Æbleskiver

Æbleskiver (Danish meaning "apple slices" (singular: "æbleskive")) are traditional Danish spherical pancakes, somewhat similar in texture to American pancakes. The English language spelling is usually ebleskiver or aebleskiver.

Æbleskive pan

Æbleskiver are cooked by frying in a special pan wíth several hemi-spherical indentations in the bottom of the pan. The pan exists in versions for gas and electrical stoves (the latter with a plain bottom). Pans are usually heavy, allowing good heat conduction, and often made of cast iron. Traditional models in hammered copper plate exist but are today used exclusively for decoration. Æbleskive pans can be purchased at some internet stores, and they are often found at antique shops mislabeled as egg poaching pans.

Preparation

The batter for æbleskiver usually includes wheat flour, which is mixed with milk or cream, eggs, fat (usually butter), sugar and a pinch of salt. Some recipes also include 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 flipped with a 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 or blackberry jam and then rolled in powdered sugar.

Æbleskiver can be bought fried and frozen at supermarkets, only needing heating in an oven.

In South Jutland and on Ærø the æbleskiver are usually filled with a teaspoonful of prune jam, a tradition leaning towards the German Berliner Pfannkuchen.

Traditions

In Denmark æbleskiver are common before Christmas. In December they are often served with gløgg, Scandinavian mulled wine.

They are also often sold at charity markets, scout arrangements, local sports gatherings and similar, or served at children's birthday parties, due to their popularity and easy preparation. Voluntary associations can gain a good profit from preparing them from the pre-fried, frozen stage and selling them, usually three at a time with the usual condiments. Unlike what is sometimes assumed in America, Danes don't eat æbleskiver for breakfast (at least not in modern times).

In North America there are several annual events that celebrate æbleskiver and Danish culture:

* Aebleskiver Days, July, Dickson, Alberta, Canada, at the [http://www.dancanmuseum.ca/id4.html Danish Canadian National Museum]
* Aebleskiver Days, fourth weekend in July, Tyler, Minnesota
* Scandinavian Festival, second weekend in August, Junction City, Oregon
* Danish Festival, third weekend in August, Greenville, Michigan
* Tivoli Fest, Memorial Day Weekend, Elk Horn, Iowa
* Askov Fair & Rutabaga Festival, featuring an aebleskiver stand, last weekend in August. (Askov, Minnesota)Old Danish colony town. City Hall:[phone]
* Danish Days, September, Solvang, California
* Æbleskiver Supper, third or fourth Saturday in September, Trinity Lutheran Church, Blooming Prairie, Minnesota. (At the Servicemen's Club)
* Danish Smorgasbord, first Saturday in November, at Immanuel Lutheran Church, Easton, California just south of Fresno, CA
* Julefest, Thanksgiving Weekend, Kimballton, Iowa

In Norway, warm waffles have much of the same function as æbleskiver in Denmark.

ee also

*Danish cuisine
*Paniyaram, a similar dish from the south of India that comes in sweet and savoury varieties.
*Poffertjes, a similar Dutch dish that is sweet.
*Takoyaki, a similar Japanese dish that is savory.

External links

* [http://www.solvangrestaurant.com/aebleskiver.html The Story of Aebleskiver] (Solvang Restaurant, Solvang, California)