Kaiserschmarren ? Austrian Torn Pancakes

There are certain recipes that you just know were invented by accident ? and this ?Emperor?s Mess? has to be one of them. There?s no way to know for sure, but I?m picturing a sleep-deprived, possibly hung over cook trying to flip a pancake, and it misses the pan, breaking into pieces, so he just tears the rest of it up, and a little bit of butter and sugar later, the Kaiserschmarren was born.?

?Of course, it wouldn?t have had that name yet, since they would?ve had to serve it to Franz Joseph I, and he would?ve had to love it, which apparently he did. So, I think the real question is, what was it called before it got to the Kaiser? Historical questions aside, the only thing we really need to know is that this is a fun-to-make and delicious-to-eat pancake.?

How to Make Kaiserschmarren

The procedure is quite simple, and there?s lots of room for variation. Here are some tips and twists for perfect homemade kaiserschmarren:

• If you like, you can use more batter in a smaller pan to get a taller, thicker, fluffier pancake.?
• You can also caramelize the pieces thoroughly like I did, sacrificing some inflation for a little extra ?crustification.?
• You can basically just tear and serve, which will produce bites with a softer, lighter texture.?
• Lastly, and most controversially, you can add raisins to these if you want.?

No matter how you adapt this recipe, I really do hope you give these Austrian torn pancakes a try soon. Enjoy!?

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