Especially during the Munich Christmas season, we are often drawn to faraway places: the snow-covered mountains in the Alps are the perfect winter getaway and make the gray time in December go by faster. Have you already explored the Christmas market in Salzburg, which is one of the oldest in the world? And a real mountain Christmas awaits you in Innsbruck too . But if you don’t want to travel that far, you can bring a bit of that mountain feeling into your own home: try this recipe for your own Kaiserschmarrn!
Ingredients for your Kaiserschmarrn
For the dough:
- 4 eggs (size M)
- 300 ml whole milk (min. 3.5% fat)
- 125 g wheat flour (type 405 or 550)
- 60 g sugar
- 1 sachet vanilla sugar (or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract)
- 1 pinch of salt
- Optional: 75 ml mineral water (sparkling, for extra fluffiness)
- Optional: 40 g raisins (preferably soaked in rum or apple juice for 15-30 minutes beforehand)
For frying & caramelizing:
- 40 g butter (or clarified butter)
- 2 tbsp powdered sugar (powdered sugar)
- Powdered sugar for sprinkling
As a garnish:
- Classic: stewed plums
- Alternative: apple sauce or apricot compote
Preparation: How to achieve the perfect “fluffiness”
Step 1: Preparing the batter
First separate the eggs. Then mix the egg yolks with the sugar, vanilla sugar and a pinch of salt until the mixture becomes lighter and foamier. Add the flour and milk (and optionally the mineral water) alternately to the egg yolk mixture and mix everything quickly to form a smooth, liquid batter.
Beat the egg whites with a hand mixer until very firm. Then carefully fold this into the batter in two portions. This is the key to your particularly fluffy Kaiserschmarrn! It’s best to use a whisk or spatula to avoid squeezing the air out of the batter. Be particularly careful when folding in the beaten egg whites. If you want to use raisins, carefully fold them into the batter too.
Step 2: Frying
Heat the butter in a frying pan over a medium heat and pour all the batter into the hot pan. Fry over a medium heat for approx. 3-4 minutes until the underside is golden brown. You can carefully push the spatula to the edge so that any liquid batter can run down – this creates the typical layers.
Once the underside is well browned, divide the batter into two halves with the spatula and turn them over. Place the pan (if it is ovenproof) in the oven preheated to 180 degrees top/bottom heat for approx. 5-8 minutes so that the Kaiserschmarrn is completely cooked on the inside. Alternatively, you can continue to bake in the pan on a low heat and cover with a lid.
Step 3: Caramelize and enjoy!
As soon as the Kaiserschmarrn is done baking, take it out of the oven and use two forks to tear it into irregular, bite-sized pieces. This creates the typical shape. Then pour the 2 tbsp powdered sugar over the pieces of pancake in the pan. Raise the heat slightly and toss the pieces until the sugar caramelizes and forms a light, shiny crust.
Your perfect Kaiserschmarrn is ready! Sprinkle it with powdered sugar or add a side dish of your choice, such as the traditional plum roast. In no time at all , it will taste like the Alps at home in Munich – enjoy!