Æbleskiver (Danish Pancake Puffs)
In short: Light round pancake puffs flavored with cardamom and lemon, browned in a special pan and dusted with powdered sugar, a Danish Christmas favorite with jam. It takes about 50 min in total and makes 6 servings.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 30 min
- Total
- 50 min
- Servings
- 6
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 400 kcal
Æbleskiver are round, airy pancake puffs cooked in a special pan with half-spherical wells and turned with a skewer so they brown on every side. The name means apple slices, from the apple once tucked inside, though today most are plain and perfumed with cardamom and lemon. Danes eat them in December with powdered sugar and raspberry jam for dipping.
Instructions
- Whisk the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, cardamom and lemon zest in a large bowl.
- In another bowl whisk the buttermilk, egg yolks and melted butter. Pour into the dry mixture and stir until just combined.
- Whisk the egg whites to stiff peaks. Fold them into the batter in two additions, keeping it as airy as you can.
- Heat an æbleskive pan over medium heat. Put a little butter in each well and fill each about three quarters full with batter.
- Cook for 2 minutes, until the edges set, then turn each puff a quarter turn with a skewer so the raw batter flows into the well. Keep turning every minute or so for about 5 minutes, until each is a golden sphere and cooked through.
- Keep the cooked puffs warm in a low oven and repeat with the remaining batter and butter. Serve warm, dusted with powdered sugar, with jam for dipping.
Tips
- Keep the heat at medium. If the pan is too hot, the shells brown before the center sets, so cook a test puff and cut it open: the inside should be light and cooked, not liquid.
- No æbleskive pan? A cake-pop pan with round wells also works, though a heavy cast-iron pan browns the puffs most evenly.
Questions and answers
Do æbleskiver contain apples?
Traditionally a piece of apple was tucked in the center, hence the name. Today most are plain, though you can drop a small piece of apple, a prune or a teaspoon of jam into each puff before the first turn.
Can I make the batter ahead?
Mix the batter without the egg whites up to 12 hours ahead and chill it. Whisk the whites and fold them in just before cooking, to keep the puffs light.
What do you serve with them?
Powdered sugar and a bowl of raspberry or strawberry jam for dipping are the classics, with coffee or warm mulled wine in December.
How long does it take to make Æbleskiver (Danish Pancake Puffs)?
About 50 min in total: 20 min of preparation and 30 min of cooking.
How many calories are in Æbleskiver (Danish Pancake Puffs)?
About 400 kcal per serving, with 10 g of protein, 58 g of carbohydrates and 14 g of fat. These values are estimates.
Nutrition per serving
| Calories | 400 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 10 g |
| Carbohydrates | 58 g |
| Fat | 14 g |
| Fiber | 2 g |
| Sugar | 30 g |
| Sodium | 450 mg |
Estimated values, calculated from the ingredients.
