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 my god they’re fabulous! We ate the first and second batches and we’re working on the 3rd right now!
And to help with the pronounciation:
Æblesliver
Eh-ble-ski-ver
Eh as in canadian “eh?”, but shorter
Ble as in “blend”
Ski as what you do down hill on snow
Ver as in wow, without closing the word with w.
Now say that fast and you should have it. 😉
Hope it helps.
Comment won’t seem to submit, but I want to say wow those look so amazing. And I always wondered but seems no one else has ever admitted that yes, there is effort: the chopsticks are BRILLIANT.
Aebleskivers? I actually would LOVE an aebleskivers pan. Always wanted one. Gave one for Christmas last year… cursing the fact that I gave it away. Please send one pronto!
As a Dane it is fun to see other nations getting into æbleskiver, here it is the best thing to eat at christmas (and the rest of the year), they are sold everywhere, and are usually served with mulled wine on the side. My mom and grandmothers have made them forever. The recipee is no secret here, so I thought I would share; this is the recipe I grew up with:
Grandma’s Aebleskiver
6 eggs
1 2/3 cups of cream or milk
2 tablespoons of sugar
1/2 cup of butter or margarine
2 cups of all purpose flour
Zest of half a lemon
Whisk butter, sugar and yolks together.
Add cream, flour of lemon zest.
Just before cooking, whisk the egg whites stiff and add them carefully.
Bake as Aunt Else’s. Possibly use butter instead of oil – gives a much better taste.
Enjoy! (I certainly do 😉 )
Hello-
Found your blog after I heard you on FM107 recently. Love the layout and all the information you provide!
Would love to try this pan! My daughter and I think this would be a great addition to our in-a-hurry school day breakfast options! Would love to try it out, but we’d better learn how to pronounce them!
Thanks for making great baking seem so possible for the amateur!
I just found that a friend has an aebleskiver and the treats are delicious. It is a family heirloom that is about 40 years old. I am glad to see someone out there who is into using retro equipment like myself. One of my latest finds is a stove top Belgium Waffle maker.
OMG Zoe you are amazing! They look wonderful and I would love to try it out.
I’ve never seen those pans before, looks like little pancake spheres!
They look wonderful, would love to give it a try. I am hooked on the 5 minute bread receipes!
I would love one of those pans. My 12 year old daughter would love using it too. Happy Holidays.
Sue
I have always wondered what those were, that’s fabulous thanks for the treat. My kids love pot stickers, samosas, knishes, calzones and on now.. I’m going to have to get one! thanks and thanks for your wonderful book I make your bread 5 times a week!
Lori
Aebleskiver sounds so good! I’ve never had them but I bet they’d be delicious with a sweet filling!
Wonderful process photos, Zoe! I’ve been dying to try these. I saw the pans for years at antique shows before finding out what they were for. Now I need one!
Great photos! They look soft and warm and perfect!
Boy those look yummy. My best friend back in college introduced me to them and I would sure love to have another taste.
I’ve had these once. They were so good. I had never seen nor heard of them before either. I’d love to make these with my girls.
Your holiday gift list is great. So many things I want on there.
Hi
I’m a little late to the party but if the contest is still open I’d love to win the Aebelskiver. Stephanie
We love Aebleskivers!!
Thank you so much for pictures and directions for Abelskivers! My cooking club is going to make these next month:)
Julie
Have always wanted to try making these. They are delicious! Endless combos to fill them with.
Hi Jane,
You read my mind. I have some Brioche dough in the refrigerator and was going to try that in the Aebleskiver pan!
I’ll let you know how it goes! 😉
Zoë
Zoe, this is Jane again.
I was wondering if you have tried cooking some of the doughs from the Artisan bread in the Aebleskiver pan? Would that work?
It is fun to see these ideas in so many different cultures, I have seen the Koreans, and Japanese fill them with custard or red bean filling, this is becoming the newest fad in the Northern California area. Now I know that they are also from Europe. They seem delicious, I just got a pan, now I need to find the mix…..
Thanks so much for the instructions, would love to try them. I always want a new cookbook each year for Christmas, this year it’s going to be The Art & Soul of Baking.