Æbleskiver
Encyclopedia
Æbleskiver are traditional Danish
pancakes in a distinctive shape of a sphere. Somewhat similar in texture to American
pancakes crossed with a popover
, æbleskiver are solid like a pancake but light and fluffy like a popover. The English language
spelling is usually aebleskiver or ebleskiver.
In the United States, a version of æbleskiver is sold with a commercially repackaged pan, branded as "Pancake Puffs".
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 stove
s (the latter with a plain bottom). Pans are usually made of cast iron
, allowing good heat conduction. Traditional models in hammered copper
plate exist but are today used primarily for decoration.
, 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
, lingonberry or blackberry
jam
and sprinkled with powdered sugar
.
Æbleskiver can be bought fried and frozen at supermarkets, only needing heating in an oven.
. In December, they are often served with gløgg, Scandinavian mulled wine
. In Norway, warm waffle
s 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
:
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
pancakes in a distinctive shape of a sphere. Somewhat similar in texture to American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
pancakes crossed with a popover
Popover
A popover is a light, hollow roll made from an egg batter similar to that of Yorkshire pudding, typically baked in muffin tins.Popovers may be served either as a sweet, topped with fruit and whipped cream for breakfast or with afternoon tea, or with meats at lunch and dinner.-Name:The name...
, æbleskiver are solid like a pancake but light and fluffy like a popover. The English language
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
spelling is usually aebleskiver or ebleskiver.
In the United States, a version of æbleskiver is sold with a commercially repackaged pan, branded as "Pancake Puffs".
Æbleskive pan
Baking
Baking is the technique of prolonged cooking of food by dry heat acting by convection, and not by radiation, normally in an oven, but also in hot ashes, or on hot stones. It is primarily used for the preparation of bread, cakes, pastries and pies, tarts, quiches, cookies and crackers. Such items...
in a special pan with several hemispherical indentations. The pan exists in versions for gas and electrical stove
Stove
A stove is an enclosed heated space. The term is commonly taken to mean an enclosed space in which fuel is burned to provide heating, either to heat the space in which the stove is situated or to heat the stove itself, and items placed on it...
s (the latter with a plain bottom). Pans are usually made of cast iron
Cast iron
Cast iron is derived from pig iron, and while it usually refers to gray iron, it also identifies a large group of ferrous alloys which solidify with a eutectic. The color of a fractured surface can be used to identify an alloy. White cast iron is named after its white surface when fractured, due...
, allowing good heat conduction. Traditional models in hammered copper
Copper
Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29. It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is soft and malleable; an exposed surface has a reddish-orange tarnish...
plate exist but are today used primarily for decoration.
Preparation
The batter for æbleskiver usually includes wheat flourWheat flour
Wheat flour is a powder made from the grinding of wheat used for human consumption. More wheat flour is produced than any other flour. Wheat varieties are called "clean," "white," or "brown" if they have high gluten content, and they are called "soft" or "weak" flour if gluten content is low...
, which is mixed with buttermilk
Buttermilk
Buttermilk refers to a number of dairy drinks. Originally, buttermilk was the liquid left behind after churning butter out of cream. It also refers to a range of fermented milk drinks, common in warm climates where unrefrigerated fresh milk otherwise sours quickly...
, milk
Milk
Milk is a white liquid produced by the mammary glands of mammals. It is the primary source of nutrition for young mammals before they are able to digest other types of food. Early-lactation milk contains colostrum, which carries the mother's antibodies to the baby and can reduce the risk of many...
or cream
Cream
Cream is a dairy product that is composed of the higher-butterfat layer skimmed from the top of milk before homogenization. In un-homogenized milk, over time, the lighter fat rises to the top. In the industrial production of cream this process is accelerated by using centrifuges called "separators"...
, eggs
Egg (food)
Eggs are laid by females of many different species, including birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fish, and have probably been eaten by mankind for millennia. Bird and reptile eggs consist of a protective eggshell, albumen , and vitellus , contained within various thin membranes...
, sugar
Sugar
Sugar is a class of edible crystalline carbohydrates, mainly sucrose, lactose, and fructose, characterized by a sweet flavor.Sucrose in its refined form primarily comes from sugar cane and sugar beet...
and a pinch of salt
Salt
In chemistry, salts are ionic compounds that result from the neutralization reaction of an acid and a base. They are composed of cations and anions so that the product is electrically neutral...
. Some recipes also include fat
Fat
Fats consist of a wide group of compounds that are generally soluble in organic solvents and generally insoluble in water. Chemically, fats are triglycerides, triesters of glycerol and any of several fatty acids. Fats may be either solid or liquid at room temperature, depending on their structure...
(usually butter
Butter
Butter is a dairy product made by churning fresh or fermented cream or milk. It is generally used as a spread and a condiment, as well as in cooking applications, such as baking, sauce making, and pan frying...
), cardamom
Cardamom
Cardamom refers to several plants of the genera Elettaria and Amomum in the ginger family Zingiberaceae. Both genera are native to India and Bhutan; they are recognised by their small seed pod, triangular in cross-section and spindle-shaped, with a thin papery outer shell and small black seeds...
and lemon zest
Zest
-Food ingredient:*Zest , the outer peel of a citrus fruit**Zester, tool for preparing zest**Twist , a piece of zest-Commercial product:*Zest , a Procter & Gamble trademark...
to improve taste, and a leavening agent
Leavening agent
A leavening agent is any one of a number of substances used in doughs and batters that cause a foaming action which lightens and softens the finished product...
, most often baking powder
Baking powder
Baking powder is a dry chemical leavening agent used to increase the volume and lighten the texture of baked goods such as muffins, cakes, scones and American-style biscuits. Baking powder works by releasing carbon dioxide gas into a batter or dough through an acid-base reaction, causing bubbles in...
, but sometimes yeast
Yeast
Yeasts are eukaryotic micro-organisms classified in the kingdom Fungi, with 1,500 species currently described estimated to be only 1% of all fungal species. Most reproduce asexually by mitosis, and many do so by an asymmetric division process called budding...
, 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
Apple
The apple is the pomaceous fruit of the apple tree, species Malus domestica in the rose family . It is one of the most widely cultivated tree fruits, and the most widely known of the many members of genus Malus that are used by humans. Apple grow on small, deciduous trees that blossom in the spring...
(æble) or applesauce
Applesauce
Apple sauce or applesauce is a purée made of apples. It can be made with peeled or unpeeled apples and a variety of spices . Fruit flavorings or sweeteners such as sugar, high-fructose corn syrup, or sucralose are also commonly added...
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
Raspberry
The raspberry or hindberry is the edible fruit of a multitude of plant species in the genus Rubus, most of which are in the subgenus Idaeobatus; the name also applies to these plants themselves...
, strawberry
Strawberry
Fragaria is a genus of flowering plants in the rose family, Rosaceae, commonly known as strawberries for their edible fruits. Although it is commonly thought that strawberries get their name from straw being used as a mulch in cultivating the plants, the etymology of the word is uncertain. There...
, lingonberry or blackberry
Blackberry
The blackberry is an edible fruit produced by any of several species in the Rubus genus of the Rosaceae family. The fruit is not a true berry; botanically it is termed an aggregate fruit, composed of small drupelets. The plants typically have biennial canes and perennial roots. Blackberries and...
jam
Fruit preserves
Fruit preserves are preparations of fruits and sugar, often canned or sealed for long-term storage. The preparation of fruit preserves today often involves adding commercial or natural pectin as a gelling agent, although sugar or honey may be used, as well. Prior to World War II, fruit preserve...
and sprinkled with powdered sugar
Powdered sugar
Powdered sugar, also known as confectioners' sugar or icing sugar, is very fine sugar. When intended for home use, it typically contains a small amount of anti-caking agent....
.
Æbleskiver can be bought fried and frozen at supermarkets, only needing heating in an oven.
Traditions
In Denmark, æbleskiver are common before ChristmasChristmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
. In December, they are often served with gløgg, Scandinavian mulled wine
Mulled wine
Mulled wine, variations of which are popular in Europe, is wine, usually red, combined with spices and typically served warm. It is a traditional drink during winter, especially around Christmas and Halloween.-Glühwein:...
. In Norway, warm waffle
Waffle
A waffle is a batter- or dough-based cake cooked in a waffle iron patterned to give a distinctive and characteristic shape. There are many variations based on the type and shape of the iron and the recipe used....
s 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
Culture of Denmark
The culture of Denmark, while rich in the arts, has some general characteristics associated with Danish society and everyday culture. Modesty, punctuality but above all equality are important aspects of the Danish way of life...
:
- Founders Day, June 19 of every year, New Denmark, New BrunswickNew Denmark, New BrunswickNew Denmark is a Canadian rural community in Victoria County, New Brunswick.The community derives its name from several Danish settlers who inhabited the area in 1872, eventually forming the largest and what would become the oldest Danish community in Canada; the Danish influence has diminished...
, Canada (the country's largest and oldest Danish community) - Constitution Day, First Saturday in June, Sunset Villa, Puslinch, Ontario, Canada
- Scandinavian Festival, April, California Lutheran UniversityCalifornia Lutheran UniversityCalifornia Lutheran University is a university of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America located in Thousand Oaks, California.-Mission statement:The University's mission statement is as follows:...
, Thousand Oaks, CaliforniaThousand Oaks, CaliforniaThousand Oaks is a city in southeastern Ventura County, California, in the United States. It was named after the many oak trees that grace the area, and the city seal is adorned with an oak.... - Aebleskiver Breakfast, Palm Sunday Christ Lutheran church, West Covina, California
- Aebleskiver Days, July, Dickson, AlbertaDickson, AlbertaDickson is a hamlet in central Alberta, Canada within Red Deer County. It is located approximately west of Innisfail near the Dickson Dam and Gleniffer Lake. It is within Census Division No. 8.- History :...
, Canada, at the Danish Canadian National Museum - Aebleskiver Days, fourth weekend in July, Tyler, MinnesotaTyler, MinnesotaAs of the census of 2000, there were 1,218 people, 532 households, and 338 families residing in the city. The population density was 632.8 people per square mile . There were 577 housing units at an average density of 299.8 per square mile . The racial makeup of the city was 97.78% White, 0.49%...
- Scandinavian Festival, second weekend in August, Junction City, OregonJunction City, OregonJunction City is a city in Lane County, Oregon, United States. The population was 5,392 at the 2010 census.- History :In the 1870s, Junction City was named by railroad magnate Ben Holladay, who decided this would be where the rail line on the east side of the Willamette Valley would meet the rail...
- Danish Festival, third weekend in August, Greenville, MichiganGreenville, MichiganGreenville is a city in Montcalm County of the U.S. state of Michigan. Portions of the county are associated with the Western region while others are more closely associated with the Central Michigan region. The population was 8,481 at the 2010 census...
- Askov Fair & Rutabaga Festival, featuring an æbleskiver stand, last weekend in August, Askov, MinnesotaAskov, MinnesotaAs of the census of 2000, there were 368 people, 165 households, and 92 families residing in the city. The population density was 288.3 people per square mile . There were 181 housing units at an average density of 141.8 per square mile...
(Old Danish colony town) - Tivoli Fest, Memorial Day Weekend, Elk Horn, IowaElk Horn, IowaElk Horn is a city in Shelby County, Iowa, United States. The population was 649 at the 2000 census. Elk Horn is known as a center of Danish ethnicity and is home to The Danish Immigrant Museum...
- Danish Days, September, Solvang, CaliforniaSolvang, CaliforniaSolvang is a city in Santa Barbara County, California, United States. It is one of the communities that make up the Santa Ynez Valley. The population was 5,245 at the 2010 census, down from 5,332 at the 2000 census...
- Æbleskiver Supper, September, Trinity Lutheran Church, Blooming Prairie, MinnesotaBlooming Prairie, MinnesotaBlooming Prairie is a city in Dodge and Steele counties in the U.S. state of Minnesota. The population was 1,996 at the 2010 census. Most of the city lies in Steele County; only a small part of the city extends into Dodge County.-History:...
- Danish Smorgasbord, first Saturday in November, Immanuel Lutheran Church, Easton, CaliforniaEaston, CaliforniaEaston is a census-designated place in Fresno County, California, United States. The population was 2,083 at the 2010 census, up from 1,966 at the 2000 census...
- Julefest, Thanksgiving Weekend, Kimballton, IowaKimballton, IowaKimballton is a city in Audubon County, Iowa, United States. The population was 342 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Kimballton is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land....
- The Christmas Bazaar, November, Danish Lutheran Church, Toronto, Ontario
- SVYM Christmas Brunch in Boulder Creek, CaliforniaBoulder Creek, CaliforniaBoulder Creek is a census-designated place in Santa Cruz County, California, United States. The population was 4,923 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Boulder Creek is located at ....
- Yule Fest and Viking Days at the Nordic Heritage MuseumNordic Heritage MuseumNordic Heritage Museum is located in the Ballard neighborhood of Seattle, Washington, considered to be the heart of the Scandinavian community. Founded in 1980, the museum is dedicated to the heritage of Seattle's Nordic immigrants, i.e. Danish, Finnish, Icelandic, Norwegian and Swedish Americans...
in Seattle, WashingtonSeattle, WashingtonSeattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
See also
- Danish cuisine
- PopoverPopoverA popover is a light, hollow roll made from an egg batter similar to that of Yorkshire pudding, typically baked in muffin tins.Popovers may be served either as a sweet, topped with fruit and whipped cream for breakfast or with afternoon tea, or with meats at lunch and dinner.-Name:The name...
- PaniyaramPaniyaramThe Kuzhi paniyaram is a South Indian dish made by steaming batter — traditionally made from pulses and rice using a mould. The batter used is the same as that for idli and dosa. Kuzhi paniyarams can be made sweet or spicy...
, a similar dish from the south of India that comes in sweet and savoury varieties. - PoffertjesPoffertjesPoffertjes are a traditional Dutch batter treat. Resembling small, fluffy pancakes, they are made with yeast and buckwheat flour. Unlike American pancakes, they have a light, spongey texture...
, a similar DutchNetherlandsThe Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
dish that is sweet. - TakoyakiTakoyakiis a popular ball-shaped Japanese dumpling or more like a savory pancake made of batter and cooked in a special takoyaki pan...
, a similar Japanese version that uses octopus. - Gai daan jaiGai daan jaiAn eggette is a kind of spherical pancake or ball waffle popular in the Cantonese-speaking regions of China, including Hong Kong and Macau. The food item is also referred to as an egg puff, egg waffle, bubble waffle or by its Cantonese name, gai daan jai , and is made from eggs, sugar, flour, and...
, a similar Chinese dish.
External links
- The Story of Aebleskiver (Solvang Restaurant, Solvang, CaliforniaSolvang, CaliforniaSolvang is a city in Santa Barbara County, California, United States. It is one of the communities that make up the Santa Ynez Valley. The population was 5,245 at the 2010 census, down from 5,332 at the 2000 census...
)