aebleskivers

What are aebleskivers?
A holiday in Denmark often begins with a breakfast of puffy little pastries called aebleskivers (ebleskivers). These round pastries are made on the stovetop and filled with sweet or savory fillings. Traditionally, they are made with an apple filling or served with applesauce (hence their name). They say a slice of banana is really good. Like other great pastries, wonderful variations have evolved. Now you can find aebleskivers filled with everything from jam to pastry cream to cheese.

How do you make aebleskivers?
Aebleskivers are made with heavy cast iron or cast aluminum pans with round wells about 2 1/2 inches in diameter. The heavy metal holds the heat and bakes the aebleskivers. Traditionally, each well is filled about 2/3 full of batter, the filling spooned on top of the batter, and then more batter placed on top of the filling. Now, they are often cooked without the filling and then injected with pastry cream or whipped toppings with a pastry bag or decorating set.

What can I fill my aebleskivers with?
While apple pieces and applesauce may be the traditional filling, almost anything will work, cheese, bacon pieces, and sausage pieces for breakfast aebleskivers. Jams work fine. Some jellies tend to melt while cooking but work fine with a decorating set or pastry bag. With a decorating set, almost an unlimited number of soft filings can be used: pastry creams, whipped creams, frostings, and pudding. Just insert the tip in the seam of the aebleskivers and press the filling in.

Can I use a pancake mix or my favorite pancake recipe?
Absolutely! But you do want a lighter batter than pancake batter. Whip three egg whites until stiff peaks form, fold in the egg whites. The egg whites will make a fluffy batter.

You need the half-round wells to make your aebleskivers in. An aebleskiver pan is made of heavy metal to hold the heat and cook the aebleskivers. Aebleskiver pans come in two types: cast iron and cast aluminum. Both work well. Cast iron pans must be seasoned like other cast iron bakeware and must be kept dry. But nothings holds the heat like cast iron. Cast aluminum is easier to care for and has a more finished, less rustic appearance. If you get a cast aluminum pan, make certain that it has a nonstick finish. Once you’ve made aebleskivers a time or two, you will find them very easy. They’re a lot of fun and you can experiment forever. You’ll especially appreciate them in the summer—you don’t have to heat up the oven to enjoy your pastries. Instead of making them on the stovetop, make them on the patio. If you’re a camper, buy one for your camping gear and make aebleskivers at the campsite over a cook stove.