Swedish Pancakes from Laura

Ok, so somewhere back in history they were probably Swedish, ’cause my Swedish Grandma used to make them.  But we did what every good, red-blooded American family would do, and we got rid of all that fruit.  Replaced it with butter, bacon and syrup.  Now THAT’S yummy!  And it’s my all-time favorite breakfast, and sometimes dinner, too.  Every time I go back to visit my parents, my mom makes them.  And both brothers miraculously know that they’re on the skillet, because they always show up.  Try them for breakfast on Sunday.  I guarantee, next time you make them, you’ll have to double the recipe!

• 2 eggs
• 1¼ c. milk
• 1 c. flour
• 2 Tbs. sugar
• ½ tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. vanilla

In a bowl, (I use a blender, but a bowl works just fine) beat the eggs and a small part of the milk.  Gradually add flour, salt and sugar, mixing well.  Slowly add the remaining milk and vanilla.  Mix well again.  The batter should be very thin and smooth.  If you need to, use a spoon to break up any lumps of flour.

Set aside your batter and make your bacon, sausage, whatever.  Or you can make the batter in between making batches of the meat.

Preheat your oven to “warm” or 150, or the lowest setting you can, and stick a heat-proof plate in there to collect the pancakes.  Might as well let the bacon and sausage hang out in there too.  They can get acquainted.

And now here’s the fun part:

Heat  a crepe pan, or a very shallow frying pan/skillet to about medium/med high.  If it’s not nonstick, you definitely want butter on hand.  I use butter anyway. (ignore the bits on the edge of the pan.  I’d already made a few pancakes when I took the picture)

Using a ladle or a 1/4 c. measuring cup, measure 2 oz. or LESS batter.  It’s gonna take you a bit to learn how to do this, so be patient with yourself, and be prepared to eat a LOT of mistakes.  Don’t fret, though.  Screwing up never tasted so good!  So.  A ladle of batter:

Drop a little bit of butter, maybe 1/2 tbs, just enough to get some on the surface and keep your pancake from sticking.  Now, take the handle of the pan in your dominant hand, and the ladle in the other.  This may feel awkward, and it’s gonna take some practice. Stay loose, and use the butter to practice.  Tilt the pan in a circle, letting the butter melt over the surface… get used to that rhythm (don’t keep it off the heat too long, we don’t want the pan to cool).  Ready?  Good.  Ok, now, quickly but smoothly, keeping that tilting motion with your dominant hand, pour the batter into the pan.  Just as quickly, set the ladle down and grab a spatula – you might need it (the wide, flexible nylon ones work best).  Keep rolling that batter around, spreading it around.  You may need to help it along with that spatula, spreading it as thin as you can possibly get it.  If you need to, you can fill in the holes with extra batter, but don’t get it too thick:

This turned out a little thick in the middle, but not too bad.  Stay close, this is going to cook very quickly.  In less than a minute, check the edges – they may be a little lacy, and getting browned.  If you need to, test the edges with your spatula by slipping the tip under the edge of the pancake.  If they come up easily, you can flip it.  Slide your spatula all the way under, taking care not to tear the pancake (this is where the butter really helps). And gently flip it over.  It should be a delicate, beautiful golden color:

Let it brown a little on this side, then remove from pan and into the oven onto that plate you’ve got warming.  Repeat the process, re-buttering the pan maybe every pancake, or every other pancake – you’ll get a feel for it.  This process may make 10-ish pancakes, but it really depends upon how thin you’re able to get your pancakes.

Once the pancakes are done, bring the whole shootin’ match – pancakes, butter, bacon, sausage, maple syrup – to the table.  Yes, I have FiestaWare.  It’s fun!

Place a pancake on your plate, and using one of those fancy bent butter knives that you got for your wedding but never used, take a pat of butter and spread it on the pancake.  The knife is bent so it can go over the edge of your plate!  Perfect:

After the butter, add in the bacon/sausage and maple syrup.  I guess you could use another kind of syrup, but for me, there really is no other kind of syrup.

Roll it up, cut a piece, and savor the deliciousness.  You’ll never go back to buttermilk.

I found this video that shows you how to do the pan rotation.  It takes a lot of practice to get the amount just right, and the motion smooth.  I’ve only done it perfectly a handful of times.  It’s very satisfying when you do.  Ignore their recipe, I’m sure it’s good, but it’ll also make you tipsy.  Grand Marnier, indeed!  The pan-swish comes at around :37…

Happy Sunday Morning Breakfast, all!