Pancake Challenge #5) Kaiserchmarrn (Austrian Shredded Pancakes)

Pancake loved by Austrian Royalty! 

After trying our very first (intentionally and not because of cooking mishap) shredded pancakes at Heuriger, we were waiting for the perfect day to replicate the fluffy pancakes heavily dusted with powdered sugar!

Kaiserschmarrn (according to Wikipedia) found its name from the Austrian emperor (Kaiser) Franz Joseph I of Austria, who was apparently a big fan of the pancake.  If I was slightly younger (and a little bit more silly & naïve) I would’ve definitely followed in his steps and aspire to have a pancake named after myself).

After looking at several recipes (and balking at number of eggs – really 5?!?!), we silently agreed to moderate the recipe to yield one massive shredded pancakes to be eaten together with the big platter of fruits my talented bf assembled

Compared to other pancakes, it is a lot more eggy in both texture and flavour but not so in an overpowering way to overthrow the goodness of a pancake.  Next time instead of 3 eggs, I think I’ll scale it down to 2 egg and add a little bit of milk and baking powder to compensate!

It definitely felt amazing to be able to shred (almost) perfectly pancakes to shreds with a spatula! It’s like modern art inspired pancake!

Most importantly, I’ll definitely stock up on rum beforehand so we can pre-soak the raisins before adding them to the pancakes. I’m actually not too sure if this is the “Austrian” tradition but whoever thought of it is definitely a genius!

Kaiserschmarrn  

adopted from LynzzPaige’s Kaiserschmarrn (Allrecipes.com)

 Recipe yields one big pan (enough for 1-2 persons)

• 2 – 3 eggs (2 large eggs / 3 small eggs)
• 1/2 cup of milk
• 2 – 3 tbsp of sugar
• 1/8 tsp of salt
• 1/4 tsp of vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup of whole wheat flour (can be easily substituted to all-purpose)
• 1/4 cup of raisins (if you can  pre-soak them in rum/cognac before adding for the extra kick!)
• 1 tbsp of butter or 1 tbsp. vegetable oil
• Topping: Powdered Sugar/ Coconut Flakes / Honey / Syrup / Fresh Fruits!

1. In a medium bowl, mix the eggs with milk, sugar, salt and vanilla extract
2. Sift flour into the bowl and mix until there are no lumps (alternatively use a hand held blender to fasten the process)
3. Stir in half of the raisins
4. Heat the frying pan in medium heat and add the butter or oil
5. Pour the batter in and spread it evenly around the pan
6. Sprinkle the rest of the raisins on top
7. Cook until the batter begins to set (4– 5 min) and then flip!
8. Cook for additional 1 -2 min on the other side
9. If you have somehow managed to flip the pancake without it breaking, then take a spatula and begin to shred the pancake into bite size bits!
10. Transfer the shredded pancakes onto a plate and garnish with powdered sugar and fruits/chocolate etc. of your choice!