Servings: 9
On special Saturday mornings, my mom would open a tin of recipe cards and pull out my grandma’s recipe for æbleskiver, a Danish treat like pancakes; served with or without fruit in the center and powdered sugar on top, æbleskiver are versatile and filling.
A ripe blackberry plucked from the bush is warm, plump, and more tart than sweet. Subtle notes of vanilla naturally infuse the sweetness, so this recipe for blackberry sauce emphasizes the pre-existing flavors and adds oaken aromas through bourbon.
Æbleskiver
Combine and mix well the following wet ingredients:
- Sour cream (1 cup)
- Whole milk (⅔ cup)
- Egg yolks (3)
- Butter (1 ounce, unsalted, melted)
Sift together the following dry ingredients, and then make a well in the center:
- All-purpose flour (2 cups)
- Baking soda (1 teaspoon)
- Cardamon (½ teaspoon, ground)
- Table salt (¾ teaspoon)
Pour the wet mixture into the well and mix until well-combined, but no further. Meanwhile, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form.
- Egg whites (3)
Fold the egg whites into the batter, and heat an æbleskiver pan over medium heat. Once the pan is heated, grease each well of the pan with a small amount of melted butter.
Fill each well halfway with batter and allow the batter to set. Once the bubbles surface, flip each æbleskiver; rotate as needed to evenly brown the sides of the æbleskiver.
Remove each æbleskiver onto a plate as they finish, and sprinkle powdered sugar over them while warm. Æbleskiver are delicious accompanied by tart jam and a good cup of coffee.
Bourbon–Blackberry Sauce
To prepare fresh-picked blackberries, rinse away any other plant-matter under cold water. Add the following ingredients to a small saucepan over medium-high heat:
- Blackberries (2 cup)
- Water (6 fluid ounces)
- Bourbon (2 fluid ounce)
- Vanilla extract (1 teaspoon)
- Table sugar (3 tablespoons)
- Kosher salt (½ teaspoon)
When the sauce comes to a simmer, reduce the heat to low and mash the blackberries with a potato masher until the sauce is a consistent texture. Allow the sauce to simmer for a few minutes until slightly thickened, gently stirring as needed; then, take off the heat and serve with butter over pancakes or æbleskiver.