Nearly a year ago I made my first aebleskiver, thanks to the good folks at Aunt Else’s who introduced me to this fabulous culinary orb at the Mill City Farmer’s Market. They gave me a pan and a package of their mix and off I went. Now I make them with my sons on a regular basis. The boys love the process of cooking them almost as much as eating them. We’ve tried stuffing just about everything but the kitchen sink in the centers. Sometimes sweet, sometimes savory. Seriously, if you cook anything in the shape of a sphere my kids will eat anything at all. Although I don’t always stick to the Aunt Else’s mix, I have to say it is better than any of the batters I’ve come up with so far. It is made with local, organic, whole grain ingredients so I can’t feel too guilty about using it on occasion. I’m still looking for the perfect recipe.
Last night was the threat of our first frost, which means winter is on its way and my garden is seeing its final days. Stefan came over to do a big harvest, which was bittersweet. I got such a gorgeous bounty, but it was one of the last. I will miss picking fresh veggies from my backyard farm. I dread going to the grocery store to buy things that I have picked for myself all summer. One of the plants in grave danger of being destroyed by the cold was the basil. I have LOTS of basil and in one cold snap it could all die. That was the inspiration for my pesto and mozzarella stuffed aebleskivers. Not exactly traditional, but a match made in heaven!
Pesto from one of my most used cookbooks How to Eat Supper:
1 large garlic clove
1/8 teaspoon salt
2/3 tight-packed cup fresh young basil leaves
2 heaping tablespoons pine nuts
1/4 cup grated Fiore Sardo sheep cheese or American Stella Fontinella: or 3 tablespoons fresh grated Locatelli Romano
1/2 cup fresh grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup Fresh Mozzerella, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
Pasta sauce for dipping (optional) – although the Country-Style Ragu from The Splendid Table will change your life.
Aebleskiver recipe: Aunt Else’s Mix or this one that I found on the LA Times Website (not whole grain)
To make the pesto:
In a mortar & pestle
Heat your seasoned pan over medium heat. Add 1/2 teaspoon of vegetable oil.
Fill the wells about 3/4 full, not too much or they will overflow when you add the filling.
Let them cook for about 2 minutes and then give them a turn, about 1/3 of the way around.
Quickly toss together the chunks of cheese with about 2 tablespoons of the pesto. Put in about a 1/2 teaspoon of the filling. make sure that the filling is poked down into the batter so that the cheese doesn’t end up sticking to the pan.
Complete the turns. To do this without burning your fingers or poking too many holes in the aebleskivers I use a pair of tongs to help. I discovered this because my young sons like to flip them all by themselves and I was afraid they’d burn their fingers. It works like a charm.
I served these with a salad from the tomatoes and basil in my garden, along with the fresh mozzarella.
We split the aebleskivers open and filled it with the Country-Style Ragu.
Wow…wonderful! I’m just dying to try Aunt Else’s mix! We are all about local and whole grain =o)
I’d guess we would do a blueberry/cream cheese filled. Yum!
I would make plain ones first since I’ve never made them before, and then I’d like to try a chocolate-filled or cheese-filled recipe.
Looks absolutely fabulous! The pictures are beautiful lady! I would LOVE to have the pan to do just plain traditional ones – a thing I have thought of making a tradition up North in the woods of Minnesota! 🙂
Otherwise, I guess I should go and buy me a pan from one of the many local shops there, and learn from you when you come up to visit! xo J
I would try
savory: brie, prosciutto, and fig jam
sweet: banana with dulce de leche
thanks for the contest!
I love me the unitaskers. No seriously, I actually do love great kitchen items that have been perfected to create what they were designed to create, a la this pan, gnocchi rolling boards etc. I would definitely say the first aebleskivers would probably be cardamom and orange.
I’d make some filled with chocolate & then some with lots of cheese.
I just made some scuppernong/muscadine preserves and am thinking that is what I’d fill them with. These preserves are to die for! I used the recipe from the Lee Bros. Cookbook.
Wow. These look so good! I have never made (or heard of) these before. I’ve got some blackberries in the freezer that would probably make a good sweet treat. I love the cheese and nut ideas above as well.
I would use the pancake batter that I have been adapting for the past two weeks with a cranberry filling as a substitute for the cranberries I have been putting in the cakes.
Batter:
Wet ingredients (kinda):
2/3 cup canned pumpkin
1/3 cup fage 0% (or fat free cottage cheese often gets substituted)
1/2 cup oatmeal (soak in 1/2 cup water overnight or cook briefly in microwave, flavored kinds can spice things up)
2 yokes
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 egg whites beaten to stiff peaks and folded into above (mix first ingredients, beat egg whites, fold in and immediately add dry in 2-3 additions and wisk only until just combined)
Dry:
1/2 cup bob’s red mill 10 grain pancake mix
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp double action baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
pinch salt
Cranberry compote:
I figure just reduce down 2-3 cups cranberries with cup sugar or so (to taste because the sweetness will help but they must retain their tart flavor because I really like how they balance the pumpkin)
It’s amazing how I keep seeing references to Aebleskiver recipes in the oddest places, and would love to see them make a comeback. Who knows, maybe my favorite bfast place will start offering them before long.
These would be so good stuffed with a sausage cheese filling. Chorizo and Pepper jack. Or maybe nutella, or maybe. Shucks, just plain cheddar cheese would be good.
thanks for the chance.
I think I’d go with a bacon spinach filing. Or maybe tiny versions of the ham & sauerkraut balls that they used to make in the food court in college.
I’m so hungry now.
I’d start with prosciutto and gruyere, and then I’d have to go with a blueberry ricotta mix, dusted with powdered sugar at the end.
These would be fabulous with a thick fig jam, goat cheese and walnuts- this being a mixture of sweet and savory!
Homemade ricotta paired with a variety of either sweet (fruit jam) or savory (fresh herbs, sun dried tomatoes) ingredients is another thought. I love your web site. You and your web site are simply the best ever!
Yummy Balls ! I would make one filled with chocolate, just the thought of melting chocolate as I bite served with raspberry sauce….
I have never made these before but, would never shy away from something new. How exciting!!!I would love to make some aebleskivers stuffed with apple compote to start!!! Then maybe a cheese, rice and herb mixture. Oh my, I could keep going easily.
Yumm! I’ve never had aebleskivers before but I’d probably make some savory ones with ham and cheese w/ herbs to start with – and then some with bacon, tomato and avacodo.
Mmmm, that is such a good question, Zoe. I think I would fill mine with apples, cinnamon, and caramel.
But wouldn’t a blini variation be great? Make them out of buckwheat and fill them with creme fraiche and caviar?
But maybe the caviar would get mushy. Certainly wouldn’t bea ble to see it very well. But who knows?
I admit: I missed your irst aebleskiver post. But now I’m fascinated! I’d probably do something like fig jam, diced cooked pancetta, and a bit of cheese. Goat cheese, maybe? Anyway, they look delicious and fun!
I love the shape of that pan. I have chololate and peanut butter on my mind right now so I think it will be something with those 2 ingredients.
I’d love to make berry stuffed aebleskivers for my grandkids who love anything with fresh berries.
I’ve never made these but I love the idea of a savory filling. I’d probably start with a cinnamon-apple filling, though, or a lemony ricotta?
Hmmm…cheddar and bacon? Proscuitto and some kind of cheese? Brie and apple? The possibilities are endless!
We must’ve been hiding under the same culinary rock as I have never had one but from your first post, I would probably make a traditional one or one filled with apples as they are all over my kitchen right now.
I would make nutella stuffed aebleskivers. Though I would love to make the ones you made as well. They look delish!
I would love to make nutella filled sweet ones. For savory, what about goat cheese and herbs? Yours look so yummy!!