Aebleskiver: a great Christmas treat
I suppose that technically speaking, I should only be blogging about Danish smørrebrød, given that my blog is called Danish Sandwich and every single post to date has been on that very topic, but it's that time of year (Christmas), and I'm feeling reckless and crazy, so I thought I'd just do exactly what I feel like doing and blog about one of my favorite Danish Christmas treats: æbleskiver.
So what exactly is æbleskiver?
Basically, æbleskiver are round Danish pancakes that are typically eaten during Christmas for breakfast(though my family and I enjoy these treats years round - since we live in Canada, we can do crazy things like that).
The name æbleskiver means apple slices, which makes no sense to me, but I'm told that this is because one traditionally serves these treats with pieces of cooked apples on the side (or even with a piece of apple cooked into the middle of the pancake ball). Today, I find that it is much more common to serve æbleskiver with powdered sugar and fruit preserves such as strawberry or raspberry jam. (Anyway, that's how I like to eat them).
Making æbleskiver is really easy, about as easy as the regular flat variety of pancake, but it does require a special piece of equipment which is not common in most North American households - a cast-iron æbleskiver pan. I have one of these pans that has been around our family for decades - legend has it that it was one of the few possessions my father brought with him on the boat when he emigrated to Canada from Denmark in the 1960s (along with a transistor radio, a hair brush, and some decorative Danish flags).
Luckily, if you don't live in Denmark, you can still get one of these pans easily in North America - to my great surprise, æbleskiver pans are available on Amazon.com. Everyhting else is easy to find at any old grocery store.
Here's how to make æbleskiver:
Ingredients
1) In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, cinnamon and vanilla.
2) Combine yolks and buttermilk, then add to flour mixture, stirring with a wooden spoon until smooth.
3) White egg whites to soft peaks, and then fold in to the rest of the batter.
4) Place aebleskiver pan on medium heat.
5) When hot, add a bit of butter (about 1/2 teaspoon) into each cup and then fill with batter until just below the top.
6) Allow to cook until golden and then, using a couple of knives, gently flip the dough over. Keep cooking until golden brown all around.
7) Remove the aebleskiver from the pan, add more butter, and repeat...
8) Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve with a spoonful of jam and plenty of coffee. And then for lunch, have some smørrebrød.
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| Danish pancake balls Served with powdered sugar and raspberry jam |
So what exactly is æbleskiver?
Basically, æbleskiver are round Danish pancakes that are typically eaten during Christmas for breakfast(though my family and I enjoy these treats years round - since we live in Canada, we can do crazy things like that).
The name æbleskiver means apple slices, which makes no sense to me, but I'm told that this is because one traditionally serves these treats with pieces of cooked apples on the side (or even with a piece of apple cooked into the middle of the pancake ball). Today, I find that it is much more common to serve æbleskiver with powdered sugar and fruit preserves such as strawberry or raspberry jam. (Anyway, that's how I like to eat them).
Making æbleskiver is really easy, about as easy as the regular flat variety of pancake, but it does require a special piece of equipment which is not common in most North American households - a cast-iron æbleskiver pan. I have one of these pans that has been around our family for decades - legend has it that it was one of the few possessions my father brought with him on the boat when he emigrated to Canada from Denmark in the 1960s (along with a transistor radio, a hair brush, and some decorative Danish flags).
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| Enamel-coated, cast-iron æbleskiver pan |
Here's how to make æbleskiver:
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| Gratuitous Danish Christmas Tree Photo |
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups buttermilk
- 2 TBSP sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 eggs (whites and yolks separated)
- butter for cooking
- Powdered sugar and raspberry jam to serve
1) In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, cinnamon and vanilla.
2) Combine yolks and buttermilk, then add to flour mixture, stirring with a wooden spoon until smooth.
3) White egg whites to soft peaks, and then fold in to the rest of the batter.
4) Place aebleskiver pan on medium heat.
5) When hot, add a bit of butter (about 1/2 teaspoon) into each cup and then fill with batter until just below the top.
6) Allow to cook until golden and then, using a couple of knives, gently flip the dough over. Keep cooking until golden brown all around.
 |
| 1) Add batter to pan 2) Cook on both sides 3) Sprinkle with powdered sugar |
8) Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve with a spoonful of jam and plenty of coffee. And then for lunch, have some smørrebrød.
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