Eddie Lin was in Solvang, CA for the Taste of Solvang a couple of weeks ago, and he tasted the famous Danish Aebleskiver. Above is a picture of Evan’s pan, which she also got in Solvang. A recipe for these Danish pancake balls follows. (My favorite part of the recipe is when it calls for a knitting needle.)
Aebleskiver (Danish Ball Pancakes)
4 separated eggs
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 cups buttermilk [or 3/4 C beer plus 1 1/4 C milk]
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 cups all purpose flour
oil or lard
Beat egg whites until stiff; set aside. Beat rest of ingredients until batter is very smooth. Fold in egg whites. Heat [at a moderate temperature] a well-seasoned monk’s pan (see tip below) with 1/8 teaspoon oil or lard in each of the 7 holes. Fill each hole [about three-quarters full] with batter. [Be sure to add a few drops of oil to each well in the pan before the next round of batter.]
When browned on one side (almost right away), turn with knitting needle [or two-tined fork] and keep turning until needle comes out clean after piercing through the cake. [We find that you need to turn these only once.]
Serve with flavored butters, such as maple or cinnamon honey, syrup, jam and brown or white sugar. Tips: You can purchase a cast iron monk’s pan at Scandinavia gift shops or at small town hardware stores in Danish communities. As for servings, plan on each person eating 7-10 cakes. Makes approximately 48 pancakes.