18 June 2010

Swedish pancakes

These are pretty much my husband's favorite thing in the world.  I'm pretty keen on them, myself.
His mother, apparently, would get up early Christmas morning to make a feast of these, and I commend her efforts-- undoubtedly she was the last to eat after what was easily an hour or two of flipping these thin little things for her husband and three children.


Because I specifically hate reading recipes in paragraph format, I will go ahead and outline the ingredients:

eggs......................................................................2 ea
milk......................................................................1 C
granulated sugar....................................................1/2 Tbsp
salt........................................................................1 pinch
AP flour................................................................1/4 C
butter, melted........................................................1 Tbsp

So.  Two eggs.

Beat them until they are totally blended.  Have I mentioned the value of a good wire whip?  No?  Consider this it.


A cup of milk.  It doesn't really matter what kind.  I typically lean on 2% or even whole for most recipes.  I haven't tried using a milk substitute yet-- like Almond Breeze-- but I don't see any reason it wouldn't work.

A little generous on the milk.  Whatever.  So that half-tablespoon of sugar...  between you and me, a half tablespoon is 1 1/2 teaspoons.  This isn't one of those scary baking recipes where everything needs to be exact.  It's pancakes.

What's that tarantula leg mess sticking up out of my sugar jar?  It's an old, scraped out vanilla bean.  If you should ever use a vanilla bean for anything, for Heaven's sake, do not get rid of the pod.  It is still full of intense vanilla aroma that will happily seep its way into your sugar, adding a subtle depth to everything you put that sugar in.  If you happened to steep the bean in milk making something, just go ahead and rinse it off and pat dry.

A pinch of salt.  A pinch is just that.  Pinch some salt in your fingers and toss it in; throw a little over your left shoulder for good measure.


Did I say AP flour?  And this is whole wheat?  Whatever, why not?  Especially if it is whole wheat pastry flour, it will come out just the same and be so slightly better for you.

In general, a stick of butter will have nice little markers on the label to tell you how much a tablespoon is.  Otherwise, you are of course free to measure it in a spoon, but that can get a little messy.  Melt it down and toss it into the mix.


Whisk the batter together so that it is smooth.  As you cook, the flour and solids will settle and separate, so give it a little stir between pouring.  It should be runny, like weird looking cream.

DO NOT skimp on the pan spray.

Perhaps more importantly... don't be discouraged by the first pancake.  The first one always, without fail, is a failure.  Its purpose is mostly to gauge when the pan is the right temperature-- a nice medium heat does it.


...Sometimes the second or third ones are less than successful, too.  Press on, press on!


Eventually, you get the hang of it.  Because Swedish pancakes are much like a cross between traditional American pancakes and French crepes, logic follows that cooking them is sort of an in-between as well.  You pour a thin layer in the pan and let it cook until the topside looks just set-- slightly wet is okay.  Use a good, flexible spatula (I like silicone) to loosen the edges and middle, and flip.  If you're lucky you can flip it with the spatula, but desperation may lead you into the skill of flipping it in the pan with a flick of the wrist.  It should look like a funny, sort of glossy tortilla.


Stack 'em up and get 'em in people's mouths as quick as possible!

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