Danish-style pancake balls (æbleskiver-inspired) // Christmas food
🌱😋🎄 Winter time is æbleskiver time in Denmark. You will encounter the sweet smell of the fluffy treat wherever you go as it is a popular item to be sold at Christmas markets and the like. However, you can make a batch at home using Grandma Sita’s plant-based æbleskiver-inspired recipe.
➡️ The name æbleskiver means “apple slices” in Danish, although apples are not usually an ingredient in present-day versions. The crust is similar in texture to European pancakes but with a light and fluffy innard. They are traditionally served with jam and icing sugar and three are placed on a plate at a time.
🇩🇰 In Denmark, æbleskiver are traditionally eaten during the Christmas season at casual family/friends gatherings and are often served with a cup of gløgg – Scandinavian mulled wine, or coffee. They are often sold at Christmas markets and are less common in restaurants
INGREDIENTS
250g spelt flour
50g raw sugar (the fine kind)
A pinch of salt
1 tsp orange peel (dry powder)
1 tsp cardamom powder
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp lemon juice
6 tsp aquafaba (chickpea liquid)
400ml oat drink
1 tsp sugar-free vanilla baobab powder by Social Vanilla
vegan butter to grease the pan
Also:
icing sugar
(homemade) berry jam
METHOD
1. Beat the aquafaba (chickpea liquid), start at a slow speed, and whip until foamy. It should be an airy texture, a kind of plant-based meringue.
2. Add oat drink and lemon juice to a bowl and then add the dry ingredients. Mix well.
3. Use a spoon to fold the aquafaba under the batter. Don’t mix too much as it will deflate the batter.
4. Heat the æbleskiver pan on the stovetop and grease each hemisphere with vegan butter.
5. Add the dough to the hemispheres. Fill them almost up to the brim. Give them 3-4 minutes to form a shell. When the dough starts bubbling, turn them to 90° and wait another few minutes. Then turn again by 90° and let them cook through. Check this video if you are unsure how it works.
6. Serve the warm æbleskiver with (homemade) berry jam and dust with icing sugar.
💚 Grandma Sita’s tips:
*For this particular recipe, you will need a special pan with several hemispherical indentations and a bit of practice to give them ball shape by slowly turning the dough around in a well-greased hole using a bamboo skewer or knitting needle. Anyway, you can always use a pancake pan to give them a flat shape. In the end, both versions are delicious.
*Use aquafaba instead of white eggs. Aquafaba is the liquid you can find in cans of chickpeas. It can be beaten stiff just like egg whites. Grandma Sita’s sustainable cuisine is always tasty and cooked from scratch with lots of love.
📗Cultures around the world have their version of aebelskiver, many savory, and some exotic versions stuffed with things as crazy as a pickled octopus. Just about all of them are cooked on bread that’s pretty much identical to Danish aebelskiver bread.
🌍 It is becoming more popular to incorporate plant-based meals into festive celebrations worldwide. Each of us can take action at home to reduce waste and transition our diets to be more planet-friendly before, during, and after the Christmas season. Every bit counts. Happy Holidays!
