Lox and Cream Cheese Ebelskivers

Lox and Cream Cheese Ebelskivers

Lox and cream cheese ebleskivers - TheMessyBaker.com

I’m not sure how many recipes Camilla V. Saulsbury has created over the years but it’s more than I can count before losing track, and just slightly less than the number of stars in the night sky. She’s prolific to say the least.

When I interviewed Camilla a couple of year ago, she admitted her recipe development was a bit of a “savant thing.” And she proved it once again with 150 Best Ebelskiver Recipes (Robert Rose, ©2013). I normally don’t go for specialty pans, but I was so intrigued by the concept of these Danish treats and their Viking lore, I hunted down a Lodge cast-iron aebleskiver pan. Between my improvised Chocolate-Filled Ginger version, the exceptionally light Fresh Corn Spoon Bread Puffs and the addictive Lox and Cream Cheese Ebelskivers (pictured above), I haven’t looked back.

I spent a good amount of time locating my pan. Camilla? Hers arrived as a gift from a friend who figured it “may be the one thing she doesn’t have.” The friend was right. Now, I’m pretty sure Camilla doesn’t own a star-counting rocket, but if we’re sticking to kitchen items then all bets are off.

While Camilla didn’t set out to write a book based on the gift, when her sister-in-law mentioned its similarity to a Japanese takoyaki pan, “the wheels started turning.” And they turned out 150 diverse recipes.

During her research, Camilla noticed a tradition of  baked puffs across Asia, including Thai kanom krok, South Indian kuzhi paniyaram, and Korean pa jeon. Trace the Dutch/Danish trade routes on a map, and you’ll find similar pans throughout Asia. Of course, variations creep in. The Korean puff is more fritatta than pancake, while the Dutch use a yeasted batter. Sweet, savory, filled, unfilled, with syrup, without… All you really need make a puff is some leavening, eggs and a bit of imagination.

How To Make Perfect Ebelskivers

There are two ways to turn an ebelskiver. The easiest is the half-flip, which produces a slightly elliptical puff. The traditional quarter-turn requires a bit more attention but results in a perfect round. Despite my short attention span (or maybe because of it), I like the quarter-turn because it’s fun to watch the puffs form. Choose whichever method suits you. The taste will be the same.

How to make perfect ebelskivers - TheMessyBaker.com

Regardless of which flipping method you use, the first pan of ebelskivers will be ugly. “Just like crêpes!” Camilla says. Glad I’m not to only one to mangle that dish.

Because there’s enough ugliness in the world already, I start each batch by making one, lone ebelskiver. It is my sacrifice to the pancake gods. And they reward me for it. First, it shows me how to use the skewers since the batter can range from runny to thick. Second, within seconds I know whether or not the pan is the right temperature. And most important of all, it produces a delicious yet unserveable treat to munch on while I cook.

If you’ve got an ebelskiver pan and aren’t sure where to start, here are Camilla’s Dos and Don’ts:

Do

  • Experiment. (I did with my first batch and it turned out beautifully.)
  • Heat the pan slowly over medium heat. Don’t crank it to high. My heavy cast iron pan takes a good 10 to 15 minutes to heat on medium.
  • Turn the heat down once the pan is hot. You want it hot when the batter goes in but need the lower heat to penetrate to the centre. 

Don’t

  • Don’t overfill the wells. More is not better. If you are doing the half-flip, fill the well to just below the lip. If you’re executing the traditional quarter-turn, you can fill the wells all the way to the brim.
  • Don’t stuff the centre full. It looks skimpy, but 1 teaspoon of filling is usually plenty. Otherwise, the filling can sink to the bottom of the pan and scorch. Yes, the recipe below uses 1 1/2 teaspoons of filling, but the heavy cream cheese is topped with light salmon, not the other way around.
  • Don’t give up after the first ugly ebelskiver. The first puff will defy you. That’s the way it goes. Keep at it and by the end of your first pan, you should be turning out ebelskivers like a seasoned Viking. Horns and shield optional.

I’d add, “Don’t rush.” Being an impatient baker, I tend to turn the puffs too soon which results in spilled batter or goopy centres. Learn from me. Patience will reward you with light, airy, properly cooked, irresistibly tasty ebelskivers (or kanom krok, or pa jeon, or takoyaki or kuzhi paniyaram…) 

Lox and cream cheese ebleskivers —TheMessyBaker.com

Ever made ebelskivers? If so, what turning method do you use and what tips can you add?

Print

Lox and Cream Cheese Ebelskivers

These ebelskivers are like the classic lox and cream cheese bagel only in small, light balls. They’re perfect for breakfast or brunch and can easily be packed into your lunch bag.

  • Author: Charmian Christie
  • Yield: 21 puffs 1x
  • Category: Breakfast

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs, separated
  • 1 cup milk
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
  • 2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
  • 1/4 cup minced fresh chives or dill
  • Vegetable oil
  • 1/2 cup whipped cream cheese
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped lox or other smoked or cured salmon

Instructions

  1. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and pepper.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together sugar, egg yolks, milk, butter and lemon zest until well blended.
  3. Add the egg yolk mixture to the flour mixture and stir until just blended (the batter will appear slightly lumpy). Gently stir in chives or dill.
  4. In a medium bowl, using an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat egg whites until frothy. Increase speed to high and beat until stuff, but not dry, peaks form. Using a rubber spatula, gently mix on-third of the egg whites into the batter. Gently fold in the remaining whites.
  5. Brush well of pan lightly with oil. Set pan over medium heat. When oil begins to sizzle, add 1 tablespoon batter to each well. Place 1 teaspoon cream cheese and 1/2 teaspoon lox in the centre of each well and top with 1 tablespoon batter. Cook 2 to 4 minutes or until bottoms are golden grown. Using two skewers, flip the puffs over. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until bottoms are golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out with a bit of cheese and a few moist crumbs attached. Remove pan from heat and transfer puffs to a plate. Let pan cool slightly.
  6. Repeat with the remaining batter, cream cheese and lox, brushing wells with oil and reheating pan before each batch. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Notes

Variations:
• Omit the cream cheese and increase the lox to 3/4 cup. Use 1 1/2 teaspoons lox to fill each ebelskiver.
• Other smoked fish, such as trout or herring, may be used in place of lox.

My note:
If using a cast-iron ebelskiver pan, you don’t need to remove it from the heat between batches. Leave it on a low to medium-low heat and it should remain at a consistent heat for the entire recipe.

Excerpted from 150 Best Ebelskiver Recipes by Camilla V. Saulsbury © 2013 Robert Rose Inc. May not be reprinted without publisher permission.

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21 Comments
  • maggie
    Posted at 23:27h, 08 April

    Looks like fun. Where the heck can I get a pan?

  • Nicole
    Posted at 13:58h, 09 April

    Love the different take on lox and cream cheese!

  • Charmian Christie
    Posted at 14:40h, 09 April

    If your local cooking store doesn’t stock them, you can order them online. Apparently, these pans are a top seller at Williams-Sonoma, but you’ll pay top dollar. Lodge sells theirs via Amazon (at least in Canada and the US) for about $40. The Lodge pan is very heavy, but I like how it produces a stable heat and can be used on any surface (gas, electric, induction, BBQ, in the oven, on the campfire…) There are lightweight cast aluminum versions as well if weight is an issue for you.

    I’m now seeing stand alone electric ebelskiver pans in the hardware stores.

    If you do get one, I’d love to know what you think of the results.

  • Charmian Christie
    Posted at 14:42h, 09 April

    Thanks! I do, too. Because the egg whites are beaten separately, these are very light.

    Now, I do love a toasted bagel, but if portion control is an issue (and it can be for me) these are great.

  • Jesper
    Posted at 21:42h, 09 April

    Looks really nice! I’m from Sweden and lax (not lox) is a dish often eaten on christmas, eastern or midsommer. This is certainly a very nice way to take care of lax leftovers!

  • Charmian Christie
    Posted at 15:33h, 11 April

    You have leftover lax?! Hardly ever happens with my family. (Gravalax for those who aren’t sure what we’re talking about.)

    Does Sweden have a form of aebleskiver? Just curious. I’m fascinated at how food traditions are adapted from country to country.

    Thanks so much for taking the time to comment. I think you might be one of my first commenters from Sweden!

  • Ivy Manning
    Posted at 00:20h, 25 April

    Brilliant! You know, I ALWAYS overfill my skiver pan, and what a mess. Will I ever learn? Well, since you told me to, maybe I will learn restraint. Hurray for savory things that were once sweet!

  • Charmian Christie
    Posted at 00:47h, 25 April

    Restraint is not my strong point, but I have learned to exercise it with “skivers”. Of course, this was learned the hard way. Fortunately, the seasoned cast iron cleans up quickly. Almost as quickly as those skivers disappear!

  • JoAnn
    Posted at 15:25h, 06 June

    Seems like all the recipes I looked at for “skivers” need you to whip the egg white or only use egg white. Is that always the case?

  • Charmian Christie
    Posted at 14:58h, 09 June

    All the “skiver” recipes I’m familiar with require beaten egg whites. This helps keep them light and counteract the heaviness of the filling — be it an apple slice or cheese or lox… I’m sure there are vegan variations about, but I have never tried them and can’t speak for how they would compare to the original versions. If you can’t have eggs a vegan site might be a good place to start.

    Anyone have recipes or links to help JoAnn? If so, leave comments or links here. Thanks!

  • JoAnn
    Posted at 15:25h, 09 June

    Thanks I eat eggs just don’t like to separate them: ) never know what to do with the yolk? Also I am a tad lazy and it just seems easier to just throw the whole egg : )

  • Charmian Christie
    Posted at 16:40h, 09 June

    I understand this fully! I hate wasting yolks. I’m lazy too, but am willing to do the work if there’s a good reason. If the recipe calls for just white, adding the yolk shouldn’t be an issue. However, I think the whipped whites would make a difference to texture. Then again, adding more leavening might counter this. Only way to know is to experiment. Anyone up for skivers?

  • Chrispc
    Posted at 21:21h, 16 December

    Thank you so much for including the other names of similar versions of this from other countries: kanom krok, or pa jeon, or takoyaki or kuzhi paniyaram! They’re actually the ones I’m most interested in but weren’t sure what they were called.

  • Charmian Christie
    Posted at 12:09h, 22 December

    I’m so glad you found that information helpful. This sort of feedback is very useful and much appreciated.

    I’m always inspired and amazed at how culinary forms travel from country to country, continent to continent. If you do try any of these non-Danish variations, I’d love to hear how they turned out.

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  • Jo Cedergreen
    Posted at 17:36h, 12 September

    I recently learned that it’s easiest to separate yolk from white when the egg is still chilled, but let whites comes to room temperature before whipping for better volume. Wished I’d known this decades ago! P.S. Whipped whites are essential to Ebelskiver, but don’t beat them too stiff.

  • Charmian Christie
    Posted at 11:10h, 18 September

    I’m always learning something myself. Thanks for sharing your tip!

  • Maryann
    Posted at 11:05h, 16 December

    Some other things that could be made. Baked hushpuppies; sausage balls, stuffing balls. mini apple fritters with finely chopped apple bits.

  • Charmian Christie
    Posted at 11:29h, 16 December

    Oooooh. Those are brilliant suggestions. I like the way you think. My husband is behind the sausage ball idea. Me? I’m thinking mini-apple fritters would be fun. Thanks so much for taking the time to share your ideas!!

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