Kaiserschmarrn

Hi guys!

It's monday and time for something vegetarian, definitely not vegan today. I don't know how you feel about sweets for lunch or dinner, but I get cravings for sweet things sometimes and that's the moment when I know that nothing will fix it as well as pancakes or its austrian sibling I want to introduce you to today. Kaiserschmarrn is essentially a large baked pancake that you pull to pieces in the pan and caramelize it with a little sugar and butter. I first got to know it on one of many skiing holidays to Austria. My sister took it a even further by eating nothing but Kaiserschmarrn for two week in a row for dinner because she loved it so much. And today, she would choose it over fries anytime. My recipe is from a book by Johann Lafer, an austrian cook and tv personality with a wide-known sweet tooth. I got the book "Dessert, die mein Leben begleiten" (Deserts that accompany my life) from friends for my 17th birthday a while ago, but I have to admit I am only making this recipe from it. 

Here's the recipe:

200ml (6.7 fl.oz; about 3/4 cup and 1 tablespoon) milk
120g (4.2 oz; a little less than 1 cup) all-purpose plain flour
1 pinch salt
1 tablespoon sour cream
6 eggs
80g (2.8 oz; a little more than 1/3 cup) white sugar
raisins
butter 

1) Preheat the oven to 220°C (428°F). Pour the milk in a bowl, add the salt and flour and whisk until smooth. 

2) Crack two eggs in the bowl. Separate the remaining four eggs, put the yolks in the bowl with the milk-flour mixture and the whites in another bowl. Add half the sugar to the eggwhites and beat until stiff. You should be able to turn the bowl with the eggwhites staying in it.

3) Whisk in the two eggs and four eggyolks. Add 1/3 of the beaten eggwhites and fold in to loosen the dough up. Add the rest of the eggwhites to the mixture and fold in as well. 

4) Heat a pan (with a lid) over high heat. Add the butter and the dough and sprinkle with raisins if you like. Clamp on the lid and put the pan in the oven. Bake for about 15-20 minutes until dark golden. 

5) Carefully remove the pan from the oven and tear the baked Kaiserschmarrn in small pieces. Sprinkle with a little butter and remaining sugar and turn in the hot pan until starting to caramelize. Serve with confectioner's sugar dusted on top.

Serves: 4 if you're normal, but 2 if you're my sister and I
Active preparation time: 10 minutes
Total preparation time: about 30 minutes
© Copyright: Johann Lafer, "Desserts, die mein Leben begleiten", p. 18.

Here's how mine turned out:

It is wonderfully light and fluffy and golden once baked and caramelized and it was just the perfect thing to satisfy my sweet tooth today. Traditionally, you would serve it with plum sauce or apple sauce on the side, but I like it best pure or with added raising and nothing else. 

Have fun trying and I hope you like it as much as I do!