Tag Archives: st patricks day food

Irish meets Danish in these Aebleskivers

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Maybe I could call these billowy, soft balls of goodness Irish pancake puffs. The batter is traditional Danish Aebleskiver, only better. These aebleskivers start with Aunt Else’s Aebleskiver Mix, a blend of local-to-Minnesota organic wheat flours and buttermilk. And, rather than the customary apple slice baked inside, these orbs of doughliciousness have a savory filling with an Irish flair — corned beef and cabbage with a bit of cheese. Pull one of these warm babies apart and spoon on some of Lucille’s Garden Green Pepper Jam and it just happens — Irish meets Danish in aebleskivers that satisfy with a multicultural blend of texture and flavor.

My first attempt at making aebleskivers was several years ago when my daughter-in-law and I made them together after I watched an aebleskiver-making demonstration. I think they turned out fairly well, but my little baking pan with the round shallow wells went back into storage and I never made the sweet treats again. Never even thought about them.

A couple of years ago I met Chad Gillard, co-owner of Aunt Else’s Aebleskiver. He was busy making his specialty treat at the Twin Cities Food & Wine Experience, serving them up as samples to the curious crowd. Right beside him was Zoie Glass, Jelly Epicurean for her company,  Lucille’s Kitchen Garden. A dab of one of Zoie’s flavorful jellies was served on each mouth-load of hot and fresh Aunt Else’s Aebleskiver just out of the special cast-iron pan.

Zoie Glass, Jelly Epicurean                               Â

Chad Gillard, co-owner of Aunt Else's Aebleskiver

I was smitten. Not only by the edibles these two entrepreneurs were offering, but by their energy and enthusiasm. It was so obvious both of these Twin Cities-based business owners were in love with what they were doing and passionate about their commitment to support local food producers and small businesses.

I’ve continued to run into Zoie and Chad at Twin Cities farmers markets over the last couple of years, each time eating more Aunt Else’s Aebleskivers topped with some variety of Lucille’s Kitchen Garden jelly. They were at the Minnesota Monthly Food & Wine Show at Target Field earlier this month.

A few weeks ago I attended a Les Dames meeting at Local D’Lish in Minneapolis. Chad was there with at least 4 of his Aebleskiver pans, heated up over portable gas burners and ready for novice A-bakers to give it a try. Our group of food professionals had great fun as we turned out some great-looking A’s, some with sweet filling, some with savory. I baked mine with chunks of summer sausage and cheese and then topped it off with Lucille’s Kitchen Garden Green Pepper Jelly. With confidence and inspiration, I was ready to try out the whole A-baking process in my own kitchen.

I pulled out the gluten-free Aunt Else’s Aeblsekiver mix that Chad gave me.

With the mix, all I needed to add was eggs and liquid, usually water, but I chose beer as the liquid for my aebleskivers with an Irish flair.

You can’t believe how heavy the made-in-Minneapolis cast-iron nine-hole Aunt Else’s Aebleskiver baker is. That’s why it works so well.

As the beer-spiked batter swelled up in the baker, I sprinkled chopped, drained sauerkraut, deli-sliced corned beef and shredded Swiss cheese over the top of each.

As the Irish-style savory aebleskivers baked, I turned them with a chopstick, just as Chad had taught me, to form perfectly rounded balls.

Once baked, I couldn’t wait to split one open and start eating.

Exactly what I was hoping for — aebleskivers heady with yeast from the beer (the beer which makes these treats no longer gluten-free), oozing with melted cheese and just the right amount of corned beef and cabbage. Of course, it wouldn’t be complete without a bit of Green Pepper Jelly from Lucille’s Kitchen Garden. Now, that’s Irish.

I did make a batch of aebleskivers using a recipe from an old cookbook so I could share it with those of who want to give this a try, but can’t get a bag of Aunt Else’s right away. You can click here to see a list of places that sell Aunt Else’s.

Aunt Else’s Aebleskiver web site has a video you can watch each step of the stove-top baking process as well as a written tutorial. Click right here to get there in a hurry.

Aunt Else’s Aebleskiver Mix is the easiest way to get the best-tasting and most beautiful Aebleskivers you will ever get your hands on to pop into your mouth. This recipe from the 1987 book of Rosemalers’ Recipes is on the sweet side. I used half of the milk called for and replaced the other half with beer. They were fine, but not as good as Aunt Else’s.

If you are having a group of friends over to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, give everyone a chance to try making their own Irish Aebleskiver. It will be a party you’ll all remember.

If you prefer more traditional Irish fare on St. Patrick’s Day, you will most certainly enjoy the authentic Irish Soda Bread that I posted last year at this time. Click here to get right to that recipe.

Irish Aebleskiver

(adapted from a collection of recipes in Rosemalers’ Recipes, 1987.)

  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • 1/2 cup butter, melted
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1/2 cup beer
  • sauerkraut, drained and chopped
  • corned beef, chopped fine
  • swiss cheese, grated

Combine sugar and eggs and beat well with whisk. Add cooled butter to mixture and whisk again to blend. Sift dry ingredients and add alternately with milk and beer. Heat aebleskiver pan. When pan is hot, put a teaspoon or so of canola oil in each well. Spoon enough dough into each section to read 3/4 way to the top. Sprinkle each one with cheese, meat and sauerkraut. Cook and turn with a chopstick when golden brown on the bottom. When aebleskiver is golden all the way around, remove from pan. Try to let it cool a minute or two before eating. The cheese inside gets pretty hot. Makes 3 to 4 dozen (Depending on the size of the wells in your aebleskiver pan.)

Minnesota-Style St. Patrick’s Day meal

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Root vegetable. Corned beef. Sauerkraut. Rye. Gedney dills. It all adds up to something Irish. And a little bit Minnesotan.

When I got together with friends for a potluck meal last week, the theme was Something Irish, Something Gren.

I had just gotten the Lee Brother’s newest cookbook, "Simple Fresh Southern," and found their recipe for Green Godess Potato Salad. Seasoned just right with fresh parsley and tarragon, a splash of champagne vinegar and some lime juice, the light mayo and sour cream-based dressing is just what the potato doctor ordered. And perfect for a "Green" potluck.

Green Goddess Potato Salad is the right match for a reuben sandwich on St. Patrick’s Day. It will be just what we want when it’s time to make a picnic lunch to take to the park or out on the boat. It’s easy to make and only gets better with age. Click here to go right to a copy of the Lee Bros Green Goddess Potato Salad.

I made the Green Goddess Potato Salad for the potluck. It was enjoyed by all. With just a tiny bit of the potatoes remaining after eveyone had a chance to eat, I brought them home and discovered it is the perfect salad to eat with Reuben’s.

And speaking of Reuben’s, my husband says these Puffs are the only way to eat a Reuben. It’s an open-face sandwich. A slice of toasted rye is the foundation for mustard, a layer of thinly sliced corned beef and a cheese mixture that includes chopped sauerkraut and Swiss cheese. And, some Minnesota flair with chopped Gedney Norwegian Dills. You know Gedney — it’s the Minnesota pickle! A few mintues under the broiler, and the cheesey topping gets melted, bubbly and brown.

Put it all together and you’ve got a Minnesota-style St. Patrick’s Day meal.

Minnesota-style Reuben Puffs

  • 2 cups sauerkraut
  • 8 ounces Swiss cheese, cut into large cubes
  • 1 medium onion, cut into large pieces
  • 3/4 cup mayonnaise
  • 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
  • 3 dill pickles, chopped coarsely ( I used Gedney Norwegian Dills)
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 8 slices rye bread, toasted
  • 1 pound thinly sliced corned beef

Rinse and drain sauerkraut. Press between layers of paper towels to remove excess moisture. Set aside.

Process cheese and onion in a food processor until it is finely chopped. Add chopped pickle, mayonnaise and 1 tablespoon mustard and pepper. Process to blend. Add sauerkraut and pulse 2 or 3 times.

Spread remaining 2 tablespoons mustard evenly on 1 side of toasted bread slices. Top with corned beef. Spread with cheese mixture.

Place on a baking sheet. Broil 8 inches from heat, leaving door of oven partially open. for 6 to 8 minutes. They should be puffed and lightly browned. Serve immediately.

Tips from the cook:

Sauerkraut mixture can be prepared early in the day, or even the day before, and stored tightly covered in the refrigerator.

To make appetizer-sized Reuben Puffs, use the small cocktail rye bread. It is often found in the deli section of the supermarket.

 

 

Authentic Irish Soda Bread — Really!

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I’ve tasted soda bread once or twice over the years. I didn’t care for it. Crumbly, dry, tasteless.

Then, along came Rachel Gaffney through the power of Twitter, one of the online social networking sites that is popular right now. About a year ago, Rachel and I began tweeting back and forth. Rachel, who was born and raised in Ireland and now lives in Texas, was planning a business trip to Minneapolis. I was going to be there at the same time. We decided to get together.

As we sipped a beverage and chatted at a table at Murray’s, the famous steak place downtown Minneapolis, I learned more about this Irish entrepeneur. She’s charged with energy, determination and drive, exactly what she needs to run her business, Rachel Gaffney’s Authentic Irish Goods.

Rachel Gaffney recently sent me her recipe for authentic Irish soda bread. It looked easy enough to make, so I decided to give it a try. It’s not like any other soda bread I’ve tasted. It’s moist yet hardy. Not a raisin in sight. Delicious with a thick slather of good butter. Nice toasted, too. I found it best on the day it comes from the oven. Next time I’ll shape the dough into two round loaves and freeze one of them. Rachel’s recipe makes a large loaf, so unless you’re feeding a crowd, you may want to do the same.

Rachel agreed to share some information about herself. Her most exciting bit of news, though, is that she will be appearing live on Martha Stewart’s show Tuesday, March 16th. She’ll be teaching Martha how to make her authentic Irish shortbread. Tune in and you can learn, too.

You can read more about Rachel by visiting her blog: Rachel Gaffney’s Real Ireland.

Thanks for sharing your time and your soda bread with us, Rachel.

1. Rachel, what’s your favorite way to eat Irish Soda Bread?

I love to eat Soda Bread for breakfast with KERRYGOLD SALTED BUTTER and Seville Orange Marmalade. Nice pot of hot Tea to accompany it.
I also love it with a bowl of Leek & Potato Soup.

2. Rachel, you were born and raised in Ireland. What’s the St. Patrick’s Day meal like in the Gaffney’s household in Texas?

Every year, I take my sons skiing with my best friend. We have our annual Mum and Son trip. It always falls on St. Patrick’s Day. My boys like to join in with the rest of the skiiers and wear their green, of course. When you look at them, they have the map of Ireland written all over their faces !!!!
We have to eat whatever is on offer in the local restaurants, but when we return, we will be having our family dinner with Dad. They have requested Lamb with the Irish Whiskey Marmalade Glaze , Turnip & Potato Gratin and of course my signature dessert, Brady’s Irish Cream Cheesecake with my Irish Butter shortbread base.

3. When you have guests in your kitchen, do they get any clues that you’re Irish?

I suppose having Irish Pottery, Irish Butter,Irish cheeses and LOTS of root vegetables might be a giveaway !!!

4. Traditional Irish Butter Shortbread is one of your products availabile in high-end grocery stores (Lund’s and Byerly’s in Minnesota). Who taught you to make shortbread?

When I was growing up my Mum used to make trays of Irish butter Shortbread for Birthday parties. She would ice them or sometimes she would layer the shortbreads with caramel and chocolate. Yum
I watched my Mum make them over and over again. The only way to learn anything, in my opinion, is to watch.

When I moved to the United States in 1996, I noticed that people’s perception of the IRELAND I knew was somehow distorted. I decided in 2003 to start RACHEL GAFFNEY’S AUTHENTIC IRISH GOODS.

I began making my IRISH BUTTER SHORTBREADS 7 years ago. I subleased a bakery in Dallas and then outsourced to commercial production in 2008. This was an enormous challenge. Not only was I moving from a small facility to a large facility, but I was working with real ingredients. Using KERRYGOLD IRISH BUTTER is unlike working with a domestic butter. It took me almost 4 years of R&D to be able to make this commercially.

5. Rachel, you are one of Martha Stewart’s Dreamers to Doers. What was it like to visit the Martha Stewart set?

Last September I was reading something on line about a site called DREAMERS INTO DOERS. This is on the MARTHA STEWART site. There are 4,000 members. Here is where I met fellow DREAMERS who have turned their passion and dream into a business or charity. In January, forty of us got together in New York and attended the MARTHA STEWART show. It was a wonderul experience. The staff were exceptional and to see them behind the scenes, well lets just say it’s a Well-Oiled Machine.

6. Any vices, on the food front?

BUTTER. What some people consider to be a vice, I consider a neccessity and that’s really good butter. Not just because of the taste but because the butter is made from grass fed cattle. Cattle in Ireland are free to graze during our grass-growing season from March to November. I know that the butter I am feeding my family is great butter. There is absolutely nothing in it that your body cannot break down by itself.

7. What three things are always in your refrigerator?

I ALWAYS have Kerrygold Salted & Unsalted Butter in my fridge along with Dubliner cheese. My kids love to eat and cheese is a staple in their snacking diet. When they come home from school they will slice a Granny Smith apple, Dubliner Cheddar Cheese and put a slice of cheese between two slices of apple!

8. Something else we don’t know about you?

I love Irish Literature. I studied Speech & Drama from the age of 8 , performing in plays & ‘Feis Maitiu’ in Cork City. Every year I studied and sat my exams through the London College Of Music until I was 18.
In fact my next visit is going to be to the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis, when one of Brian Friels plays graces the stage…………………..

Rachel Gaffney’s Irish Soda Bread

INGREDIENTS

  • 3 1/3 cups whole wheat flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ cup all purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons wheat germ
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 3 teaspoons rolled oats
  • 1 egg
  • ½ quart buttermilk
  • 2 tablespoons canola oil

METHOD

Preheat Oven to 375 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl mix all dry ingredients. Make a well in the center then add all liquid ingredients. Mix together. Use a little whole wheat flour if the mixture is too wet to form a ball. Form a ball on a lightly greased baking sheet. Make a cross in the center and bake for approx 45 minutes.

P.S. from S.D.: I used White Wheat Whole Grain Flour from Dakota Family Mill in place of the traditional whole wheat flour. It offers the same health benefits, but delivers a lighter color and texture in the soda bread.