flapjack) is a flat cake, often thin and round, prepared from a starch-based batter that may contain eggs, milk and butter and cooked on a hot surface such as a griddle or frying pan, often frying wit ...

, they are made with yeast and buckwheat flour. Typically, ''poffertjes'' are a sweet treat, served with

powdered sugar Powdered sugar, also called confectioners' sugar, or icing sugar, is a finely ground sugar produced by milling granulated sugar into a powdered state. It usually contains between 2% and 5% of an anti-caking agent – such as corn starch, po ...

and

butter Butter is a dairy product made from the fat and protein components of churned cream. It is a semi-solid emulsion at room temperature, consisting of approximately 80% butterfat. It is used at room temperature as a spread, melted as a condiment ...

, and sometimes

syrup In cooking, a syrup (less commonly sirup; from ar, شراب; , beverage, wine and la, sirupus) is a condiment that is a thick, viscous liquid consisting primarily of a solution of sugar in water, containing a large amount of dissolved sugars ...

advocaat Advocaat or advocatenborrel is a traditional Dutch alcoholic beverage made from eggs, sugar, and brandy. The rich and creamy drink has a smooth, custard-like consistency. The typical alcohol content is generally between 14% and 20% ABV. Its co ...

. However, there is also a savoury variant with

gouda cheese Gouda (, , ; nl, Goudse kaas, "cheese from Gouda, South Holland, Gouda") is a sweet, creamy, yellow cow's milk cheese originating from the Netherlands. It is one of the most popular cheeses worldwide. The name is used today as a Generic tradema ...

History

''Poffertjes'', also known as 'brothers', originated from a Catholic tradition. In the churches in the south of the Netherlands, sacramental host was eaten during the communion ceremony. Because the host was very dry, the brothers started experimenting with different recipes. From these culinary experiments the ''poffertjes'' that we know today have emerged. The south of present-day Netherlands was traditionally Catholic, so the traditions deviated from the Protestant north. Because the host was part of a Catholic tradition, it is suspected that the ''poffertjes'' were created in the provinces of Limburg or North Brabant.

Servings

''Poffertjes'' are a festive holiday treat in the Netherlands, popular at both summer festivals and Christmas markets. Mainly in the winter season temporary stands selling ''poffertjes'' are quite popular and sell portions containing one or two dozen. Usually the cook prepares them fresh for the customer. They are sold on a small cardboard (sometimes plastic) plate and come with a small disposable fork the size of a

pastry fork A pastry fork, pie fork or cake fork is a fork designed for eating pastries and other desserts from a plate. The fork has three or four tines. The three-tine fork has a larger, flattened and beveled tine on the side while the four-tine fork has t ...

. ''Poffertjes'' are not difficult to prepare, but a special

cast iron Cast iron is a class of iron–carbon alloys with a carbon content more than 2%. Its usefulness derives from its relatively low melting temperature. The alloy constituents affect its color when fractured: white cast iron has carbide impuriti ...

pan or

copper Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu (from la, cuprum) and atomic number 29. It is a soft, malleable, and ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. A freshly exposed surface of pure copper has a pinkis ...

pan (also available in aluminium with Teflon coating) with several shallow indentations in the bottom is required. Almost all Dutch supermarkets (like Albert Heijn,

Lidl Lidl Stiftung & Co. KG (; ) is a German international discount retailer chain that operates over 11,000 stores across Europe and the United States. Headquartered in Neckarsulm, Baden-Württemberg, the company belongs to the Schwarz Group, whi ...

and Jumbo) sell ready-made ''poffertjes'' that only need to be microwaved, and are sold complete with a

sachet A sachet is a small scented cloth bag filled with herbs, potpourri, or aromatic ingredients.Oster, p. 54 A sachet is also a small porous bag or packet containing a material intended to interact with its atmosphere; for example, desiccants ...

of powdered sugar and a small serving of butter. Supermarkets also stock mixes for ''poffertjes'', to which only eggs and milk need to be added. Usually they contain a

leavening agent In cooking, a leavening agent () or raising agent, also called a leaven () or leavener, is any one of a number of substances used in doughs and batters that cause a foaming action (gas bubbles) that lightens and softens the mixture. An alterna ...

such as

baking powder Baking powder is a dry chemical leavening agent, a mixture of a carbonate or bicarbonate and a weak acid. The base and acid are prevented from reacting prematurely by the inclusion of a buffer such as cornstarch. Baking powder is used to increase ...

. ''Poffertjes'' can also be served with other sweet garnishes, such as

whipped cream Whipped cream is liquid heavy cream that is whipped by a whisk or mixer until it is light and fluffy and holds its shape, or by the expansion of dissolved gas, forming a firm colloid. It is often sweetened, typically with white sugar, and ...

strawberries The garden strawberry (or simply strawberry; ''Fragaria × ananassa'') is a widely grown hybrid species of the genus '' Fragaria'', collectively known as the strawberries, which are cultivated worldwide for their fruit. The fruit is widely ap ...

, for added flavour. ''Poffertjes'' are also known in

Indonesian cuisine Indonesian cuisine is a collection of various regional culinary traditions that formed the archipelagic nation of Indonesia. There are a wide variety of recipes and cuisines in part because Indonesia is composed of approximately 6,000 popula ...

through its historical ties as the former Dutch colony. Poffertjes are also regularly found on German Christmas markets. Gietijzeren poffertjespan.JPG, The special ''poffertjespan'' Poffertjes in Jakarta 1.jpg, ''Poffertjes'' preparation in

Semarang Semarang ( jv, ꦏꦸꦛꦯꦼꦩꦫꦁ , Pegon: سماراڠ) is the capital and largest city of Central Java province in Indonesia. It was a major port during the Dutch colonial era, and is still an important regional center and port today. ...

Similar dishes

''Poffertjes'' are thought to be related to and to have influenced the Indonesian ''

kue cubit Kue cubit is a Southeast Asian snack, originating from Indonesia. It is common snack food served in many Indonesian cities. It is a cake, around in diameter. The sellers of this snack usually operate near schools or traditional markets. Kue cub ...

''. ''Poffertjes'' have some similarities with Indian ''

paniyaram Paniyaram ( ml, പനിയാരം) is an Indian dish made by steaming batter using a mould. It is named variously paddu, guliyappa, yeriyappa, gundponglu ( kn, ಪಡ್ಡು, ಗುಳಿಯಪ್ಪ, ಎರಿಯಪ್ಪ), kuzhi paniya ...

'' and Chinese ''

egg waffle An egg waffle is a spherical egg-based waffle popular in Hong Kong and Macau, consisting of an eggy leavened batter cooked between two plates of semi-spherical cells. They are usually served hot, and often eaten plain, although they may be serv ...

s'', but differ in many aspects. The Danish

Æbleskiver Æbleskiver (, ingular: ''æbleskive'' are spherically-shaped Danish snacks made from fried batter. The name literally means "apple slices" in Danish, although apples are not usually an ingredient in present-day versions. The crust is similar in ...

pancakes are quite similar.

References

External links

The Dutch Table - Poffertjes
{{Indonesian cuisine Dutch pastries Dutch words and phrases Indonesian snack foods Pancakes Snack foods Buckwheat dishes

History

Servings

Similar dishes

See also

References

External links