When Nate and I were in Berlin a few summers ago, the hotel we stayed in served the most amazing breakfast every morning. One of the items they served was Kaiserschmarrn, or Emperor’s Pancakes, a traditional Austrian dessert…which happens to be very delicious as a breakfast or brunch food.
The version our hotel served was oh so delicious. There are many recipes out there with various techinques, so I’ve decided to make this one of my culinary quests…to recreate those pancakes we had in Berlin.
Today is Attempt #1 at Kaiserschmarrn. It was a good attempt. Not quite like the version we had in Berlin, but I like this recipe on its own merits. The pancakes came out with a nice texture and I was popping kaiserchmarrn like candy.
Kaiserschmarrn is often served with plumb sauce - a delicious combination indeed! I shared a great recipe for stewed plums with you a few weeks ago which I would highly recommend using with this recipe.
So, here is Take 1 of Jane’s Kaiserschmarrn Journey!
Kaiserschmarrn (aka Emperor’s Pancakes)
A combination of several recipes I found online
- 2 C flour
- 1 C milk
- pinch salt
- 4 eggs, separated
- 1/4 C butter
- 1/4 C sugar
- 1/2 C butter
- 1/2 C raisins (traditional, but optional)
- 2 T powdered sugarMix flour and milk together. Add salt. Stir in egg yolks, 1/4 C butter and raisins (if using). Beat egg whites in a separate bowl with the sugar until peaks form. Melt 1/2 C butter in a 12 inch skillet that can be placed in the oven. Add egg whites to the flour mixture and pour batter into pan. Bake at 375 degrees F for 18 minutes (I baked mine for 20 minutes, but it was 2 minutes too long). Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve with plum sauce.
Since this recipe calls for baking all the batter at once the entire duration of cooking, you end up with one giant pancake, which I cut into little triangles like so.
Hello! My name is Jane Maynard and you've landed yourself on my blog, This Week for Dinner™. Every Sunday I share a weekly menu...and then count on you to share your own! You'll also find other deliciousness that I hope you'll enjoy!
Hi Jane! This post is so fun for me because my dad served his LDS mission in Austria and he made Kaiserschmarrn a lot when I was growing up. I’ll have to show him your recipe and tell him about your “quest!” I’ll be watching for sure to see what else you come up with!
Comment by Leslie — July 21, 2010 @ 4:10 pm
very fun! if your family has a recipe, would love it if you would share, to add to the quest!
Comment by Jane Maynard — July 21, 2010 @ 4:16 pm
Oh my, what a perfect breakfast! Love your photographs too!
Comment by tiina { sparkling ink } — July 22, 2010 @ 12:23 am
Hi Jane.. looks yummy. But the true austrian Kaiserschmarren is more of a torn apart smaller pancake…what makes it special is the beaten egg white (like in your recipe) that makes it really fluffy. And then you fry up the batter individually and pull it apart when it is about half baked.
I love Kaiserschmarren!!! I eat it whenever I go back to Vienna where I used to live for 6 years.
Comment by Meike — July 22, 2010 @ 1:22 am
Meike – I was going to try a recipe like that next.
if you have one to share I would absolutely love it! if not…I definitely have some in the line up 
Comment by Jane Maynard — July 22, 2010 @ 8:06 am
This looks sooo good! Growing up, I would get SO excited every Sunday morning that my dad would announce he was making German pancakes. With lots of powdered sugar on top
Comment by Sues — July 22, 2010 @ 10:13 am
Yummm! I might try.
Comment by Tracy @ Hall of Fame Moms — July 25, 2010 @ 1:47 pm
Those pancakes look absolutely delicious – I’ll be making them as soon as humanly possible. Coincidentally, I’m off to Berlin in a couple of weeks – any foodie haunts I must try? I’d appreciate any suggestions!
Elvie
Comment by Elvira — July 26, 2010 @ 3:54 pm
Just wondering, do you really melt a whole 1/2 c butter to cook the pancake in? I’ve got mine in the oven now–it just seemed like so much butter. I’m sure it will be delicious!
Comment by Allison — July 31, 2010 @ 7:29 am
yes, you do. I know, it sounds crazy pants.
Comment by jane maynard — July 31, 2010 @ 10:10 am
These look like the “German pancakes” my husband likes. But his are very thin in the middle and explode up the sides to curl around like a wave. I like the center flat part the best, so I’m wondering if these would be like MORE of that yummy center part. I might just make this for dinner tonight! Thanks!
Comment by Marisa — August 3, 2010 @ 9:19 am
I’m back! I tried it, and these ARE exactly like more of that yummy center part I love so much.
*I only used 1/4 cup of butter, and everything worked out just fine.
*I only had 4 plums on hand, so I combined them with some marionberries, and thickened the whole thing with cornstarch. I’ve posted photos and a recipe for my revised sauce.
Thanks for the inspiration! We loved these pancakes!
Comment by Marisa — August 15, 2010 @ 8:52 pm
yea, I’m so happy to hear that marisa! thanks for sharing the modifications…I love getting those tips!
Comment by Jane Maynard — August 16, 2010 @ 7:20 am