Kaiserschmarrn

About This Recipe

Kaiserschmarrn (Emperor's Mess) is the most romantically named dessert in Austrian cuisine and, according to legend, was created for Emperor Franz Joseph I when a pancake went wrong or was deliberately 'ruined' to create a more rustic dish. The name itself (schmarren meaning 'mess' or 'nonsense') is affectionately self-deprecating. The dish is essentially a thick, eggy batter cooked in butter until golden, then torn into irregular pieces and caramelized with sugar until each fragment is golden and slightly crispy on the outside, soft inside. It is served as a main dessert course in Austrian restaurants and as a substantial Brettljause (snack) in mountain huts across the Alps.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 4 largeeggs(separated)
• 200 mlwhole milk
• 150 gall-purpose flour
• 2 tbspcaster sugar
• 1 pinchsalt
• 50 graisins(soaked in rum for 30 min)
• 50 gbutter
• 2 tbspicing sugar(for dusting)
• 200 gplum jam or compote(to serve)

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the batter

   Mix egg yolks, milk, flour, sugar, and salt until smooth. Whip egg whites with a pinch of salt to stiff peaks. Fold gently into the batter with the raisins.

2. 2

   Cook

   Melt butter in a large oven-safe pan. Pour in batter. Cook on medium heat until the bottom is golden, about 3 minutes.

3. 3

   Bake

   Transfer to a 180°C oven for 5–7 minutes until puffed and cooked through.

4. 4

   Tear and caramelize

   Remove from oven. Using two forks, tear the pancake into rough pieces. Sprinkle with icing sugar and toss in the pan over medium heat until caramelized.

5. 5

   Serve

   Dust with more icing sugar. Serve hot with plum jam or stewed plums.

Variations

• •

  Add apple pieces instead of raisins

• •

  Use cranberry sauce instead of plum compote

Storage

Best eaten immediately. Reheats reasonably in a pan with a little butter.

Frequently Asked Questions