This fall I met Chad and his partners at the Mill City Farmer’s Market in Minneapolis. My co-author and I did a bread presentation from our book Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day. When I came off the stage, there was Chad and these funny round pans, which were filled with little cakey spheres. I’m not sure what pastry rock I have been living under, but this site was completely foreign to me. I had to run off to do a wedding cake that day so I couldn’t stay to see Chad’s explanation or try one of these donut/dumpling/cake/crepe like creations. The following week I went back to find him and his spheres and found out they were called aebleskivers. Here’s what I learned:
They are a traditional Danish treat. The recipe they serve at Aunt Else’s has been in the family for over 100 years. They fry them in cast iron pans made just for this purpose. (I must say I’m in love with this pan and WILL find additional uses for it!) The perfectly patinaed pans they use at the Farmer’s Market have been passed down in the Andersen & Henriksen family for generations. They were given to the current owners by none other than Aunt Else, along with the family recipe. They won’t share the secret recipe, but they do sell an organic whole wheat Aebleskiver mix and the pan, so you can make your own! Chad and his partners, after I spent the better part of a morning watching them in action at the market, they agreed to give me a pan and some of their mix to try out. My kids and I loved them so much that I want to share it with you!
They are so simple to make, even my 7 year old son was able to master the Aebleskiver, with lots of stove top supervision! Just follow the instructions on the bag for mixing the batter, then
heat the pan over medium-low heat. Drop a 1/2 teaspoon of neutral flavored oil in each of the wells.
Fill each well about 3/4 of the way full with the batter.
Let them cook until they start to bubble just a little, or until you see them turning golden on the edge.
With a chop stick or a skewer, turn the Aebleskiver by pushing down along the side of the well and scooping the batter up slightly. Turn it 1/4 and let it cook again. If the Aeblskiver is ready to turn this will be quite easy. If you have to fight it to turn than give it another few seconds to cook. Like anything, it may take a couple of skivers to get comfortable. Just keep in mind that my 7 year old can do it, no problem! 😉
After you have turned them all, then start back at the first one and give them another 1/4 turn. It is traditional to put a slice of apple in the center at this point. Aebleskiver means “apple slice,” but you can put anything you like in there. We’ve tried ham and cheese, chocolate, pears, cherry jam, sausage, bacon, bananas. Go crazy!
Repeat until they are completely cooked. You can poke one with a skewer to make sure they are all the way done through. Pick them up with a pair of tongs and repeat!
My friend Sue Zelickson, the Minneapolis Food Maven, was at the market and she enjoyed Aunt Else’s Aebleskivers with me! They serve them dusted in powdered sugar with a few different flavored syrups or preserves.
Several people have asked me what products they should put on their Christmas wish lists this holiday, here are my ultimate must haves in your kitchen to bake breads and pastries! And my camera equipment, for those of you that can’t bake without taking pictures of your food. It happens to the best of us! Am I missing anything??? What is your favorite piece of equipment?
Breads:
Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day – But you knew I’d say that! 😉
Baking Stone
Pizza Peel
Oxo Good Grips Pastry Scraper
Taylor Oven Thermometer
Round Storage Container 6 Quart Clear
Escali Measuring Scale
Pastry:
KitchenAid 5-Quart Stand Mixers
Spatula Set – different sizes for different jobs
Nonstick Silicone Baking Mat
Microplane Grater/Zester
Wüsthof Le Cordon Bleu 10-Inch Serrated Super Slicer
Piping Bag – Featherweight – 18″
Pastry Tip Set
PASTRY BRUSH SET
8 by 3-Inch Round Cake Pan
Marble Rolling Pin I like the weight of this pin and that the marble stays cool
The Simple Art of Perfect Baking
Baking with Julia Savor the Joys of Baking with America’s Best Bakers
Cookwise and BakeWise:– food science made fun!I love cookwise and have just started reading bakewise. I’m loving the food science more than the recipes.
On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen
Photography:
Canon Digital Rebel XSi Camera with 18-55mm Lens (Black)
Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II Camera Lens
Happy Holidays and I hope you get everything on your wish list!
***Here is a nice piece that Rick Nelson did recently on my Granny’s Brown-Butter Shortbread Cookies for the Star Tribune Website. He used a picture of me from 8 years ago when I was pregnant with my youngest son, the Aebleskiver maker I mentioned above! 😉
another great post Zoe. My wife raves about these it would be great to have a pan. thanks again for your posts.
Wow! I love the Aebelskivers! They look insanely delicious and fun to make!
Thanks so much for the list of “must haves” too. I found some great things that I didn’t even know I wanted! 😉
oh my, this looks like entirely too much fun!
oooooh, i’ve been wanting to try aebleskiver for years, and yours look so tasty! *fingers crossed*
I love these. I lay awake at night dreaming of the aebleskiver goodness, and wonder if my friend, Chad Gillard, will bring us some for breakfast. Jon wants to try sausage and cheese.
I have been coveting one of these pans after a visit to the Nordicware outlet store here in the Twin Cities! It sounds like a very versatile, very FUN way to make breakfast (lunch, dinner, snacks…!)
If you are ever in California stop by the little danish town Solvang . . . they sell these as street food with apples or my favorite warm raspberry jam. I am danish so we would go often for the day of wooden shoe browsing, great smorgasbord eating and abelskivers! They also sell giant palmiers, but they call them “pigs ears”! Danes are silly! I now make them for my son on holidays for breakfast . . . he refers to them as those round things! But he eats them by the ton!
Those look yummy! What a great giveaway . . .
It looks so fantastic… I actually saw one of these in my travels in China last year. They obviously had sweet filling ones but they also had some savory ones – my favorite was when they filled the dough with assorted seafood.
Wow, that is one stunning picture up top!
And I must say, I’ve been lusting over these pans for quite some time now… I’d love to finally try making aebleskiver for myself!
I’ve seen things like this before! They look delicious and I’ve always been so very intrigued. Loads of ideas.
I would like to make them and also learn how to say it!
My aunt used to make these for us and we loved them. What a great giveaway. Hope I’m the lucky one!
My family loves to eat these for breakfast on special occasions. Yum!!
I was just thinking about getting one of these pans and the mix from williams sonoma for a friend for christmas! They look delicious!
I saw a pan like this in William Sonoma made of cast aluminum. I like the idea of cast iron instead.
I’ve made these in the past, but have not used the 1/4 turn.
Can’t wait to try it. Since the pans are small, you can never have too many.
Wow this looks good. I never heard of it before. Great giveaway.
what a wonderful list I added a bunch of those books to my amazon wishlist, and what a cool pan.
They look tasty. I have never had one but like pastry of any kind. They have wine partys why not abelskiver parties for those of us who have never had them.
These look like great fun to make. I would love to try these, of course I need the pan first…..
THanks for the chance.
Wow, those look so cool as you turn then. I wonder if you could use the pan to make yorkshire puds?
Great giveaway, and you make it look so easy!
Just got my book today and have read it cover to cover. Now just need to get to the store to refresh my ingredients and get baking.
These little gems look delicious and the pan would be a great addition to our menagerie of cooking equipment. My kids are always looking for a new adventure in the kitchen, particularly my 11-year-old son who is a pancakaholic. Thanks to his new interest in crepes, we have some variation in his preferred breakfast fare. I imagine he would be completely sold on the aebelskivers too.
Mmmm. They look so delicious. I have always wanted to try making (and of course eating) aebleskivers. Your photo tutorial on turning them is great.