For over 40 years, I’ve heard my German/Danish husband fondly speak of ebelskivers - those light, puffy, sphere-shaped pancakes which can be savoury or sweet - he just loves them!!
Having grown up in a Danish, rural farming community in Iowa, John ate them for every special event. Even the local community fundraisers included women lined up with their special ebelskiver cast iron pans to turn out hundreds and hundreds of the classic variety - covered in powdered sugar and jam.
If you’re a 🧀 lover, try a couple of savory options such as herbs & goat cheese, spinach & feta, or walnut, pear and Danish blue. Comté and prosciutto make lovely puffs, too!
Yes, you’ll need an ebelskiver pan (found on Food52, Williams Sonoma, or Amazon), but don’t worry - there are other delectable items that can be made using this pan. A quick search online and you’ll find several.
All that said, note that traditional style cast-iron ebelskiver pans may not work on all styles of gas and electric stove tops. Modern, cast-aluminum pans work on both types.
Original Juhl Family Ebelskiver Recipe
Dorothy Juhl
Yields approximately 50 ebelskivers
Ingredients
1 pkg. dry yeast*
1 cup lukewarm water
1 tablespoon sugar
2 eggs
1 tablespoon melted butter
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup flour
Optional ½ teaspoon pure vanilla
* Some ebelskiver recipes use baking powder and beaten egg whites instead of yeast to create the puffs. Both versions work well.
Mixing
Dissolve yeast in water with sugar and set aside.
In a separate bowl, beat eggs, add melted butter and salt. Stir in flour and yeast mixture until lightly blended.
Let dough stand 30 minutes in a warm place or until it doubles in size.
Cooking Ebelskivers
Coat the wells of the pan evenly with melted butter and place over medium heat.
Let the butter bubble up, add 2 tablespoons of batter to each well.
Fill each well just below each rim- working your way around the pan clockwise.
Cook the first side until bubbles rise from the centers of pancakes and they turn lightly brown and crisp on the bottom 4-5 minutes.
Wipe up spills on top of pan to ensure they don’t stick.
Flip each pancake, in the same order you filled, using 2 wooden skewers. Cook the second side, approximately 3 minutes, and transfer to a platter.
Sprinkle with powdered or plain sugar.
Serve warm!
Our family always loves a breakfast, souffle-style egg dish I make filled with Comté, prosciutto, and a hint of nutmeg! It’s like enjoying an Alpine-style fondue …. for breakfast! So why not take these ingredients and create an Alpine-Style ebelskiver? Pair with some fresh fruit and a great cup of coffee!
Cheesy Alpine- Style Ebelskivers
Makes about 20 ebelskivers, 4-6 servings
Ingredients
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon sugar
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
2 large eggs, separated
2 large egg whites
1 cup whole milk
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
1 cup grated Comté cheese
3-4 oz of pan-seared prosciutto
¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
¼ teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
Preheat oven to 200F. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. In a small bowl, lightly whisk the 2 egg yolks, then whisk in the milk and 2 tablespoons of the melted butter. Add the yolk mixture to the flour mixture and, using a wooden spoon, stir until well blended. The batter will be lumpy.
In a clean bowel, beat the 4 egg whites until stiff, and peaks form. Fold the egg whites, grated cheese, and crumbled toasted prosciutto into the batter in 3 portions, until no white streaks remain.
Brush the wells of the ebelskiver pan with some of the remaining melted butter and place over medium heat. When the butter starts to bubble, quickly sprinkle a pinch of pepper and nutmeg into each well. Add about 2 tablespoons of batter to each well.
Cook until the bottoms of the ebelskivers are lightly browned and crisp, 3-5 minutes. Use 2 short wooden skewers to turn all the ebelskivers and cook until lightly browned on the second side, about 3 minutes longer.
Transfer the finished ebelskivers to a platter and keep warm in the oven while you repeat additional batches. Serve immediately.
