Császármorzsa

It was a wonderful snowy Friday afternoon, while I was carving for something sweet, so I decided to prepare something, that I haven't done before, and in this case haven't even eaten it until now. Yeah, strange or not, but this was the first time in my life that I have prepared this dessert and also the very first time that I ate it, though it is pretty popular. Császármorzsa or Kaiserschmarrn is one of the best known Austrian desserts, popular in the former Austria–Hungary as well as in Bavaria. In Hungary it is also known as smarni. The translation of Kaiserschmarrn has generated some etymological debate. While “Kaiser” is literally translatable (as Emperor), the same cannot be said for “Schmarrn”. “Schmarrn” has been translated as a mishmash, a mess, crumbs, a trifle, a nonsense, a fluff, or even as a mild expletive. (source:wikipedia)


Ingredients:
(recipe adapted from Johann Lafer)
200 ml milk
120 g flour
1 pinch of salt
1 tablespoon sour cream
4 egg whites
80 g sugar
4 egg yolks
2 eggs
50 g clarifed butter
15 g raisins
50 g butter
4 apples
2-3 tablespoons lemon juice
120 g sugar
40 g honey
150 ml white wine
150 ml apple juice
1 vanilla pod
1 cinnamon stick
2 star anise
zest of a half lemon


For the apple stew peel apples and cut one apple in small cubes, the rest in bigger chunks and sprinkle lemon juice on it. Caramelise sugar, add honey then pour white wine and apple juice into the pot (I have used cider instead). Add spices, lemon peel and apple and cook over medium heat until the liquid has absorbed and the apples are soft. Remove the spiced and stir in apple cubes. For the császármorzsa preheat the oven to 220°C. Whisk milk with the flour and salt until smooth, then stir in the sour cream. Beat egg whites with 30 g of sugar. Stir the eggs and the egg yólks to the milk mixutre, then fold in the beaten egg whites. Melt butter in a frying pan and pour batter into it, add raisins ( I would soak them in rum for some hours before cooking, but I haven't use any, because I do not like raisins.), cover and bake for about 15 minutes. Tear to pieces and caramelise it with 50 g sugar in the melted butter. Serve among the apple stew and with powder sugar.