The Dish #3: Æbleskiver in Solvang, California

Fried dough ball of pancakey goodness drenched in a berry sauce? Yes, please!

I'm on vacation this weekend with my bestfriend, Lauren, and her husband Sam, in Santa Ynez Valley in Santa Barbara County, California. 

We drove south from Sonoma, arriving about 5-6 hours later in quaint Solvang, a charming town that is known for it's Danish culture. 

Solvang was founded in 1911 by Danish settlers who had relocated from the midwestern US for warmer weather. Today, it's a popular tourist destination, nestled in the middle of a popular wine region. Solvang is chock full of boutiques, restaurants, Danish pastry shops and hotels. 

If you ever saw the movie Sideways, then you have seen Solvang!

Æbleskiver - yummy pastry goodness 

This morning Lauren and I went to walk her dog, Greta (a german shepherd). We stopped by the Solvang Restaurant, a legendary cafe known for Æbleskiver. 

A traditional Danish pastry, former Solvang Restaurant owner Arne Hansen describes it as "a waffle or a pancake formed like a tennis ball." Lauren demanded we get one, so we went in with another guest and split an order. 

Hansen claims it's a Viking dish, created by Vikings who had a long day of conquering and didn't have frying pans to make pancakes, so they poured the batter onto their shields, which had round indentations in them, and cooked the shields over fire, therefore creating the round "pancake." 

It's literally about the size of a tennis ball and served warm, with a delicious raspberry jam served on top with a touch of powdered sugar. 

The Æbleskiver has a delicate outside with a dense, moist center. The raspberry sauce really made it! Paired with my tea, it made for a lovely delicacy. 

According to Hansen, they are sometimes filled with apple or other goodness - I think it'd be fabulous with chocolate inside!

I don't think I'd eat them daily, but, it was a nice, sweet treat and an alternative to the classic "eggs and pancake" American breakfast. 

[//]:# (!steemitworldmap 34.594264 lat -120.138534 long Enjoying a famous Danish delicacy at the Solvang Bakery d3scr)

Is there a traditional pastry that is served where you live? Share below for an upvote!