I knew I shouldn't have worn the red shirt

Abby's asleep in her dog bed, sulking that I wouldn't buy her the Star Trek Captains Chair dog bed for Christmas.  (I got her all kind of Tribble-like stuffies but currently as relaxed is she is in her super poofy dog bed by the couch where we sit before bed, her digestive track set to "stun", we weren't looking to make her extra, extra relaxed).

Yesterday morning, everything outside was covered with frost, with temps down in the 20's and a moist air mass stalking the area. Not a good way to start the day and starting the day feeling icky it was just going to go downhill. 


I got off work early, and am taking a sick day today, due to a stomach/flu bug going around work, someone else taking over my work for a couple of days. I knew I shouldn't have worn the red shirt. (For those of you who grew up on a deserted island and never watched Star Trek, the Red Shirt is the character phaser-cannon fodder taken out quickly in the plot line to alert viewers to danger.)

It began with just the sniffles and a rumbling tummy and by the end of the day, I was part of landing party Kirk, Spock, Dr. McCoy and the Dead Guy, better known as Ensign Ricky in the red shirt. I started out thinking I was going to save the planet and I ended up as the smoking boots behind the giant paper mache boulder.

By the afternoon I was pretty much useless. I felt bad, but making everyone else sick is not a way to keep your team happy. So they sent me home. All I wanted to do is make a pot of tea and something easy, but warm and comforting for dinner.

Aebleskiver.  (recipe in the comments)

click to enlarge photos

No, those aren't donut holes.
The aebleskiver (also spelled ableskiver) are a Danish pastry similar to pancakes with a soft texture inside similar to a popover. They are traditionally served before Christmas with Gløgg, topped with butter (sometimes) and jam (always) and dusted with powdered sugar (they aren't sweet by themselves). To start, you will need a aebleskiver pan, usually made of cast iron, as those conduct the heat the best. The traditional pans can be found in a number of Scandinavian specialty stores or catalogs or you purchase one of the new style ones here.


As they cook on the stove top, thin crusts will form on bottoms of balls (centers will still be wet). This is where the fun begins. You get a slender wood skewer (I use a clean knitting needle) and pierce the crust with one and gently pull shell to rotate the pancake ball until about half the cooked portion is above the cup rim and uncooked batter flows down into cup. You then cook until the crust on bottom of ball is again firm enough to pierce, about another minute, then rotate ball with skewer until the ridge formed as the pancake first cooked is on top. Then you complete cooking, rotating your balls until done. (Don't go there, I have a sharp skewer in my hand).

Have some of your favorite jam ready (Lingonberry!) and powdered sugar. If you want to make filled ones, add a half a teaspoon of jam to the batter just before you make your first turn.

Warning: the first time you make these you might warn anyone around you to stand far away while you work with the pointed needles. There is a chance you might be waving them around and cursing in Norwegian by the time you are done, these do take a batch or two to get the process perfected.

So make a batch and enjoy. But I'll warn you, they won't last any longer than Ensign Ricky.