Elizabeth of Bavaria made Kaiserschmarrn for her husband, the Austrian Emperor Franz Josef I (1830-1916), or at least, had it made. She was a Wittelsbach and worried about her weight so she insisted that the royal chef prepare only light desserts for her, much to the irritation of her usually stern husband. Upon being presented with this dessert, she found it too rich and refused to eat it. The exasperated Franz Josef apparently  said, “Now let me see what schmarrn our chef has cooked up“. He loved it and finished not only his, but his wife’s portion too. Thereafter, the dessert was called Kaiserschmarrn across the 

Empire. This really interesting dessert consists of  a light, caramelized pancake made from a sweet batter with eggs, sugar, flour, salt and milk and baked in butter. Kaiserschmarrn can be prepared in different ways and it will do well to remember that the batter has more than the usual number of eggs. The eggwhites are separated from the yolk and beaten until stiff, then the flour, the yolks mixed with sugar and the other ingredients are added, including nuts, cherries, plums, apple jam or small pieces of apple, or caramelized raisins and chopped almonds. The pancake is split into pieces while frying, shredded after preparation and usually sprinkled with icing sugar and served hot with apple or plum sauce or various fruit compotes, like plums, berries or apples. It’s often eaten with cream it is one of those special classics that have been adopted by mountainside restaurants that cater for tourists and at many taverns in the Austrian alps because it is a quite filling meal. I have two recipes here – one a without the flour, which makes it a little more like a sweet omelette and the other with flour, both delicious.

ELIZABETH’S KAISERSCHMARRN

Ingredients

• 4  large eggs
• 2 tablespoons raisins
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 1 vanilla bean pod
• 250 ml  drained loganberries
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 1 lemon rind, grated
• 1 orange rind, grated
• 1 teaspoon vanilla sugar
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon dark rum
• 1 50 ml thick cream, whipped

Method

• To make vanilla sugar: take one tablespoon of granulated sugar – put in a tin, add 1 vanilla pod, seal the tin and wait at least 4 days.
• (It’s not a bad idea to keep some in the cupboard for emergency use)
• Remove the pod whenever required and then return it to the sugar.
• The sugar will be vanilla flavored for many dessert uses.
• Separate eggs and whisk the whites stiffly.
• Whisk the egg yolks and the vanilla sugar until light and fluffy.
• Place loganberries through a sieve to puree or use a blender, but it’s not the same texture.
• Preheat the grill to medium.
• Add the sugar to the stiff egg whites whisking well to form a meringue.
• Add lemon and orange zest as well as the raisins and combine.
• Add egg yolks and the vanilla sugar and fold in carefully.
• Put 1 tablespoon of butter into an omelet pan that has been heated.
• Pour the egg mixture into the pan and stir quickly using a palette knife, to create the schmarrn.
• Place kaiserschmarrn under the grill and lightly cook surface until small bubbles appear and it has risen.
• Place loganberry puree and rum in pan on medium heat and allow to boil 2 minutes. Loosen edges of omelet and turn out onto a serving dish, break up with 2 forks and smooth with whipped cream and loganberry-rum puree.

Strange, but delicious.

CLASSIC KAISERSCHMARRN

Ingredients

• 6 eggs
• 200 grams cake or pastry flour
• 50 grams sugar
• 250 milliliters milk
• pinch of salt
• 20 grams or raisins
• butter, as needed
• icing sugar
• plum or apple puree

Method

• Separate the eggs.
• Mix the yolks, sugar, milk and flour very well.
• Add a pinch of salt to the egg whites and beat until stiff.
• Add stiff egg whites into the dough and fold carefully.
• Melt butter in a large pan, pour in the dough and sprinkle in raisins.
• Allow to cook on one side for a few minutes, turn over and tear into pieces with a fork.
• Be careful not to overcook the pancakes, otherwise they will dry out.
• Sprinkle with icing sugar and serve with plum or apple puree.