Have you ever been to Solvang, CA? Well I have but it was years ago. When I went I was more interested in visiting the crafting and cross stitch stores than anything else but that was my craft at the time. Well, this year for Christmas I received a wonderful treat… an Aebleskiver pan, mix and some raspberry jam. All from Solvang restaurant! It brought back some wonderful travel memories of a trip with Mom back in the 90′s. So for the New Year I set out to try something altogether new! But what, dear God, is Aebleskiver you ask?
Directly from the former owner of Solvang restaurant: “Aebleskiver are a delicacy, supposedly invented by some Dane back in history. They are like a waffle or a pancake formed like a tennis ball. The name makes people believe that there are slices of apples inside, which is correct— if you put apple slices inside! You see, everybody, including me, has their own favorite recipe and way of serving them, all depending from where in Denmark the recipe came from.” To see more visit www.solvangrestaurant.com
Anyway, during my holiday I seasoned the cast iron pan by covering it with melted vegetable shortening and baking it for over an hour. This will need to be repeated over the life of the pan but one seasoning should last years at the rate I make this desert!
With a seasoned pan and the mix combined with eggs and milk (and a friend coming over to help me consume them) I set off to make some Aebleskiver.
According to the directions, you put a teaspoon of cooking oil in each of the wells of the heated (medium/ high heat) pan. Wait a moment until oil is heated. Then fill the wells to even with the batter and then as a crust forms… turn with a knitting needle. (of course I have one on hand being an avid knitter) then serve with powdered sugar and raspberry jam. Voila! The verdict from the two partaking people – a hit!
For those of you who don’t want to get the mix… here is a scratch recipe that was also included with my gift:
You will need:
- 2 Cups Buttermilk
- 2 Eggs
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 2 tbsp Sugar
- 2 Cups Flour
- 2 tsp Baking Powder
- 1/2 tsp Soda
- 4 tbsp Butter (melted)
What you do:
Separate the eggs. Mix egg yolks and all other ingredients together at one time and beat until smooth. Allow batter to set for 30 minutes to let baking powder work. Beat the whites stiff and fold in before cooking.
Happy New Year!!
