Ebelskiver Extravaganza!

What's the best way to ring in the New Year??? With a traditional Danish breakfast of course, and my closest friends will tell you that pancakes are my ultimate breakfast "go-to" item.  Therefore, I thought it was only fitting to make Ebelskiver (Æbleskiver)-- traditional Danish pancakes that can be filled with just about anything such as jam and jelly, real fruit, or even meats and cheeses.  Ironically, I received an Ebelskiver pan last Christmas and I thought it would be fun to make these tasty pancakes once again in anticipation of my semester in Denmark.

The only main difference between the Ebelskiver batter and the basic American pancake batter is that egg whites are whipped into stiff peaks and delicately folded in.  While this extra steps makes it a more involved process, the result is a light, and moist popover-style pancake.  In order to achieve a perfectly filled pancake, one tablespoon of the batter is added to each round indentation of the pan.  Next, a teaspoon of the desired filling is added (I filled mine with cherry jam, mixed summer fruit jelly, and fresh blueberries), and then another tablespoon of the batter tops it.  As you can imagine, one has to work pretty quickly to ensure that the batter cooks evenly.  One simple flip of the Ebelskiver-- with the accompanying Danish wooden tongs-- and they are done in less than 5 minutes.

And although powdered sugar and maple syrup probably are not the traditional Danish toppings, they add a nice sweetness to these already delectable treats.  These pancakes were absolutely delicious and I'm hoping that I can sample some real Ebelskiver during my stay in Denmark (less than 3 weeks to go!).  Until then, I guess I will have to be satisfied with my Americanized version!

                                                                                         

Vi ses snart!