Thursday, October 15, 2015

Day 288 - Danish Pancakes (aka aebleskiver)

I almost bought these little Danish pancakes one other time at Trader Joe’s – they are in a bag in the frozen breakfast food section.  I decided against them that time, but they caught my eye again and I thought, “What the heck, let’s give ‘em a go!”.  Their proper Danish name is aebleskiver, isn't that fun to try to say??  We ate them as a leisurely Sunday breakfast while reading the Washington Post.  

This is the bag - it contains quite a lot of pancake balls
Here is what we thought:

David – Taste - very good.  Texture - lovely.  Convenience of eating them - not so great.  You have to tear ‘em apart and hold ‘em in your hand, unless you are gonna eat one whole ball at a time, which is more of a mouthful than I care for.  I used my hands to eat them, not a fork. 

David dipping his Danish Pancake!
Susan – They are a little bit bland.  They are sort of an excuse to carry whatever topping you want to put on the ball to your mouth, as opposed to actually being  flavorful themselves.  I put out several toppings to choose from:  TJ’s Fig Butter, apple butter from Union Nebraska that a Nebraska friend gave us, powdered sugar, and TJ’s Boysenberry Preserves review here.  To us the best one was apple butter – these balls worked good as a system to cart apple butter by the mouthful from the bowl to our mouths. 

The texture, to me, was a little weird.  The taste is good but sort of boring.  If the tasty toppings weren’t in the picture I do not think we would want to shovel these naked pancake balls in our mouths. 

They sure look cute all laid out on the table with toppings and espresso
We heard a really good story on NPR about the Danish concept of hygge.  It was a great piece and I recommend a listen, but I cannot FIND it online.  Let me just that that listening to it made us both long for more “hygge” in our lives.  I can’t seem to find the original piece we listened to but I do not want to leave you high and dry, so here is some hygge information for you:

Here is a short “Driveway Moment” piece that references hygee at 2:00 - Driveway Moment

And here is an article on the subject:  BBC news hygge article

Oh I WISH i could find a link to the piece we listened to on NPR because it was so perfect.  Anyway, the concept is the “hygge” is a word not meant to be translatable, but to be felt/experienced. 
 
Our hygge...
I bring all of this up because the term hygge is Danish, as are these pancake balls.  And in fact EATING these pancake balls while sitting in front of a roaring fire wearing your handknit sweater and heavy socks while playing Dominoes with friends could likely BE hygge!

Not expensive.  But not my favorite breakfast food in the world.  I will probably wait until I go to Denmark to eat them next :)
Back to the review:  to me these pancake balls taste like something they would serve at the Ikea restaurant, only they would be yuckier cuz the topping they served would be lingonberry… 

Price – $3.49

Rating -3

9 comments:

  1. Not TJ's related, but I love that mod plate you have in the picture with the Danish pancakes. Mod/pop art is on my list of hygee accessories.

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    1. Thanks!! I really like those plates, too. I got them at the Create and Barrel Outlet. I don't know where you live, but Google it and see if you have one near you!! Cool stuff at cheap prices :).

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    2. Thanks! The closest one is over two hours away, but perhaps we'll plan a day trip.

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  2. I've seen those yet never bought them... I'm not much of a pancakes person anyhow. Maybe they're better with butter and syrup? Awfully cute though
    Ttrockwood

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  3. Sadly, TJ's not carrying Danish Pancakes any more...To date I've not found another source. So easy to warm up, we'd serve with marscaponi cheese and organic fruit spread made of orange, raspberry and mango. Lovely!

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  4. True, it's sad.
    Where else can I buy them?

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    1. It looks like you can buy a MIX at Williams-Sonoma and make your own... They also sell a special PAN to make them in. Oh, this is sounding like an expensive breakfast, ins't it?? Here is a link to the mix: http://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/7176662/?catalogId=27&sku=7176662&cm_ven=Google_PLA&cm_cat=Shopping&cm_pla=default&cm_ite=default&kwid=productads-adid^45527542423-device^c-plaid^94125425383-sku^7176662-adType^PLA&gclid=CKOjgtSk4NACFcWEswodJl8Ozw

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  5. Aebleskiver -- Too late, apparently, to buy them at Trader Joe's. BUT, the thing is, if you ever feel like doing a bit of delightful brunch cookery, they are easy-peasy and SO MUCH FUN to make and eat with your own aebleskiver pan and a few good friends or family! Simple pancake-like batter, very quick to mix up. Gather a little group of relaxing pals for a Sunday Brunch, and display a choice of sweet or savory additions for them to choose among.

    See, REAL aebleskiver have something yummy INSIDE! They are not at all plain and boring! You put a spoonful of batter in the semi-spherical depression, and then plop in a spoonful of the filling of your choice: delicious preserves, your favorite apple butter, deviled ham, coarsely grated cheddar (or even a little pizza sauce and a nice pinch of mozzarella!) -- whatever appeals. They cook in a few minutes, and it is really fun to watch the chef flip the little balls over with two wooden sticks so they will be golden brown and crisp all around. Your guests can have several of each kind as you casually quaff mimosas and bask in their admiration!

    There is an online Q & A listing lots of alternative uses for the pans, which range in price for a full-size 9" diameter pan in Nordic Ware aluminum or pre-seasoned cast iron, starting under $20 at Amazon, Walmart, Bed,Bath and Beyond and Ebay.

    Laughing at Amazon's amazing corporate memory, which informed me when I looked up
    aebleskiver pans just now, that I had bought two (one a gift) in May, 2008!

    Can you guess that I (sadly) have discovered too late the delights of this blog, and am playing catch-up? I hope you, or someone, is still reading comments on these early entries!

    LynnInBethesda, MD

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    1. You. Have. An. Aebleskiver. Pan????? Now THAT is dedication to the food!! I am imagining you giving delightful brunches with great food, fresh cut flowers on the table, and a rousing group of fun people slamming back mimosas!! Love it!

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