Danish treats known as aebleskiver find year-round appeal

To the uninitiated, perfectly round æbleskiver might look like magic, especially when a surprise bite of apple is tucked into the middle of the cake. Traditionally, the Danish pancakes are filled with sweet apples ("æbleskiver" translates as apple slices or apple discs) and sprinkled with powdered sugar, but they can be sweet or savory and filled with any tasty variation. The popularity of this treat has transformed it into a weekend brunch indulgence and food truck treasure not only in Denmark but also across America.

Æbleskiver are formed in special pans indented with round divots. I'd already added three of the pans to my kitchen equipment collection before I was brave enough to attempt a batch of them. My buddy Neil offered to teach me his technique and we gathered our friends for a trial brunch. I brought the bacon, he brought the fillings, and our friends sat around the kitchen table alternately sipping sparkling wine and popping hot balls of dough fresh out of the pans into their mouths.

I quickly understood how simple these cakes are to make. In fact, even if you don't have a friend with mad æbleskiver skills, the pour-turn-rotate technique is easy enough to learn on your own. First, invest in an æbleskiver griddle. You can find a cast iron model for as little as $10 while fancy electric nonstick griddles will set you back around $60.

Next, you will need to experiment with turning tools to see which one works best for you. There are plenty of options. You can purchase official hand-carved, ergonomically designed turning tools for about $13. My friend Neil prefers wooden skewers and toothpicks, while old-school cooks such as æbleskiver instructor Carstens Smith reach for knitting needles. My personal preference is a pair of wooden chopsticks (the kind that come with your favorite takeout).

Have all the ingredients prepped before heating the æbleskiver griddle. This includes pre-measured ¼ to ½ teaspoon chunks of cold butter, fillings and toppings. Once you begin cooking, things move very quickly.

My favorite aebleskiver are savory versions flavored with lots of chive and dill, and with a bit of Danish fontina tucked into the center. Even after years of perfecting cooking techniques, not all æbleskiver are flawless. Mine are often lumpy and misshapen, but I take comfort in their own kind of loveliness.

No room in the kitchen for yet another appliance? Make a trek to Tyler, Minn., this summer for its annual Æbleskiver Days.

Patrice Johnson is a freelance writer from

Roseville and a Nordic food cooking instructor.