Kaiserschmarrn – An Austrian Shredded Pancake

One of my favourite moments on a dreamy vacation last year, was eating an outdoor Christmas market lunch on the grounds of Vienna’s Belvedere Palace. We had a piping hot plate of cheesy spätzle that tasted like grown-up mac and cheese, followed by warm, sugary Kaiserschmarrn (or ‘Emperor’s Mess‘), a light and fluffy pancake that’s torn or chopped into bite-sized pieces, dusted with liberal amounts of icing sugar and in that festive market, served with either applesauce or stewed plums. It was carb-y, heavenly and exactly the kind of winter food I was there for. I’ve been waiting to try it at home and after a couple of attempts to get it to the way I liked it, I’m here to say this is the perfect slow weekend breakfast!

• 2 eggs, at room temperature 
• 3 tbsps caster sugar
• 1 and 1/2 tsps vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup milk, at room temperature (60 ml)
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour (40 gms)
• 2 tbsps unsalted butter (salted threw off the balance a little but if it's what you have on hand, omit the salt in the batter instead)
• Icing sugar for serving, approx 1/4 cup

• 225 gms ripe plums (7 to 8 seasonal Indian plums; the darker ones are sweeter)
• 3 tbsps caster sugar
• Pinch of cinnamon powder
• Pinch of clove powder
• 1 tbsp water, optional