Poffertjes

Dutch poffertjes were a big hit over the holidays, Lisa has been raving about how much she likes them. Here is a partial batch being made in my little iron poffertjes pan, it was shown in the iron cookware entry.

Poffertjes are little puffy pancakes, recipes vary, with yeast or with baking powder. These luscious little babies are a yeast batter and I served them with cherries and powdered sugar, the only snow we've had in Fresno.

In Holland during the summer months you often see a poffertjeskraam in large parks or events. Our favorite was in Laren, it is up from March to September. Their history is more than 100 years, see their website. http://www.poffertjeskraamlaren.nl Notice the huge antique stove with rows and rows of depressions.

Canela, Mamanie's Cinnamon Tea

Canela or cinnamon tea with milk and sugar

What a whirlwind Christmas and New Year season. Yesterday morning I woke up feeling sluggish and with a headache. I rarely get headaches but there it was, maybe it was from several days in a row of two glasses of wine at celebrations, my usual is only one glass.

Canela or cinnamon tea before milk

Cinnamon tea would hit the spot, I had some in the frig that just needed heating in the microwave, add a teaspoon of sugar and top it off with milk and warm again. Ohhhh, memories of Mamanie, my Mexican grandmother who made canela or yerba buena tea when we were not feeling well. I know it's not really tea but it soothes the body.

After sipping two cups of canela, Mexican word for cinnamon, I realized my headache was gone and it didn't come back.

To make canela I boiled two sticks of cinnamon in two cups of water, simmer for 10 minutes. Pour half a cup of the herb tea, add a teaspoon of sugar or honey and finish with milk, I use fat free. Heat if needed and it's ready to enjoy.






Did you notice my cup has flaws in the inner design, little white circles where the color didn't take. I bought four cups and saucers at the seconds shop at Villeroy & Boch in Luxembourg. That was during a shopping trip in 1992 with women from the American Women's Club of Amsterdam while I lived in Holland. The cup and saucer patterns are different, the cup is the Persia pattern and saucer is Flora Bella but they coordinate.