Shared by Margit Sheftelowitz
Shared by Margit Sheftelowitz
Aebleskiver (Danish Doughnuts)
Yield: 25 to 30 doughnutsTime: 2 hours (1 hour inactive)
Aebleskiver (Danish Doughnuts)
Yield: 25 to 30 doughnutsTime: 2 hours (1 hour inactive)Family Journey
Copenhagen, Denmark
Kfar Vradim, Israel
Growing up in the small Jewish community of Denmark, Margit Sheftelowitz remembers that Christmas Eve was a special time in the city of Copenhagen. Christian families would head to church while her Jewish family had a special dinner of chicken soup with lokshen noodles, and duck with potatoes and red cabbage.
Around the holiday, you could always find aebleskiver, a Danish treat that's somewhere between a doughnut and a pancake. When Margit moved to Israel in 1961, Christmas was no longer all around her, but Hanukkah was. She started to host Hanukkah parties for her family, a tradition she’s maintained for nearly 60 years. The menu changes, but aebleskiver are a constant. She uses a skillet she received from her mother and a knitting need to help flip the doughnuts in the pan — but a wooden skewer or chopstick will also work. Aebleskiver pans can be found online or from larger kitchen stores like Williams-Sonoma.
Read more about Margit Sheftelowitz's family in "How a Christmas Dessert Became a Hanukkah Sweet" and try her recipes for risalamande (danish rice pudding), and biksemad (beef and potato hash).
This recipe is featured in our cookbook "The Jewish Holiday Table: A World of Recipes, Traditions & Stories to Celebrate All Year Long."
Ingredients
- 1½ cups lukewarm whole milk
- 1½ tablespoons active dry yeast
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1¾ cups all-purpose flour, sifted
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 Granny Smith apple
- 2 sticks unsalted butter
- 1 whole blanched almond
- 1 cup powedered sugar, for dusting
- Berry jam of your choice for serving
Special equipment:
Preparation
Step 1
Make the batter: Put the milk, yeast, and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and mix on medium speed until thoroughly combined, about 2 minutes. (You can also make the batter by hand using a whisk.) Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the eggs one at a time, waiting until the first egg is well incorporated before adding the next. Add the flour and salt, and mix until the batter is smooth, scraping down the sides of the mixer bowl as needed.
Step 2
Remove the bowl from the mixer stand, cover with a towel, and let the batter rise in a warm place until double in volume, about 1 hour. After the batter has risen, transfer it to a large pitcher and set aside.
Step 3
Line a baking sheet with paper towels.
Step 4
Peel and core the apple, and cut it cross-wise into ⅛-inch slices. Cut the apple slices into small squares, about ½-inch; they don’t need to be perfectly uniform. Put the apples and ¼ cup water in a small saucepan, bring to a simmer over medium heat, and cook, partially covered, until the apples are tender, about 15 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the apples to the prepared baking sheet to drain and let cool.
Step 5
Melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Remove from the heat and let it sit for a few minutes, allowing the milk solids and water to settle at the bottom. Spoon or pour off the clear butterfat and set aside; discard the milky layer.
Step 6
Line a baking sheet or tray with paper towels. Heat the aebleskiver pan over medium heat. When the pan is quite hot after about 2-3 minutes, pour about 1 teaspoon of clarified butter into each hollow of the pan, then pour 1 generous tablespoon of the batter into each hollow of the pan making sure the batter reaches the rim.
Step 7
Add a few pieces of apple to the center of each doughnut, placing an almond in the center of one. After 1–2 minutes, the edges should be golden brown and most of the batter set, though the centers may still be loose. Insert a knitting needle or wooden skewer into the side of a doughnut and carefully flip it to cook the other side. Repeat with the remaining doughnuts. Continue cooking, turning occasionally, until all sides are browned and the doughnuts are cooked through, about 7 minutes. Using the knitting needle, transfer the fried doughnuts to the paper towel–lined baking sheet.
Step 8
When all the doughnuts are fried, dust them generously with powdered sugar. Serve with your favorite berry jam alongside.
The batter can be prepared up to 12 hours before frying the doughnuts. Seal the batter with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator until it will be used. The doughnuts are best fresh, but can be made a day or two in advance and reheated in the oven. The doughnuts can be stored to 1 day in an airtight container,
