Dairy/Gluten Free Danish Pancakes (Æbleskiver)
The last day of school before summer vacation is a nostalgic and memorable day in my books. It’s cause to celebrate a year of learning, growth, and challenges too. While not every celebration necessitates food (or does it?!), this year marked the end of a pretty weird school year (hello, e-learning) and it mandated a unique homemade treat, Æbleskiver, aka Danish pancake balls.
What makes this dish extra special is that thanks to King Arthur’s gluten-free pancake mix, I can make the recipe for breakfast to accommodate my niece and nephew’s severe food allergies to gluten, dairy, and nuts. Dining out for an American breakfast typically centers on items such as breads (toast/bagels/english muffins), cereal, butter-laden pastries, eggs, milk, and cheese…all of which do not work with their allergies. They used to have other allergies, including eggs, which they have thankfully outgrown yet their palate doesn’t readily welcome foods that used to be fatal for them. It’s no surprise that we rarely eat out with the kids for breakfast or brunch!
We are fans of King Arthur Baking Company because of the quality, availability in our local stores, and allergy safety guarantee with the gluten-free products. It is a 230 year old Certified B Corp baking company in Vermont that has roots in the American Revolution and an interesting history, including opening a baking school twenty years ago. Its thriving online community of bakers, home and professional ones, has seen a meteoric rise with the quarantine baking phenomenon. Have a baking question or emergency? No problem, call their Baking Hotline and a professional, specialist baker will help. I also appreciate their line of ready-to-bake gluten-free mixes (pancake/cookies/brownies) because it makes baking a breeze when convenience matters, without completely sacrificing your health. In the grand scheme of ready-to-bake products, nutritionally, King Arthur fares better than most and the high quality ingredients make a positive difference.
I randomly happened upon an æbleskiver video and as I am a sucker for kitchen gadgets, I immediately ordered the cast iron pan on Amazon. It has been a deliciously fun culinary addition to our kitchen. One day, I thought to diverge from the traditional buttermilk based recipe and experiment instead with the GF pancake mix in the pan and I have not looked back! Cooking the pancakes takes a bit of practice which is why I thought a video might help to explain the technique. The result is a fluffy doughnut hole that is best eaten hot off of the pan. Æbleskiver are traditionally served with jam and sprinkled with powdered sugar, however, I find that honey, maple syrup, or melted chocolate are also all great accompaniments. If you are sugar conscious, know that the mix contains cane sugar so these little balls of goodness do stand up well on their own…but I’m partial to a sprinkle of powdered sugar for the visual effect and a little extra oomph ;) My personal favorite aspect of this dish is the taste memory: they immediately transport me to a Christmas market in Europe, one of my favorite things!
In our household, everyone enjoys this treat (it was one of the few food requests for sis’ quarantine birthday) and of course, the kids especially appreciate it. Whether I make it for breakfast or not, æbleskiver has become our favorite food that upon first bite, instinctively makes us moan “mmmmm.”
Hit me up with any questions about the recipe or cooking technique. I have used an egg substitute to make them vegan, though I opted for eggs in the video. If you have a squeeze bottle lying around, I would recommend using it for the batter, as it will make cooking the æbleskiver much easier :)
I can’t wait to hear how yours turn out…comment below!
