Danish Spherical Pancakes (Æbleskiver)
Æbleskiver Say it: EH-bleh-skee-ver
Æbleskiver are small, round Danish pancakes cooked in a dimpled pan until they puff into golden spheres, crisp outside and airy inside. Danes eat them all year, but especially in December, sold from stalls and made at home for Christmas gatherings. The batter is a light buttermilk pancake scented with cardamom and lemon zest, with stiff egg whites folded in for lift. They are dusted with powdered sugar and eaten with jam, torn open with the fingers rather than cut.
Danish Spherical Pancakes (Æbleskiver)
Æbleskiver
Pronounced EH-bleh-skee-ver
- Serves
- 4
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 40 min
- Total
- 1 hr
- Level
- Medium
Also nut-free.
Allergens: contains gluten, milk, egg. Check labels on packaged ingredients.
Ingredients
Amounts are scaled. Cooking times and pan sizes stay the same.
Batter
To cook and serve
Method
Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cardamom together in a large bowl.
In a second bowl whisk the buttermilk, egg yolks, melted butter and lemon zest until smooth, then pour into the dry ingredients and stir just until no dry flour remains. Let the batter rest for 20 minutes while you prepare the pan and jam.
Beat the egg whites with a clean whisk or electric mixer until they hold soft, glossy peaks, then fold them into the batter in two additions, cutting down and around with a spatula until only a few white streaks remain.
Set an æbleskiver pan over medium-low heat and let it come up to temperature for 3-4 minutes. Drop a small piece of butter into each well; it should sizzle gently, not brown instantly.
Fill each well about three-quarters full with batter. Cook undisturbed for 2-3 minutes, until the edges look set and matte and the underside is pale golden.
Push a thin skewer or knitting needle under the edge of one pancake and turn it a quarter turn so the uncooked batter runs down into the well. Repeat with the rest, then turn each one another quarter turn every minute or so.
Keep turning until each sphere has rotated a full circle, is evenly golden brown all over and feels light and set when prodded, about 6-8 minutes in total. Lift out onto a warm plate and cook the remaining batter, buttering the wells again as needed.
Dust generously with powdered sugar and serve straight away with a spoonful of jam for dipping.
Regional variant: Apple-filled æbleskiver (Æbleskiver med æble)
The older version hides a piece of apple in the middle. Peel a tart apple, cut it into 1/2-inch (1 cm) dice and toss with a little sugar and cinnamon. Pour the batter into the wells as usual, and as soon as the base sets, drop one piece of apple onto the centre of each before the first turn, then continue turning so the batter closes around it. Reduce the sugar in the batter by a tablespoon to compensate.
Cook's notes
- Cook one test æbleskiver first: if it browns within a minute the pan is too hot, so lower the heat and let it settle.
- Butter the wells with a small piece on the tip of a skewer between batches rather than pouring in butter, which makes the batter slide and smoke.
- The batter can rest in the fridge for up to 12 hours; stir in a splash of buttermilk to loosen it before folding in the egg whites.
Serve with
Powdered sugar and raspberry or lingonberry jam, with hot coffee, tea or a glass of gløgg in December.
Make ahead and storage
The batter keeps covered in the fridge overnight. Cooked æbleskiver keep 2 days in a sealed container and reheat in a 350°F (175°C) oven for 5-8 minutes, or briefly back in the pan.
