A warm Austrian semolina pudding, lightly spiced with cracked pepper, topped with a tart lime-berry compote.
Griesschmarrn, a semolina pudding cooked much like kaiserschmarrn and torn into golden pieces, is a genuine Austrian nursery-food classic usually served with stewed fruit. This version keeps the traditional semolina-and-egg base but adds a surprising pinch of cracked black pepper to the batter, an old Central European trick for making sweet dairy dishes taste rounder rather than flat, and tops it with a bright lime-spiked berry compote instead of the more usual applesauce. Semolina needs to be whisked into scalded milk gradually and cooked over low heat, stirring constantly, until it thickens into a loose porridge — rushing this step leaves lumps that never fully smooth out. Once cooled slightly, egg yolks are beaten in for richness and whipped egg whites folded in last for lightness, the same technique used in kaiserschmarrn. The pudding is baked until just set, then torn into pieces and returned briefly to a buttered pan to pick up caramelized edges, finished with the tart berry compote to cut through the pudding's richness.
Serves 4
Bring the milk to a gentle simmer in a heavy saucepan. Whisk in the semolina in a steady stream, then add sugar, salt and pepper. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, 5-6 minutes until thick and smooth.
Remove from heat and let cool 5 minutes, then whisk in the egg yolks one at a time.
Whip the egg whites to soft peaks and fold gently into the semolina mixture in two additions.
Pour into a buttered baking dish and bake at 190C (375F) for 20-22 minutes until puffed and just set in the center.
While the pudding bakes, simmer the berries with sugar and lime zest and juice in a small saucepan 8-10 minutes until juicy and slightly thickened.
Tear the baked pudding into rough pieces. Melt butter in a skillet over medium-high heat and toss the pieces 2-3 minutes until the edges caramelize.
Divide among bowls and top with the warm lime-berry compote.
Whisk the semolina into the milk gradually and keep stirring constantly for the first few minutes to prevent lumps from forming.
The pinch of black pepper should be barely noticeable — its job is to round out the sweetness, not add heat.
Tear the pudding while still warm for the best caramelization when returned to the buttered pan.
Classic applesauce topping: skip the berry compote and serve with warm applesauce, the more traditional pairing.
Nutty finish: scatter toasted hazelnuts over the top along with the compote.
Citrus swap: use orange zest and juice instead of lime for a milder, sweeter compote.
Best eaten warm the day it's made. Refrigerate leftovers up to 2 days and reheat gently in a skillet with a little butter to recrisp the edges; the compote keeps separately up to 4 days.
Griesschmarrn belongs to the same family of torn, caramelized Austrian puddings as kaiserschmarrn, traditionally served as a nursery dish or light supper rather than a formal dessert. Semolina became a common Austrian pantry staple through Central European grain trade, and the technique of finishing a baked pudding by tearing and pan-caramelizing it remains distinctly Austrian.
It's an old, lesser-known trick in some Central European baking to round out sweetness rather than a mainstream ingredient — used here in a very small amount, it's meant to be subtle rather than a dominant flavor.
Yes — frozen berries work well and don't need thawing first; just simmer them a few minutes longer to cook off the extra liquid they release.
This usually means the egg whites were overmixed into the batter or not whipped enough before folding. Whip to soft, not stiff, peaks and fold gently to keep the air in.
Per serving (250g / 8.8 oz) · 4 servings total
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