Recipe: Pumpkin spiced waffle balls (takoyaki / aebleskivers)

tools of the trade

This is one of my favorite things to make for a Halloween party - and they never last long.  It's a modified waffle recipe, so it will make waffles, but I always make the balls because they look like little pumpkins, are fun to make, and are easier to share as a treat to guests - I even made them for Carla and I the other day for breakfast.  Once you get the hang of the technique, try adding a filling before turning the balls over - chocolate chips, mini marshmallows, and even blueberries work great.

It started when I was working in Hong Kong.  I didn't have much time for sightseeing, so I would go out after work, grab a beer, check out the architecture and eat street food.  One of the coolest things I liked to watch was how they made the fish balls (takoyaki).  They would have chopped up fish mixed in a batter, fill up the recesses in this skillet filled with round divots, cook it a bit, then turn it over with a skewer to cook the other side and wind up with a ball.  I thought it would adapt itself perfectly to a dessert.  I went over to Shanghai street (the only place to shop in Hong Kong for cooking equipment) and found a smaller cast iron version of the skillet for use in the home - perfect.

the four base mixes

I'm not sure how it came about to make pumpkin waffles, but it took a few tries to get the formula down (not to mention the technique).  Now it seems to be the favorite and the skillet mostly comes out for the fall season.  I had previously thought that I had come up with something new until I saw a similar skillet in a cooking store - seems the Danish have been making round pancakes for a while now too (aebleskivers).  But pumpkin?  Yea, take that Hamlet.

You will need:

1                                  large egg (separated)

finished batter

133g / 4.7oz                pumpkin puree (1/3 of a standard can)
55ml / 3Tbs + 2tsp      sugar
2.5ml / 1/2tsp              ground cinnamon
1.25ml / 1/4tsp            grated nutmeg
0.625ml / 1/8tsp          ground ginger
2.5ml / 1/2tsp              vanilla paste (or extract)
15ml / 1Tbs                 #3 maple syrup
30g / 1oz                      melted unsalted butter (brown even better)
15ml / 1Tbs                  orange juice
75g / 2.6oz                   flour
3g / 1tsp                       baking powder
pinch                            kosher salt

stage 1

Method:

 - have all ingredients at room temperature (except melted butter) for best mixing
 - cream the egg yolk with 3Tbs of sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg
 - mix the pumpkin with vanilla, maple syrup, orange juice, salt and butter
 - sift the flour and baking powder
 - whisk the egg white with 2tsp of sugar over a warm bain-marie to medium firm (this makes it more stable)
 - mix the yolk mix with the pumpkin

stage 2

 - fold in the flour
 - fold in the egg white
 - preheat the skillet to a medium low heat (on our electric stove, #3 works well)
 - add some oil to the divots in the pan and let the oil heat up
 - spoon some batter into the divots just shy of filling them - they should sizzle a bit
 - after a minute, try to loosen the ball in the skillet by spinning it
 - if it spins freely, add any filling you want, then turn it over to cook the topside
 - when the top is cooked, remove from the pan and serve