Surviving the winter blues with Lavender Ebelskivers and a tour of the Littledeer workshop

I am back with a new post that I am sure will inspire you to cook and try new recipes. I have been away from "Aromas of time" for a long while in search of myself. After turning 40 last July, I was in a soul searching mode. I had the blues. I am in a point of my life where I want to have a steady and fulfilling life. Lots of events happened in my life since 2010.  I took many pictures and created lots of recipes but none found their way to my blog since last July. I was hesitant that any were good enough till I met Sharron and Tom Littledeer at Williams-Sonoma, where I work part time, and they agreed to give me a tour of their workshop and let me write a post about Littledeer. I am such a fan of their work and of the Littledeer kitchen tools. They create exquisite kitchen tools that are pieces of art.

From left to right : The Littledeer house and workshop with solar panels on the roof. Antique paddles from their collection. Tom and Sharron Littledeer in their home.

As mentioned on their website, Tom Littledeer is an inventor and designer who learned woodworking and building by apprenticing to his father, a machinist and craftsman. He grew up in a family who loved cooking and was encouraged to cook and be creative since a young age. He studied Pure and Applied Science and later designed a non-flat, scoop-shaped paddle that he was convinced would make canoeing much easier.  The Stowe Canoe Company in Vermont got interested in his project and decided to produce his original paddle. For the launch, Tom made a series of miniature promotional paddles. Some of these found their way into the family kitchen. These first Scoop Paddles evolved into the Pot Scoop. Pulling these skills and interests together, in 1991 he invented the Pot Scoop, the first fluid dynamic cooking utensil. The Mapleware line has since expanded to include an extensive selection of comfortable, multi-purpose cooking, serving and eating utensils, all made of heat-enduring, beautiful, hard maple. Littledeer is a family business. They use recycled materials whenever possible. There is almost no waste. Every scrap of wood and sawdust is reused or composted to grow mushrooms. Plus, in 2010 they became the largest privately-operated small business producing solar energy in Quebec.

I was very touched by the Littledeer’s hospitality and warmth. I was greeted by Sharron, Tom and Baka (which means grandmother in Croatian). My girls were delighted to have a glass of homemade berry juice and a variety of homemade dried fruits.

Creative sanding machines created by Tom Littledeer to help finely sand and smooth the kitchen tools.

Tom gave us a tour of the Littledeer workshop where I was amazed by the different work stations and sanding machines created by Tom. I could see the pride in his eyes and the passion he has for this work of art. And who wouldn’t be proud? It is one of God's blessing to be able to create beautiful and useful tools that lots of cooking fans can enjoy in their kitchen every day. A big thank you to the Littledeer family for such warm welcome and for the beautiful tools.

From a simple piece of maple wood a spoon or tongs are crafted. The wood waste is limited and whatever scarps are left Sharron makes compost to grow mushrooms or vegetables.  

From left to right: I so love the Half Sheller that serves as an oyster opening and serving board. The Half Sheller keeps all the oyster juice to be reused. No waste at all.  A box of Sprongs ready for delivery. Sprongs are tongs made of a single piece of wood, which acts like a spring.  Always squeeze in the middle.  This is how the Paddle Stand is made. Crafted in a single piece of wood  as shown in the picture. Ovoid shape is naturally stable. Balanced to support a variety of paddles. Ventilation hole allows paddles to dry naturally in air.

I so LOVE my Littledeer tools. For more information on Littledeer products and where to purchase them, visit their webpage at www.littledeer.ca

When I got back from the trip I wanted to create some Ebelsivers but with a twist. I still had some edible lavender flowers I had purchased at Bleu Lavande (http://www.bleulavande.ca) some time ago.

Yummy Ebelskiver pancakes : little clouds of heaven dusted with sugar. My two daughters some years ago at Bleu Lavande. 

So I got the Ebelskiver pan from Williams-Sonoma Dix30  and decided to fill these round, little, puffy and light pancakes with a creamy lavender custard cream. The Ebelskiver pan made of sturdy aluminum and non-stick coating (made by Nordicware for Williams-Sonoma) was so much fun to work with. The pancakes were very easy to turn with my Littledeer Quills. These round little cushions filled with heavenly lavender scented cream were delicious. The recipe is very easy to follow and can be served for breakfast, brunch or any special occasion. They care best eaten fresh and warm dusted with some icing sugar. I think that they can be a delight for your next Easter Brunch. Please leave me your comments and impressions. Enjoy!

 The Ebelskiver pan I purchased at Williams Sonoma in Brossard. Method: You start with the Ebelskiver batter and when it looks 80% cooked you add some filling in the middle. Then you cover with more Ebelsiver batter as shown in the picture above.

With the Quills (ebelskiver /takoyaki tool)  turning these heavenly bites is easy peasy. 

The Recipe / La Recette

Lavender Cream:

For 800 grams of cream:

• 500 ml of milk
• 1 tsp edible lavender flowers (available at Bleu Lavande and other gourmet shops)
• 3-4 egg yolks
• 100 grams of sugar
• 50 g flour
• 50 g butter

Heat the milk and add the lavender flowers. Let stand 5-10 minutes. Place the milk through a sieve and discard the flowers. Beat the egg yolks and sugar well till light in color. Gradually add the sifted flour. Pour the hot milk over the mixture gently while stirring. Put the mixture in a saucepan over low heat until mixture starts simmering. Remove from heat and add the butter in small pieces gradually while whisking. Transfer the lavender cream to a small bowl to fill the Ebelskiver. 

Crème Pâtissière à la lavande

Pour 800 gr de crème :

·        500 ml de lait

·        1 c. à café de Fleurs de lavande comestibles (de chez Bleu Lavande ou autres Magasins gourmet)

·        3-4 jaunes d’œufs

·        100 gr de sucre

·        50 gr de farine

·        50 gr de beurre

Faire Chauffer le lait en y ajoutant les fleurs de lavande. Laisser reposer 5-10 minutes. Passer le lait au tamis et jeter les fleurs. Battre les jaunes d’œufs et le sucre. Ajouter peu à peu la farine tamisée. Verser le lait chaud doucement sur le mélange tout en remuant. Mette la préparation dans une casserole sur feu doux jusqu'à première ébullition. Retirer du feu et ajouter le beurre en petits morceaux en fouettant. Réserver la crème dans un plat pour garnir avec les Ebelskiver.  

Ebelskivers:

• 2 cups (315 gr) all purpose flour
• 1 tsp. Baking powder
• ½ tsp. Salt
• 1 tbs. Sugar
• 4 eggs, separated
• 2 cups (500 ml) milk
• 4 tbs. (½ stick/60gr) unsalted butter melted
• Some coconut oil or butter for cooking
• Filling (our lavender cream or any other filling if you prefer such as nutella, jams, etc.)
• Some powder sugar for garnish

In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. In a small bowl lightly whisk the egg yolks, then add the milk and melted butter and continue to whisk till light and fluffy. Whisk the yolk mixture into the flour mixture until combined. The batter will be a bit lumpy.

In another bowl whisk the egg whites with an electric mixer till stiff but not dry peaks form (from 2-3 minutes). Using a rubber spatula gently stir the whites into the batter in tow additions. Put the Ebelsiver pan on the stove and heat on medium till hot. Put some coconut oil or butter on each well with a silicone brush. With a small spoon put 1 tbs. batter in each well. Add 1 tsp. of lavender cream in the center of each Ebelsiver pancake and top with 1 tbs. Ebelsiver batter to cover it well. Let cook for 3-4 minutes till the bottoms are golden then flip the Ebelskivers over using Littledeer Quills or two wooden skewers. Cook till the other side is golden and transfer to plate. Repeat with rest of the batter. You can reserve the rest of the batter in the fridge for 24hours if you like. Serve immediately with powder sugar. 

Ebelskivers :

2 tasses (315 gr) de farine tout usage

1 c. à café de poudre à pâte

½ c. à café de sel

1 c. à soupe de sucre

4 œufs, séparés

2 tasses (500 ml) de lait

4 cuillères à soupe (½ bâton/60gr) de beurre fondu

Huile de noix de coco ou de beurre pour la cuisson

Garniture : (crème à la lavande ou de tout autre garniture de votre choix : nutella, confitures, etc.)

Un peu de sucre en poudre pour la garniture

Dans un bol, mélanger la farine, la poudre à pâte, le sel et le sucre. Dans un petit bol, fouetter légèrement les jaunes d'œufs, puis ajouter le lait et le beurre fondu et continuez à fouetter jusqu'à consistance légère. Incorporer le mélange de jaune d’œufs au mélange de farine jusqu'à une consistance homogène. Le mélange sera un peu grumeleux.

Dans un autre bol, fouetter les blancs d'œufs avec un batteur électrique jusqu'à formation de pics fermes de pics (de 2-3 min). Avec une spatule en caoutchouc incorporer les blancs d’œufs montés au mélange en deux fois. Mettez la poêle à Ebelsiver sur le feu et préchauffer à chaleur moyenne. Mettez un peu d'huile de noix de coco ou de beurre sur chaque puits à l’aide d’un pinceau en silicone. Avec une petite cuillère mettre 1 cuillère à soupe de mélange à Ebelskiver dans chaque puits. Ajouter 1 c. à soupe de crème de lavande au milieu de chaque Ebelsiver. Ensuite mettez une autre c. à soupe de mélange Ebelsiver pour bien couvrir la farce. Laisser cuire pendant 3-4 minutes jusqu'à ce que les fonds soient dorés puis retournez les Ebelskivers à l'aide des Quills Littledeer ou de deux brochettes en bois. Cuire jusqu'à ce que l'autre côté soit doré et transférer dans une assiette. Répéter avec le reste de la pâte. Vous pouvez réserver le reste de la pâte au réfrigérateur pendant 24 heures si vous le souhaitez. Servir immédiatement avec du sucre en poudre.

Enjoy! Bon Appétit!