I love Christmas at my parents house in San Diego, and am mentally tearing off a link of the construction paper chain in my head for every day I get closer to visiting. My mom goes all out decorating, we are surrounded by good friends, and then there’s the food.
Some of our holiday dishes are so woven into the cloth of Christmas tradition, that if a certain entree, side or (heaven forbid!) dessert didn’t get made, it would be like a favorite relative or friend had gone missing. In fact, I can think of one guest in particular who might not grace us with his presence if my mother didn’t make a specific recipe of hers, year after year.
At some point my mom began making us æbleskivers on Christmas morning. I wish I could remember exactly when this started, because once it had, it was as if it had always been our breakfast staple. There are always other breakfast items available; eggs, fruits, “assorted breakfast meats”, but for me, the centerpiece is æbleskivers.
My grandmother Arlene would make us æbleskivers on special occasions when we were small. She would be standing at the stove in a floral print house coat, for what seemed like hours, flipping the little golden pancake-y balls over in her pitch black skillet. She could dish them out as fast as we could eat them. Alternating between dipping them in raspberry jam, and a saucer of milk with granulated sugar, they were always a comfort to us.
Now, my dear mom has taken the torch and stands for hours in the kitchen (sans the house coat), serving up stacks of the little golden orbs. With a light and flaky crust, a spongy center, and the subtlest kiss of cardamom, æbleskivers are my favorite way to start Christmas morning, and a taste of home that warms me from the inside out.
This is the recipe our family uses. Hope you enjoy!
Recipe:
2 cups flour
1-tablespoon sugar
1-teaspoon baking powder
1-teaspoon cardamom
1/2-teaspoon salt
2 cups buttermilk
3 eggs
Cast iron Æbleskivers pan
Wooden skewer or knitting needle
Oil
Powdered Sugar
Jam
Milk
Combine the dry ingredients and sift together. Separate the eggs and mix the yolks with the buttermilk. Add dry mix and beat until smooth. Beat egg whites until stiff peaks appear. Fold in egg whites gently.
Heat the æbleskivers pan on high heat. Add 1-tablespoon oil to each cup in the pan. Fill each cup nearly to the top with batter (I used a tablespoon to dole out the batter). Lower heat to medium high once you add batter. Work in a clockwise direction, and once you have poured all of the batter into the cups, work in the same direction and with a wooden skewer or knitting needle, 1/2 turn the æbleskivers on their side. Continue turning until brown on all sides. Place on paper towel to soak up excess oil. Dust with powdered sugar, and serve hot with jam, or sprinkle granulated sugar in a bowl of milk, dip and enjoy!!
A golden stack of deliciousness!
Dipped in milk and sugar like Arlene used to do.
*Edit for Lauren: You can get these pans in lots of cooking stores like Williams- Sonoma, Solvang, and even Amazon.com:
yea for mormor style!! xoxox
Seem to me that you need to get a flowered housecoat because you are going to become the keeper of this tradition.
Roxanne
YUM PLEASE make me some! My mom doesnt make them enough.
and the ones you made look soo good! ahh this is driving me crazy at work!
uhm… I love æbleskiver… but here in Denmark, we usaly eats them for dessert with sugger and mamelade 😉 and a cup of smoking hot glög uhm…
It’s donut season, isn’t it?
Are æbleskiver pans hard to find though? I’ve never heard of them before this.
Yes indeed! Yay for Mormor style!!
Thanks Roxanne, I could actually rocking a SWEET house-coat when I take over the aebleskivers torch! ;^)
MissMae, COME ON OVER! December is REALLY crazy busy, but we need to work on some knitting and other Danish recipes, right?
Rixen, Thank you for the comment all the way from Denmark! Mmmm glog sounds good with æbleskivers! Are you surprised that Americans eat a dessert for breakfast?
They are so tasty, I’d eat them all day!
Lauren, I’ve added an edit to the post with three links to pans. Sometimes Americans spell them with an “æ”, “ae” or just “e”… Hope the links help. A friend online just mentioned his girlfriend found a cute yellow one at a thrift store!
Thanks for reading everyone, and thanks to those who comment! Have a great day.
xo
radmegan
What a stunning holiday recipe! Would you like to submit it to my contest to win a cookbook? Just wanting to share the holiday cheer (and exposure to your blog) Would love for you to win
http://ow.ly/3j61M
Thanks Melody! I’ll take a look
looks wonderful
My sister, who lives in Solvang, bought me a pan last Christmas and I’ve yet to try it. maybe now’s the time?
Are you somehow Danish, in any way?
I mean first the julehjerter, and now the æbleskiver, thats quite funny 
I looooove æbleskiver soo much they are so delicious but unfortunately I didn’t get to eat any this year 
A WHOLE YEAR WITHOUT ÆBLESKIVER!!! :O
Love,
TCM
Thanks Torviewtoronto, Fishmama (and PS- Yes now is the time!! And PPS I LOVE Solvang!) and TCM! And TCM, yes I am Danish- partly
You should buy a pan and make some yourself! SO SATISFYING!! 
OOOOH cool!!! Why didn’t you say that? 😀
How much is “partly” ?
Taler du så dansk? 😀
I’ll get my mummy to make some 😀
My father is Danish! I wish I spoke it! I’ll find my English/Danish dictionary and try to brush up for you!
Oh my goodness, how great!!
What a small world we live in! 
Well, I must let you know, the weather here is getting better :-)Have you ever been to Denmark?
I have not! It’s on my list! Trying to convince my husband that a Scandinavian tour is a must this year! When is the best time to visit?
Ooh you should!! Well, personally I like autumn and Spring in Denmark, though it depends what you’d like to see here.