Aebleskiver – Danish fritters

  • medium
  • Makes 28
  • 30 minutes
Not yet rated

This Danish aebleskiver recipe by Sally Abé makes a delightfully warming sweet Christmas fritter, ideal for Christmas parties served with a glass of mulled wine.

First published in 2015

Aebleskiver have been part of Danish Christmas tradition for hundreds of years. Although there is some speculation as to the origins of these little treats, the story goes that after a long day in battle the Vikings made some pancake batter but had no way in which to cook it, so they greased their dented armour, poured in their batter and aebleskiver were born! Over the years aebleskiver pans have been developed, normally made out of cast iron but also now available in non-stick coating. I cannot vouch for the authenticity of this story but it seems to be the most common explanation. I can however vouch that aebleskiver are a delicious treat, usually accompanied by a glass of glogg (mulled wine to you and me) during the festive period. Hans Christian Anderson even wrote about them in his 1872 fairy tale The Cripple, and if they're good enough for Hans they’re good enough for me.

Aebleskiver (‘apple fritters’) were traditionally made with a slice of apple in the middle, however in recent years this has fallen out of favour to plain aebleskiver that are usually served with some kind of jam or compote. I like to keep things traditional at Christmas so apple it is.

Ingredients

Metric

Imperial

  • 120g of plain flour
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 50g of butter, melted plus extra for cooking
  • 200ml of buttermilk
  • 2 free-range eggs, seperated
  • 1 tbsp of caster sugar, plus extra for dusting
  • 1 Braeburn apple, sliced

Method

1
Beat the egg whites with the sugar to stiff peaks – this is easiest using an electric whisk
2
Mix together the flour, salt and baking powder and whisk in the egg yolks. Gradually add the buttermilk, whisk until fully combined then fold in the egg whites
3
Heat the aebleskiver pan over a medium heat and add a small knob of butter to each hole. Let the butter melt
4
Use a ladle to pour the batter in the pan about ¾ of the way up each hole – it should sizzle when it hits the pan, if it doesn't the pan isn't hot enough. Add a slice of apple to each hole
5
Fry the batter until golden brown for approximately 2 minutes. Use a metal skewer to quickly flip the fritter over – all the uncooked batter will fall into the bottom to create a ball. Cook for a couple more minutes on the other side
6
Keep turning the aebleskiver to make sure they don’t burn. When they are puffed up and golden brown they are ready
7
Roll the fritters in caster sugar and serve with your favourite jam or apple sauce
First published in 2015
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After a five-year stint in the kitchen at two Michelin-starred restaurant The Ledbury, Sally is now head chef at The Harwood Arms in London.

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