Ingredients
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2 applepeeled, cored, quartered, and chopped into half-inch pieces
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4 tsp Butter
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2 tsp cinnamon
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2 Eggs
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1 tbsp Sugar
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2 cups Flour
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1 tsp Baking Powder
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1 1/2 cup buttermilk
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1/4 cup powdered sugaroptional
Directions
This fried dough dessert resembles a golf ball in shape and size. Æbleskiver is baked in a specially made pan that produces perfectly round balls, hence its name. It was invented in Southern Jutland in the 17th century. It is a sweet vanilla-flavored dough filled with grated, sweetened apple and is enjoyed around Christmas. It is sometimes made sweeter with added jam and sugar, together with a cup of hot mulled wine, another German influence.
It also has a savoury cousin – filled with fish or bacon.
Preparation:
- In a medium-size pan, lightly sauté apple pieces in 2 tablespoons of butter until softened but still firm. Sprinkle with cinnamon.
- Separate the egg whites from yolks and beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Set aside.
- In a different bowl, whisk egg yolks and sugar together until creamy. Set aside.
- In a medium-size bowl, sift together flour and baking powder. Set aside.
- Gradually stir in half-cups of flour at a time, alternating with half-cups of buttermilk, into the egg mixture. Mix well until all buttermilk and flour are combined into the eggs.
- Gently fold beaten egg whites into batter.
- Heat up Æbleskiver pan over high heat. Once very hot, reduce the heat to medium.
- Place 1/8 teaspoon of butter into each well to grease, using a pastry brush to coat the round surface entirely.
- Spoon about 1 teaspoon of batter into each well, filling halfway, and place an apple chunk on the batter. Immediately spoon enough additional batter over the apples to cover and fill well to the top.
- Allow the pancake to cook until the sides begin to brown and pull away from the sides of the wells.
- Lightly run a knife or, in the traditional fashion, a knitting needle around the edge of each ball to loosen and then flip over to cook through for about 2 minutes.
- Remove the Æbleskiver to a plate and sprinkle with powdered sugar, if using, to serve.
