Aebleskivers/Ebleskivers

Had finally unpacked my 7-holed aebleskivers cast-iron pan and decided to make this delightful danish donut/pancake-like snack for breakfast. I used my favorite buttermilk whole wheat pancakes recipe, and added a half-sliced pitted cherry in each little morsel. These puff up to a beautiful round circle when cooked, but deflated when cooled. It is delicious with the powdered sugar or some warmed jam drizzled over it.

Here is the recipe from William Sonoma's website that I tried before, and it's very good.

1 cup fresh orange juice
1/3 cup plus 1 1/2 Tbs. sugar
1 cup dried cherries, chopped
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
Zest of 1/2 lemon
3 egg yolks, lightly whisked
1 1/3 cups buttermilk
3/4 cup ricotta cheese
5 egg whites, beaten to stiff peaks
5 Tbs. unsalted butter, melted

In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, whisk together the orange juice and the 1/3 cup sugar. Heat until the mixture is just beginning to boil. Add the cherries, remove from the heat and let stand for 15 minutes. Pour through a fine-mesh sieve into a small saucepan, pressing on the cherries with the back of a spoon; reserve the cherries. Set the pan over medium heat and cook until the liquid is reduced to a syrup, 10 to 15 minutes. Set aside.

In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, the 1 1/2 Tbs. sugar, the salt and lemon zest. In another bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, buttermilk and ricotta. Add the yolk mixture to the flour mixture and whisk until combined; the batter will be lumpy. Using a rubber spatula, gently stir in the egg whites in two additions.

Put 1/2 tsp. butter in each well of a filled-pancake pan. Place over medium heat and heat until the butter begins to bubble. Pour 1 Tbs. batter into each well, add 1 compact tsp. cherries in the center of the batter and top with 1 Tbs. batter. Cook until the bottoms are golden brown and crispy, 3 to 5 minutes. Using 2 forks, flip the pancakes over and cook for 3 minutes more. Transfer to a plate. Repeat with the remaining batter and cherries.

Drizzle the pancakes with the orange-cherry syrup and serve immediately.

Note: I had halfed the above recipe from William Sonoma, and it was plenty for three.