This sweet is the most famous of Austrian desserts. It can be found in almost all Tyrolean Alpine huts and restaurants in the mountains of Austria. This very traditional ‘fluffy’ pancake allegedly takes its name from the Austrian emperor Franz Joseph who loved this warm hearty treat. Do you think Franz Joseph also justified having a huge portion of Kaiserschmarrn because he had be hiking all morning?
Our guests really loved tucking into a plate of Kaiserschmarn while on one of our guided hikes. Often served as a dessert, many locals however will prefer to order it as a main course. Perfect also as a sharing dish. One of the hikers' favourite places to enjoy a plate of Kaiserschmarn, within walking distance of MoaAlm Mountain Retreat, is in the Kalser Taurenhaus. This Alpine Hut is located in the Dorfetal valley within the Hohe Tauren National Park. From our base at MoaAlm, this is a beautiful two hour hike down into the valley and then alongside the river.
We have made some changes to the recipe, which will normally be a classic dish passed through generations and made a vegan version. We have also added a bit of beer to the recipe to add to the Austrian authenticity! Not the healthiest of desserts if you are considering the calorie content. After a day of scrambling in the Alps we think we can justify it.
• 200 g Flour
• 3 tbsp Brown sugar
• 1 tsp Vanilla extract
• 1 pinch Salt
• 1 tbsp Baking powder
• 1 tbsp Apple cider vinegar
• 50 g Vegan butter Melted
• 250 ml Plant milk
• 100 ml Beer
• 1 big Apple
• 3 tbsp Raisins
• 3 tbsp Rum
• 2 tbsp Brown sugar
• Icing sugar
Combine all dry ingredients in a bowl. Melt the butter and slowly add it to the bowl together with the milk, stirring constantly, removing all the lumps. Soak the raisins in the rum and set aside. Chop the apple into small pieces and very gently add the apples to the dough with the beer, careful to not over stir. Heat a non-stick pan to medium high heat with enough oil to cover the surface. Then pour in half of the mixture. Sprinkle the rum soaked raisins on top and let it sit for a while until it is not liquid anymore on the surface - it is unlikely to burn, so don't worry if this takes 5-10 minutes. Turn the whole pancake over to the other side (yes, a little tricky). After another 3 minutes, take two forks and rip the pancake into medium sized pieces. Sprinkle the extra brown sugar on top to caramelise, and it's ready to serve.
If you don’t get to travel this year to Austria, then maybe you can create this classic treat at home. Remember to tag all photos with #realxinglyactive and share them with us at MoaAlm on Instagram or Facebook.