The #32 pan has a lip on it which keeps the oil from spilling over into your flame when it bubbles up.
I never heard of aebleskivers till my friend Judy showed me how to make them back in the ‘80s. Aebleskiver literally translates to “apple slices” in Danish and the filled spherical shaped pancakes of the same name are made in a special pan. A long time ago, I had a nonstick aebleskiver pan and used it a few times. It went to the wayside when I downsized and sold my Colorado house. A few years ago, I bought one off of Amazon and when it arrived, it was cast iron. And not the nice smooth cast iron of years past, but the rough cast iron that’s made nowadays.
I’ve been told that with enough use and good seasoning, these rough pans can become usable, but I’m skeptical. I never had much luck with a Lodge pan, for instance. The surface is so rough and pitted and the food always ends up sticking. I returned the aebleskiver pan to Amazon and didn’t think much of it. These days, if I buy a piece of cast iron cookware, it’s going to be a Griswold.
The original Griswold foundry was established in Erie, PA in 1865 and they made door hinges. However, in the 1870’s, they branched out into cookware and became the most respected name in the business. The company lasted till 1957. Their cookware is prized and highly collectible and people hand down their cast iron pans with as much circumstance as handing down family jewels. In many cases, in the hills and hollers of Appalachia…cast iron skillets WERE the family treasures.
I have a couple of Griswold skillets. I have my grandmother’s cast iron waffle pan, but I cannot recall if it’s a Griswold…I’ll have to look sometime. Mr. FixIt knows by now not to even bother showing me a piece of cast iron unless it’s a Griswold. So, yesterday, when I was sitting in the living room knitting, he sent me a text from Facebook Marketplace. As soon as I opened it, my heart skipped a beat.
An Antique Griswold #32 962 Cast Iron Aebleskiver Pan for $85!
I didn’t even know Griswold MADE an aebleskiver pan! And, not a bad price, apparently…I looked them up and some went for at least $135…sometimes more. I looked over at him. He smiled.
“Offer them $75.”
It’s what you do.
“It’s only been on there for fifteen minutes. They aren’t going to take that!”
“Well, you won’t know till you ask.”
I sent the offer and she accepted! Hmmmmm….maybe I should have offered less. Nope! The offer was just right. No need to be greedy! We made arrangements and were in the truck heading to town in five minutes. I was so excited to find this pan and add it to my collection. And, it’ll be another new tradition I can start with my grandchildren…making Aebleskivers together. I still have the Aebleskiver Cookbook so I’m really looking forward to cleaning up this pan and seasoning it.
You never know when you wake up in the morning what is going to come your way. What kind of adventure is right around the bend? Who are you going to meet that’s going to change your course? I am firmly convinced our lives are like a mountain stream. We have twists and turns. Sometimes it is rough and rushed. Sometimes it’s slow and placid. But every inch of the journey is an education. I always know God will lead me right where I’m supposed to go.
Today, I’m happy a funny, lumpy little pan fell in my path.
For more information about Aebleskivers, check out this website for The Solvang Restaurant.
?
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.”
Proverbs 3:5-6 ESV