Æbleskiver
 Æbleskiver | |
| Course | Dessert, snack |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | Denmark |
| Serving temperature | Hot |
| Main ingredients | Wheat flour, buttermilk, milk or cream, eggs, sugar |
Æbleskiver "Pancake Puffs" (Danish pronunciation: [ˈɛːb̥ləˌsɡ̊iːʊ̯ɐ], [singular: æbleskive]), also called "appleskives" are traditional pancakes in a distinctive shape of a sphere. The name literally means apple slices in Danish, although apples are not usually an ingredient in present-day versions. Somewhat similar in texture to European pancakes crossed with a popover or Yorkshire pudding, æbleskiver are solid like a pancake but light and fluffy like a popover. The English language spelling is usually aebleskiver or ebleskiver.
Æbleskive pan
Æbleskiver are cooked on the stove top by baking in a special pan with several hemispherical indentations. The pan exists in versions for gas and electrical stoves (the latter with a plain bottom). Pans are usually made of cast iron, allowing good heat retention. Traditional models in hammered copper plate exist but are today used primarily for decoration.
Preparation
The batter for æbleskiver usually includes wheat flour, which is mixed with buttermilk, milk or cream, eggs, sugar and a pinch of salt. Some recipes also include fat (usually butter), cardamom and lemon zest to improve taste, and a leavening agent, most often baking powder, but sometimes yeast, to aerate the batter.
Batter is poured into the oiled indentations and as the æbleskiver begin to cook, they are turned with a knitting needle, skewer or fork to give the cakes their characteristic spherical shape. They were traditionally cooked with bits of apple (æble) or applesauce inside but these ingredients are very rarely included in modern Danish forms of the dish. Æbleskiver are not sweet themselves but are traditionally served dipped in raspberry, strawberry, black currant or blackberry jam and sprinkled with powdered sugar.
Æbleskiver can be bought fried and frozen at supermarkets, only needing heating in an oven.
Traditions
In Denmark, æbleskiver are common at Christmas and over the days leading up to it. In December, they are often served with gløgg, Scandinavian mulled wine. In Norway, warm waffles have much of the same function as æbleskiver in Denmark.
They are also often sold at charity markets, Scouting functions, local sports gatherings and similar, or served at children's birthday parties, due to their popularity and easy preparation. Voluntary associations can gain profit from preparing them from the pre-fried, frozen stage and selling them, usually three at a time with the usual condiments.
In North America, there are several annual events that celebrate æbleskiver and Danish culture, with churches and museums holding "Æbleskiver Suppers" and similar events.
See also
- Danish cuisine
- Gai daan jai, a similar Chinese dish.
- List of pancakes
- Munker, a similar Norwegian dish that is sweet.
- Neyyappam, a similar sweet dish from Kerala used mainly as prasadam in temples.
- Paniyaram, a similar dish from the south of India that comes in sweet and savoury varieties.
- Poffertjes, a similar Dutch dish that is sweet.
- Popover
- Takoyaki, a savoury Japanese version that features octopus.
- Unni Appam, a similar dish from Kerala that is made in both sweet and spicy styles.
Notes
External links
- The Story of Aebleskiver (Solvang Restaurant, Solvang, California)
- Danish American Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota
