Danish Æbleskivers
Referred to as pancakes, dumplings or even doughnut holes in English, Danish æbleskivers are served as a treat throughout the month of December. While you can buy aebleskivers pre-frozen in the shops, nothing beats the vanilla and cardamom scent and tender texture of homemade pancakes. To make them you will need a special æbleskivers pan, which is a skillet with 6 to 8 round indentations. Cast iron is best. Makes 20.
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1 envelope dry yeast or .6 ounce fresh yeast (1 cake)
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamon
1/2 vanilla bean
2 large eggs, separated
Unsalted European-style butter
Strawberry or raspberry preserves
Powdered sugar
Heat milk in a small saucepan until lukewarm. Remove from heat and pour into a medium bowl. Add yeast and let it dissolve.
Combine flour, sugar, salt and cardamon in a medium bowl. Split vanilla bean and scrape seeds into the dry ingredients. Whisk the egg yolks into the milk. Add the wet ingredients to the flour and mix well. Beat egg whites in bowl of electric mixer until stiff. Fold into batter. Let stand one hour at room temperature.
Melt 1/2 teaspoon butter in each indentation of an aebleskiver pan over medium heat. Pour batter into each indentation, about 2/3 full. Cook until golden brown underneath, 3 to 4 minutes. Using a wooden skewer, turn æbleskivers over and continue to cook until golden and cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer æbleskivers to a plate lined with a paper towel, and repeat with remaining batter. Serve æbleskivers with powdered sugar and preserves. Accompany with gløgg.
Beautiful post… amazing how food brings so many memories, and how different traditions can be all over the world. In Brazil, Christmas means laying on the sand, sun tanning, swimming in the ocean, Summer vacations just starting!
it took me a long time to get used to the idea of Christmas in the middle of the winter, but now I find it perfect this way
My family loves it when I make aebleskivers! I use the recipe that came with the pan my husband bought for me over 25 years ago. It doesn’t call for yeast, vanilla, or cardamom, so I am very intrigued by your recipe. I’ll have to give it a try sometime!
Wonderful! They look like little pillows. A fantastic Danish treat. Scandinavian food is so great.
Cheers,
Rosa
Last Christmas we had just moved and my mom spent days hunting for her aebleskiver pan. She didn’t find it until this summer (it was in a box of bed sheets). When I was young we spent a year in Copenhagen and I think making these helps her remember living in such a fabulous place.
Thank you!
Delightful Christmas memories! The Finn in me wants to serve these with lingonberry preserves!
Reminds me of growing up in Canada. We would play Scrabble after playing in the fresh snow, drink hot cocoa (I wasn’t old enough for glogg at the time) and bake gingerbread and cinnamon rolls. Do you have a good glogg recipe?
Even in the rain, Christmas is about sharing and warmth. What wonderful memories. We have aebleskivers on Christmas Eve with cinnamon and sugar. Happy Holidays! I’m going to try your recipe with yeast.
What a cool tradition and a really cool recipe too.
I’ve seen these pans and have always wondered what they were for. I love cast iron (cooking and a workout in one!). Very cool recipe.
Very nice, Lynda. May I presume that your Glogg recipe will make an appearance soon? I hope so!
i would make them only because i am in love with that cast iron pan! beautiful piece of hardware.. c
Lovely post. Lovely writing. You transported me to Denmark. Thanks. I am will be on the look out for the Glogg recipe. Is it like wassel?
Yes, a little except it’s more alcoholic with the wine.
Thank you for sharing the lovely story. We love these treats ourselves. Our proud Scandanavian family blessed us with two pans for wedding gifts which prove to be very helpful in producing these balls of joy in mass. I will try your recipe, as i have not found one to call my own yet! We are enjoying the seasonal glogg as well! Happy holidays!
What a wonderful tradition and these Aebleskivers sound absolutely delicious. And when we pick Denmark as our country, I know who to consult now. 🙂
I have always wanted to make these, now I know I must!
Beautiful! I’ve never had these, and clearly need to give this a test drive soon. The ultimate comfort food.
It’s always hard to leave a place you’ve loved behind. We’ve done it several times. I love to look back at photographs, but foods like this provide a more immediate sensory way of traveling back there.
I love aebleskivers! I make a version with lemon curd and a blueberry compote. I can’t wait to get my pan out and try this recipe!