Mini Pancakes (Dutch Poffertjes)

These petite puffy pancakes, made with a mixture of buckwheat and regular flours plus yeast for a fluffier texture, are a classic Dutch treat. They are often sold from street stalls in Amsterdam and are baked in a special poffertjes pan, which has about a dozen or so tiny indentations. They are a terrific choice for Sunday brunch, a lazy lunch, or a comforting dessert. What to drink with these mini pancakes? Coffee, of course - no contest - whether you take it strong and black or loaded up with sugar and cream. The Netherlands tops the list of coffee consumption per day, with the U.S. trailing way behind at No. 16, according to a survey of coffee drinking around the world. This easy recipe is just about foolproof and offers two choices for tasty toppings: the traditional option of melted butter with sieved powdered sugar or the glammed-up version of strawberries and whipped cream.

1 tsp. instant yeast
1¼ cups + 1 Tbsp. warm milk
1 cup buckwheat flour
1 cup all-purpose flour, unbleached
2 large eggs
1 tsp. sugar
½ tsp. kosher or sea salt

To Serve:
1 Tbsp. unsalted butter
confectioners' sugar, strawberries, and whipped cream

Make the Batter:
Dissolve the yeast in 1 Tbsp. of the warm milk in a small bowl.

In a separate bowl, combine the buckwheat flour, white flour, eggs, sugar, salt, half the warm milk, and the yeast and milk mixture. Whisk the ingredients until the mixture is smooth.

Add the remaining warm milk and beat again.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow to rest for an hour.

Make the Poffertjes:
Melt 1 Tbsp. butter in a frying or poffertjes pan.

When the butter starts to sizzle, add teaspoonful's of the batter in circular movements to create the mini pancakes.

Turn the poffertjes around as soon as the bottom has set, using two forks.

Serve the pancakes with butter and sieved powdered sugar.

For a sweeter treat, serve these mini pancakes with strawberries, whipped cream, and a dusting of powdered sugar.

Makes 4 servings.

Cook's Notes: If you happen to have a poffertjes pan (usually a cast iron pan with a dozen or so indentations) this is the best pan to use for this recipe. But if you do not have one, a regular skillet works fine.