Aebleskiver (Danish Pancake Balls)

Folks-

I keep figuring out that there are family recipes that I've forgotten to post here. The family recipe for aebleskiver is one of them.

Aebleskiver, also known as Danish Pancake Balls are a delicious breakfast treat served with raspberry jam and whipped cream in Solvang here in California. We've been making them since I was little.

To make them properly, you'll need a good cast iron Aebleskiver pan, the heavier the better, a cake-pop maker, or a Takoyaki maker. The ones they make in Solvang are almost the size of tennis balls, but most home pans make aebleskiver that are a bit larger than golf balls, and smaller is still tasty. Another useful tool to make these is a bamboo skewer to turn them as they're cooking in the pan, but only if you're using the cast iron pan or Takoyaki maker. A cake-pop maker doesn't need it since it cooks the entire aebleskiver at once. Regardless of the pan type, have a pastry brush handy. You need to butter the cups in the pan.

Notes on Aebleskiver pans: Non-stick is fine for electric, but avoid it for the cooktop. Avoid aluminum cooktop pans at all costs. It will not heat anywhere near evenly enough. Even for cast iron, get the heaviest one you can find/afford. I've used thinner cast iron pans and still found them heating unevenly enough to both burn some and undercook other aebleskivers at the same time. You are functionally baking them on the cooktop, not frying them, so you need even heat.

Here's the recipe!

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups all purpose flour (can use self-rising flour, but omit baking powder and salt)

2 3/4 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons sugar

1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom and/or cinnamon and/or ground ginger and/or allspice and/or nutmeg or pumpkin spice or 1/8 teaspoon cloves (all options have tested well)

1 large egg

1 cup milk or buttermilk or 3/4 cup milk plus 1/4 cup sour cream or yogurt (if using buttermilk, reduce baking powder to 2 teaspoons and add 1/2 teaspoon baking soda to dry ingredients. No changes if also using self-rising flour.)

2 tablespoons melted butter plus more for coating the pan's cups

Jam and whipped cream for serving

Mix together all dry ingredients. Beat egg with milk, and add in 2 tablespoons melted butter. Add wet ingredients to dry and mix just until wet. Batter will be lumpy.

Place cast iron pan over medium-low heat or plug in cake-pop maker or Takoyaki maker and heat until a drop of water dropped into a cup sizzles.

Brush cups with melted butter and fill cups about three-quarters with batter. 

For a cast iron pan or Takoyaki maker, wait about 1 1/2 minutes until a crust forms on the bottom, then insert the bamboo skewer into the bottom of the cup and turn the aebleskiver a bit more than halfway, allow to cook another minute, then turn the rest of the way to close the ball. 

Close a cake-pop maker and allow to cook for about 3 minutes or until golden brown. 

Serve warm with jam and whipped cream. If using a large enough pan, you can split the aebleskiver before coating with jam.