The town of Solvang, Calif., in Santa Ynez and part of Santa Barbara County, with its bindingsverk look in the buildings and homes, or half timber facade, always has been one of my favorite places to visit. The bakeries and little shops that sell aebleskivers, or round Danish pancakes, and assorted Danish pastries such as bear claws and kringles are very tempting.
The town of Solvang, Calif., in Santa Ynez and part of Santa Barbara County, with its bindingsverk look in the buildings and homes, or half timber facade, always has been one of my favorite places to visit. The bakeries and little shops that sell aebleskivers, or round Danish pancakes, and assorted Danish pastries such as bear claws and kringles are very tempting.
Just walking in, you cannot help but feel excited to see all the beautiful pastries, even if there is no way you can have it all! Chef Albert Jeyte of Kilauea Lodge could not resist buying a large kringle at Morteson’s Bakery in Solvang.
Jim and I had to try the aebleskiver from one of the bakeries. The pancakes were light and not too sweet, served on a plate with jam on the side for dipping and a dusting of powdered sugar on top.
Aebleskiver pans are available — stove top and electric units — and are fun to make. You could even use a “takoyaki” pan from Japan if you have one. Large cast iron aebleskiver pans costs less than $20 and the electric models are less than $50.
Aebleskivers (Danish Pancake Balls)
Makes: 28 balls
Place aebleskiver pan over medium-high heat, hot enough so the butter sizzles when added.
In a separate pan, lightly sauté:
2 apples, peeled, cored, pared and chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
2 tablespoons butter, plus more to grease pan
Cook until apples soften. Add:
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Separate:
2 large eggs
Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form.
Whisk two egg yolks until creamy with:
1 tablespoon sugar
In a bowl, sift together:
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
In a two-cup measure, measure out:
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
Gradually stir in flour and buttermilk in several additions, into egg yolk mixture.
Gently fold beaten egg whites into batter.
Reduce heat of pan to medium. Brush each well with butter to coat each well entirely.
Spoon batter halfway into each well, place chunks of apple in middle, spoon additional batter to cover apples. Allow to cook until edges begin to brown and pull away from the sides of the well.
Lightly run a knife or chopstick (traditionally it was a knitting needle) around the edge of each ball to loosen, then flip over to cook through, another two minutes. Remove to a plate, sprinkle with powdered sugar sifted over aebleskivers.
Kringles
Makes: Three 10-inch diameter kringles, 16 slices each
In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together:
2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
Cut until mixture resembles coarse crumbs:
2 sticks butter
Stir in to create a soft dough:
1 cup sour cream
Wrap well and refrigerate overnight.
Nut filling:
Bring to room temperature:
1/2 stick butter or 4 tablespoons
Mix in:
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup flour
1/2 cup walnuts or pecans
1/2 cup raisins (optional)
Cover and refrigerate until ready to assemble. Bring to room temperature before using, or it will tear the dough when shaping it.
Assembling:
Take the dough out of the refrigerator and divide it into thirds. Put two pieces back in the refrigerator. Take a 24-inch long piece of parchment paper and lightly flour the surface. Put the dough on the paper and lightly sprinkle it and your hands with flour.
Roll the dough into a long, 5-by-26-inch strip (it helps to go diagonally on your sheet of parchment paper; the strip will hang over the ends by an inch or so, but that’s OK). Be sure to pick up the dough from time to time and sprinkle more flour underneath as necessary to keep it from sticking.
With a dry pastry brush, carefully sweep any excess flour off the surface of the dough. Place the filling down the center of the dough, in a strip about an inch wide. Gently take the edge closest to you (a bowl scraper or bench knife can help) and fold it up and over the filling. Brush the edge of the dough farthest away from you with:
1 egg white, lightly beaten
Sprinkle the top with a mixture, using one-third for each crinkle:
1/2 cup Demerara or coarse white sugar
1/2 cup finely chopped nuts (pulse in food processor)
Trim off excess parchment paper, and slide the kringle, riding on the parchment, onto a baking sheet. Repeat the process with the other two pieces of dough, varying the filling as you like.
You can vary filling with raspberry jam, cream filling, cheese, cream cheese or caramel.
Small bites
Kringles, originally from Denmark, were formed into a pretzel shape, then at Christmas into a wreath shape. It now is common to find kringles in an oblong shape.
To make bear claws, cut puff dough (which can be purchased in the frozen section of the supermarket) into an 8-by-16-inch rectangle. Roll almond filling in a half-inch diameter, roll dough over the filling toward you, press the edge together tightly. Roll the tube toward you a quarter turn, making sure the seam is centered on the bottom, and press the tube flat with your fingers.
With a sharp knife or pair of scissors, make cuts through the dough every half-inch or so, stopping where the dough begins to bulge out around the filling. Cut the strip into 4-inch pieces. Place on a baking sheet and bend slightly into a crescent to open the cuts.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Let the formed bear claws rise for at least 20 minutes, or if cool as much as 90 minutes. They should be full and puffy, the longer they rise, the airier they will be.
When fully risen, brush with an egg wash, bake for 18 to 22 minutes, depending on the size of your bear claws. Remove when dark golden brown, cool on a rack and frost with powdered sugar glaze.
Email me at audreywilson808@gmail.com if you have questions.