Kaiserschmarrn Recipe

You must try a traditional Kaiserschmarrn recipe. Make an Old World pancake treat to die for! This is an easy-to-make German dessert that's essentially a caramelized fluffy pancake stirred and split apart with a fork into small (schmarren) pieces while frying. Amazing!

Traditional Kaiserschmarrn Recipe

German Cookery for the English Kitchen (1906)

German Kaiserschmarrn DessertHomemade Kaiserschmarrn Dessert with Preserves
(Source: ©kunertus/Depositphotos.com)

How to Make Kaiserschmarrn

In its authentic form, Kaiserschmarrn is a caramelized pancake made from a batter of eggs, cream, flour, sugar, and rum-soaked raisins. It is fried in butter and shredded into pieces while frying, using two forks.

The eggs are often separated and the whites beaten to a stiff froth to add puffy lightness to the pancake.

The dessert is served hot, sprinkled with powdered sugar, and topped with either an apple or plum sauce, or homemade jam preserves.

The dessert can also be served with its traditional fruit sauces and jams, or you can add a topping of ripe fruit in season, maple syrup, whipped cream, or ice cream for a sumptuous dessert.

Kaiserschmarrn

Kaiserschmarrn with RaisinsTraditional Kaiserschmarrn Pancake with Raisins
(Source: ©kunertus/Depositphotos.com)

6 eggs
1/2 pint cream
4 ounces currants
4 ounces butter
5 ounces flour
1 teaspoonful salt
Grated peel of 1/2 lemon
4 ounces grated sweet almonds

Mix all ingredients, except the butter, into a dough. Fry this brown on both sides in the butter. Then pull, or cut, into smaller pieces and fry each crisply. Serve on a hot dish and sprinkle over with sugar to serve. For 6 persons.

Authentic Kaiserschmarrn Recipe

With a Saucepan Over the Sea (1902)

Imperial Schmarren

Kaiserschmarrn with ApplesauceKaiserschmarrn Served with Applesauce on the Side
(Source: ©4kclips/Depositphotos.com)

5 eggs, separated
1 pint cream
4 ounces flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 ounce raisins
1 ounce chopped almonds
3 ounces butter, or enough for frying

For this traditional Kaiserschmarrn recipe whisk the yolks of 5 eggs with 1 pint of cream, or rich milk, and beat the whites very stiff. Add to the yolks and cream 4 ounces of flour and 1 tablespoonful of sugar, 1 ounce of raisins, and 1 ounce of chopped almonds. Then add the beaten whites, stir and fry on a griddle with 2 ounces of butter, either whole or in 3 parts.

Let it brown; when light, sift it with sugar and serve with fruit preserves or hot vanilla or wine sauce.

Kaiserschmarrn History

Emperor Franz Joseph of AustriaAustrian Kaiser Francis Joseph I (1830-1916)
(PD Source: Photo of Painting by Miklos Barabas)

Kaiserschmarrn is a favored dessert meal in Bavaria, Austria, Hungary, and nearby regions. It derived its name from the words "Kaiser " and "Schmarren" which combined roughly translate as the "Emperor's Mess."

The dessert was first prepared for the Austrian Emperor Francis Joseph I (1830-1916) and there's more than one story as to its invention.

One popular story relates that the Kaiser and his wife Empress Elizabeth were taken to a herdsman's cottage to rest while touring a remote area of the Alps.

The humble herdsman decided to make his royal guests a pancake using the fresh cream, eggs, and butter he had at hand. However, in his nervous haste, he accidentally scrambled the pancake and served it topped with homemade jam to cover the mess. The Kaiser loved it, and it became one of his favorite meals.

Original Kaiserschmarrn recipes called for only raisins and sometimes chopped almonds, but eventually chefs added their favorite ingredients to the batter such as apple pieces, apple jam, cherries, plums, and currants to create Kaiserschmarrn as we enjoy it today.

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