My Husband and I Met in Culinary School, and This Kitchen Tool Convinced Him I Was the One

If it doesn’t bring you love, it will at least bring you dessert.

My husband and I met in culinary school back in 2010. At the time, we were single 20-somethings enjoying our carefree youth in beautiful San Francisco. After months of flirting our way through classes like Food Safety and Pastry Skills, he finally asked me out over a sizzling fryer basket full of fried chicken (trust me, it was more romantic than it sounds).

In the early days of our budding romance, I invited him over to my apartment (an old Victorian I shared with four other girls) to cook dinner together. As he was rifling through the pantry, I noticed him freeze, grab something from the shelf, and turn to me with an enormous smile on his face. It was my Ebelskiver pan.

Nordic Ware Danish Ebelskiver Pan

$37

If you’re unfamiliar with these delicious little confections, Ebelskivers are Danish pastries that somewhat resemble round, three-dimensional pancakes. When cooked in this particular pan, they puff and form a delightfully airy, somewhat hollow center that can be stuffed with any number of sweet ingredients. I initially fell in love with Ebelskivers on a childhood family trip to Solvang — a charming little Danish town near Santa Barbara, California. My husband, however, as I learned at that moment, is part Danish and grew up eating Ebelskivers in his home all the time. Owning the pan that made his most beloved childhood treat scored me big points that day. Now, we have two children who beg for Ebelskivers every Sunday morning.

Made from buttermilk and whipped egg white batter fried in butter, these delicate little puffs are an indulgent treat that can be enjoyed plain, or with any number of accompaniments. Ebelskiver toppings and fillings traditionally include jams, jellies, or a generous dusting of cinnamon and sugar. Our family prefers to eat them with powdered sugar and unholy amounts of butter. Occasionally, we’ve been known to fill them with a spoonful or two of chocolate hazelnut spread with wildly successful results.

Of course, as special as Ebelskivers are, this versatile pan can do so much more than just one thing. Ebelskiver pans are excellent for cooking things like homemade falafel , delicious paddu, or even bite-sized on-the-go omelets.

While my husband’s Ebelskiver pan is somewhat of a family heirloom, undoubtedly charmingly cajoled from a relative’s kitchen, mine (yes, we still have both) is this fantastic model from Nordic Ware . I love the cast aluminum construction that provides even heating and the nonstick surface, ensuring mess-free cooking and easy cleanup . And while my pan isn’t as old as my husband’s, it’s been with me for nearly twenty years with no signs of slowing down. Who knows? Maybe one day one of our kids will use it to score a date.

At the time of publishing, the price was $37.

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