Danish aebleskivers

Almost a year ago I won another online contest, this one for food bloggers on the Foodie Blogroll (the listing of food bloggers you see on the bottom of the right side column). I won an aebleskiver kit that included the pan and the mix. The kit is from Aunt Else's Aebleskivers and they even have a gluten-free mix for those who need it.

Aunt Else's Aebleskiver Kit

Some may remember that I was in Solvang last April.  Solvang is a mostly Danish town in Southern California. While there we had tried some aebleskivers in the local restaurant. Aebleskiver means "apple slices". Originally they would put a slice of apple in the center of each pancake puff. Apparently that isn't done as much anymore. I don't see why not. I'd like a little surprise inside. So, in fact, we put berries inside of ours today. They are traditionally served with a berry sauce and powdered sugar. In Denmark they are eaten in December before Christmas. But they have also become popular to make and sell at special events and fundraisers - just like funnel cakes and elephant ears.

I hadn't used my kit til now because it's a breakfast treat that I needed to share with someone. Today I finally had the opportunity which also means I had a cameraman to video part of it.

Aebleskiver pans can be found for both gas or electric stoves, even some electric models. But most commonly you will find the heavy duty cast iron one like I got. Because it is cast iron you have to make sure that you season the pan and then never wash it with soap. I remember that when I first got the kit I immediately did one seasoning of the pan so that it would be ready for the day when I was ready to cook the aebleskivers. I heated the pan and brushed it well with oil and then put it in the oven to bake for an hour. (How to season cast iron instructions.)

Now I was finally ready to try it out. It took me a few tries to get it right. My first attempt was a disaster. My second was somewhat better. Third time was the charm.



The first attempt failed, I think, due to several reasons. My pan was probably not seasoned enough, the oil wasn't hot enough, and I tried to turn the aebleskivers too early. You can see the mess I made and the first batch went in the trash.



After scrubbing out the pan and heating it hotter the second time, I had better success - enough so that we were able to eat this batch.

Finally, on try number three, I got it right. I was sure enough that I shot video.



Success! Beautiful, perfect aebleskivers! You'll notice that on attempt #3 I didn't bother to fill them with a berry.



If you can't see the video, what we learned was to have a hot pan and oil and to wait until the batter is bubbling (like you do with regular flat pancakes) before you try to turn them.

Now that I've got my seasoned pan and got the kinks worked out, I can do some other versions. There's a great aebleskiver cookbook that you will see below in my Amazon links. It has recipes for sweet and savory versions. Also, the pan can be used for making Japanese Takoyaki, or octopus balls.

If you get the chance, make them. But at the very least, if you come across them at some Danish event, give these tasty treats a try.

We were so close to Solvang that I could not NOT show it to Michelle. Michelle is new to California so this whole trip was a way of showing her some more of the state. Our visit with Anne took us only about five miles from cute, touristy Solvang.

Solvang is a Danish-y town in the Santa Ynez valley. In the early 1900's a bunch of Danish families gravitated to the region and started the town near the Santa Ynez mission. The architecture was to remind them of home and it has since become a tourist destination to see this European gem in the California countryside.


If you are gonna visit Solvang you might as well eat Danish. We stopped for lunch at an outdoor cafe and shared a cold lunch combo consisting of open faced meatball, roast beef, and cheese sandwiches. They were topped with pickled cabbage and cucumber. The cheese was Havarti. It was very typical European - light and simple with just a small square of rye bread. We both liked the roast beef but found the meatball boring. It was a pork meatball, sliced, cold, and with no hint of spice or flavoring.


We had to also give Michelle a taste of ebelskivers. (I still haven't tried my new ebelskiver pan/mix that I won last month.) These round pancakes are served with raspberry sauce and powdered sugar. Some people will put a piece of apple or a bit of jam into the center of the ball. We asked about this but the waitress says that as far as the town was concerned, they were not filled. They are always served here in threes and freshly made to order. Each of us happily had a ball to ourselves and I made quick work of mine. I should have bought a bottle of the sauce while I was there.

I looked at more of the menu to see what else they served, but it wasn't too varied - schnitzel and sausages. I think I'll stick to the Danish stuff I like best, the baked goods.