Aebleskivers

Well, if you're stuck at home like the rest of the world you're probably thinking and doing a lot of things. You're probably feeling a lot of things too... angry, scared, bored, ambivalent. When I'm bored and or stuck at home I do what makes the most sense... eat.

I read a post on Instagram the other day that said "I need to practice social distancing from my fridge," which I completely relate too. I have several coping mechanisms, which include many healthy activities, but I turn to food when it's the worst. I shouldn't say food, really. I should say, baking. You too? Cool.

Baking is a process. There are steps and elements that take measurement and time. Sometimes it works, most of the time it doesn't. When it does work, it's glorious. My greatest pleasure is sharing my achievements with others but that has to wait. I mean, I could give it to my neighbors, but we're living in a weird time. So, it's up to my children and husband to help... they aren't complaining.

One item I've been trying to master over the past 10 years is this recipe. The Aebleskiver is a bear if you have no idea what you're doing and no one to teach you. I started trying to make these yummy balls (ha) in an attempt to embrace my Danish heritage. These are one of those things that when you get them right, they are SOOOOO good. When you get them wrong, the are SO good. So, it's good for the ego. The inconvenient part is that you need a special pan, but you can buy them on amazon (If you want to get serious). The hardest trick is getting the flipping down so I added a video if you need some guidance.

The heating is also a little tricky, I usually have to make a few patches before I get it right, but this video talks about that a little too. I found that high heat, then going down to high/medium works pretty good, but that's my oven. So the moral of the story is, try it yourself if they sound appealing. They are basically round fried donuts.

This was a great recipe and I had tons of fun making them. Hopefully this will inspire!!

Recipe Used: http://www.preparedpantry.com/Danish-Aebleskiver-Recipe.htm

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose or cake flour 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon baking soda 3 large eggs 2 cups buttermilk filling of your choice powdered sugar

Directions

1. Mix together the flour, salt, and baking soda. 2. Separate the eggs, the yolks from the whites. Set the yolks aside. Beat the egg whites until light and fluffy and soft peaks form. 3. Add the egg yolks and the buttermilk to the flour mixture and stir until combined. Gently fold the egg whites into the batter.

Folding egg whites correctly is that takes practice. If you over fold then you take that airiness out of the batter. Just add it to the batter and turning over with a spatula until it's just incorporated with the rest. It shouldn't take that long. I've failed many times at this, so don't get discouraged.

4. Grease your Aebleskiver pan with butter (spray your pan again as needed, you want about a tablespoon of oil in the thing). Heat the pan over medium heat. When hot, fill each cup one-third full with batter. Add a small amount of filling to each. Cover with an additional one-third batter.

An Aebleskiver pan isn't that hard to find. The one I have I found at a goodwill store for super cheap. You should be able to find one at any kitchen store. Nordic Ware makes the one I have and it works great!

5. Cook for one to one and one-half minutes before turning. (You can turn your Aebleskiver with a toothpick or skewer.)

My suggestion is that you do a test run. REMEMBER! Don't put any butter or oil in the pan until it's hot. I had to play with the temp a little. I totally burnt the first batch, but got the right temp soon enough. You can use toothpicks, but I suggest something longer so you can keep a bit of a distance so you don't burn yourself. I used long bamboo skewers.

Get into a groove on how to turn them over. You want to kind of go around in a circle going from one to the next turning them over. Test one after a while and see if they are done inside. They will be hot (I of course, totally ignored this fact).

6. Cook for another minute or until done. Remove to a plate and sprinkle with powdered sugar. Serve warm.

This is a great recipe and makes a good amount. They can be enhanced with some powdered sugar. I ate them with some apple sauce, but you can inject filling if you want or eat them with butter and jam (which is what I normally do). They don't keep super well, maybe for a day. Throw them in the microwave for about 20 seconds and you should be good to go.

These are also super kid friendly if you let your kids eat fried dough. It's a fun treat. I usually save making these for a special morning like Easter or a Sunday or a Tuesday. If you don't want to make them, just find someone who does and enjoy!

I hope everyone is staying safe and finding ways to stay sane. It's crazy out there so try to find the good if you can. Reach out to those around you, ask for help, give help, hug and love the people in quarantine with you. Please wash your hands often! We got this and it will be over eventually.

Sending love.