"Holland's miniature pancakes — puffed in round-mould pans, dusted with sugar and butter — are sold at Amsterdam's street markets. They're embarrassingly easy to eat too many of."
About Poffertjes
Holland's most charming street sweet — miniature, thick-battered pancakes cooked in a special pan with dimpled moulds until they puff into small domes with a crispy base and a pillowy, eggy interior; dusted with powdered sugar and a knob of butter; served by street vendors in paper trays at Christmas markets and the Vondelpark on summer weekends.
Poffertjes — a staple of Netherlands's cuisine
Holland's most charming street confection: small, thick-battered pancakes cooked in a special pan with round dimple-moulds, puffing into small domes with a crispy base and a pillowy, eggy interior. Dusted with powdered sugar and served with a knob of butter. Sold from street vendors in Amsterdam's markets and at Christmas fairs.
The poffertjes pan has round indentations that create a specific shape impossible to reproduce in a flat pan. The batter contains yeast and buckwheat flour — the yeast makes them puff, the buckwheat gives them their slightly nutty flavour.
What to Expect
The poffertjes arrive in a small tray, sugar dusted and butter melting. You eat them with a wooden fork. The outside is lightly crisp. The inside is soft and slightly yeasty. You eat twelve and regret having only ordered twelve.
Why Try It
Poffertjes are Dutch street food at its most accessible — sweet, simple and completely lacking in pretension.
Insider Tips
The Vondelpark and the Amsterdam Christmas market are the best seasonal locations.
Order a large portion — small portions are never sufficient.
The version with stroop (Dutch syrup) instead of sugar is an alternative worth trying.
