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! 😉
Oh dear, I’ve been pondering buying a pan for myself! My boyfriend and I are huge pancake fanatics – he’ll even make pancakes on a wok! I’d love to test these out for game nights with the group…
Hey Zoe, my comment did not show up. Is it because it’s too long. Anyway, just wanted to tell you that you could try appey or appam recipe in this too:).
Hey Zoe,
Big big fan of your blog. Keep lurking here every once in a while. I am yet to go through your book but that’s due very soon.
Aebleskiver pan is on my wish list for so long now:)). These aebleskiver pans are great for any kind of small frying……takes way less oil. The Jugalbandi duo give fantastic examples here http://jugalbandi.info/2008/08/psychedelic-cocktail-bondas/ and even Indira of Mahanandi http://www.nandyala.org/mahanandi/ talks about it here but I am unable to load her page right now. Oh….the possibilities are endless with this pan. Try some authentic Indian appey recipes in these. Enjoy!!
Hi Tonya,
I’ve received all of your lovely notes, but for the strangest reason my computer won’t allow me to accept them??? Don’t worry, you are entered into the contest!!!
Thank you for being so patient!
Zoë
wow what synchronicity! i just ate these for the first time at a restaurant in spokane, washington. i tried them because i have some danish in me somewhere, including my name. i love them and was curious about what kind of pan they are made in. anyway i also just made my first loaves of the 5 minute bread and just love it. thanks so much. linda
You probably missed these pans because you have been so busy with your book. My oldest came home from her first semester of college this week and requested french toast. With all my Christmas baking I was out of milk, short on eggs and only had a few slices of whole wheat sandwich bread. I promised her I’d make it up to her. Hmmm…wouldn’t this be a wonderful suprise?
This pan looks wonderful, just think of the possibilities! I’ve never seen Aunt Else’s Aebleskiver mix before.Thank you for demonstrating its use for us. What a fun addition to our kitchen toys. I think even Santa, will be including this in his bag of toys, this year! Thank you so much for this contest.
oooo la la those look so fun! Thanks for doing a give-away!
mmmm..looks good. Thanks for the chance to win!
That is a great picture!
Have seen these in magazines, but have never tried. Looks good.
Yummyyyyyy!
I love these but I’ve never made them myself! I want to experiment with different fillings!
those look like the perfect item for christmas breakfast!! Thanks for the idea and I love your book and the website. (also was at cook’s of crocus hill yesterday and heard lots of positive things about you and the book.) thanks so much
Solvang, CA is a beautiful little town that has a Danish celebration each year. This was where I had my first Abeleskiver and it was delicious! Thanks for the great pictures. I’m ready to put the pan on my Christmas wish list.
This pan would make a wonderful addition to my other utensils…truly unique.
i just told my mom that i wanted one of these for christmas, and she was completely baffled. i tried to explain it to her, but i still don’t think she understood… 🙂
Argh!! I live half a world away and know I won’t ever find that pan here 🙁 Three years is a long time to wait to try such a yummy treat! Love your kitchen wish list–I miss my stand mixer, my bowls, my RUBBER SCRAPER, etc. (And I thought I was the only one who liked to photograph food!) Thank you for a wonderful website! And thanks for the step-by-step pictures–very helpful (in 3 years!)
Ohh! I was just thinking about how I’d love to have an aebeleskiver pan so I could make some for my dad (he loves them)! I’m hesitant to buy one though because how often would I really make them? Maybe I’ll find a good deal or win this contest. haha!
I just heard about these earlier this month when I saw this unusual pan on Amazon. They sound great. I read that the traditional way to turn them is to use a knitting needle, which I loved (I’m a knitter).
I put “Artisan Bread in 5 minutes” on my wish list of the many (cook)books I want for the holiday. I’ve never had Aebleskiver, but they look scrumptious!
I received Artisan Bread for my birthday a couple of weeks ago, and I haven’t stopped baking since. There’s rye bread on the counter, english muffins in the bread drawer, and a bucket of buttermilk dough waiting to become raisin bread in the fridge. I love this book. You’ve made my Christmas shopping really easy this year. Thanks!!
Ooohh!! Those look good!! I’ll have to check out the Mill City farmer’s market next summer.
I saw these online and thought they were great. There’s got to be so many options of flavors to put in! They look pretty fun too. And a little 9 year old friend who likes to cook too thought they looked awesome (plus she loved saying Aebleskiver too!)
What great and versatile treats! I love the ideas for the fillings. Zoe, I check your website several times a week and am always delighted when you put up a new recipe, each a mini adventure. Thanks so much!