Ingredients
Batter
- 250 gplain flour
- 2 tspbaking powder
- 1 tbspsugar
- ½ tspsalt
- 1 tspground cardamom
- grated zest of 1 lemon
- 3eggs, separated
- 400 mlbuttermilk
- 50 gbutter, melted and cooled
To cook and serve
- butter, for the pan
- raspberry jam
- icing sugar, for dusting
Directions
- Whisk the flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, cardamom and lemon zest together in a large bowl.
- Beat the egg yolks with the buttermilk and melted butter, then whisk into the dry ingredients until just smooth. Rest 15 minutes.
- Whip the egg whites to soft peaks and fold them through in two additions with a light hand. This is what makes the puffs hollow and airy rather than doughy.
- Heat the æbleskiver pan over medium heat and put a knob of butter in each hollow. When it foams, fill each hollow almost to the top.
- Cook 1–2 minutes until the edges set and the bottoms are golden. Slide a knitting needle or skewer down the inside edge of each ball, lift and turn it a quarter turn; the uncooked batter runs down and forms the next part of the sphere.
- Keep turning a quarter at a time every 30 seconds until you have a browned hollow ball, about 5 minutes in all. A skewer pushed into the centre should come out clean.
- Serve hot, dusted heavily with icing sugar, with raspberry jam for dipping and gløgg alongside.
Technique
- The quarter-turn is the whole technique. Turning them fully in one go gives two flat hemispheres stuck together.
- Medium heat, not high. Too hot and the outside sets before the inside can flow round.
- The pan wants to be cast iron and well seasoned; a thin pan gives uneven colour.
Substitutions
- Plain milk soured with a tablespoon of lemon juice stands in for buttermilk.
- A dedicated pan is really required, though a Dutch poffertjes pan is close enough.
Variations
- A slice of apple dropped into each hollow before the batter — the name means apple slices, and older recipes did contain them.
- A savoury version filled with cheese, served with drinks.
History
Spherical pancakes cooked in a dimpled iron pan, eaten through Advent with icing sugar, jam and mulled wine.
Frequently asked questions
What is Æbleskiver?
Æbleskiver is a dessert from Denmark: sphere pancake puffs with jam and icing sugar, December treat. Spherical pancakes cooked in a dimpled iron pan, eaten through Advent with icing sugar, jam and mulled wine.
How long does Æbleskiver take to make?
Æbleskiver takes 20 min of preparation and 25 min of cooking. The recipe makes about 24 puffs. It is rated medium to make.
What can I substitute in Æbleskiver?
Yes, within limits. Plain milk soured with a tablespoon of lemon juice stands in for buttermilk. A dedicated pan is really required, though a Dutch poffertjes pan is close enough.
What is the most important thing to get right in Æbleskiver?
Whip the egg whites to soft peaks and fold them through in two additions with a light hand. This is what makes the puffs hollow and airy rather than doughy.
