Several years back, Philip and I took a trip to Washington State with his parents and sister. I don’t know if you knew this, but the Seattle area is heavily populated by people of Scandinavian descent; in fact, Philip’s maternal grandparents were all of Norwegian descent. Because of the Scandinavian influence, you can find lots of Scandinavian foods there. After attending church on Sunday with some of Philip’s family that lives there, they took us to a local restaurant for lunch. While I ordered a burger and fries, Philip followed his Uncle Don’s lead and ordered Swedish pancakes, which turned out to be very thin, crepe-like pancakes, sprinkled with powdered sugar and served with maple syrup and lingonberry preserves, something that at the time we had never heard of. Turns out that lingonberries are a very popular berry to serve with Scandinavian dishes, including these pancakes and Swedish meatballs. They are very tart and are delicious in these preserves, which can usually be found at stores that sell specialty foods (I usually buy mine at World Market).
The first time that I attempted to make these pancakes, they were a disaster. The first time I made them I used a box mix (who was I back then? Wow!). The directions said to use a 12-inch skillet or griddle and make one giant pancake. When I attempted to flip it, it tore apart, made a huge mess, and caused a major food tantrum (see this post for more details about food tantrums). It was a few years before I attempted to make these again, but this time I used a recipe that I found on foodnetwork.com (thanks, Emeril!). Emeril’s recipe calls for a special Swedish pancake pan, but I just use my cast iron griddle or skillet. These pancakes are much smaller than my first attempt, therefore much easier to handle. They are easy and delicious!
The first thing that you need to do is place a baking sheet in the oven and preheat it to 200 degrees. You’ll need flour, salt, sugar, butter, one egg, and two cups of milk, as well as measuring spoons and cups, a mixing bowl, and a whisk.
Start by measuring two cups of milk. Instead of dirtying another bowl to combine the egg and milk, I just do it right in the measuring cup. Crack the egg into the milk and whisk them together (I love this tiny little whisk, but you could use a fork if you don’t have one). Measure two tablespoons of butter and melt it (I just put it in the microwave for 15-20 second intervals until it is completely melted).
Now, measure your dry ingredients. Start with 1/2 cup of flour (of course, I used my favorite King Arthur White Whole Wheat). Next, you’ll need two tablespoons of sugar (I love evaporated cane juice) and 1/8 teaspoon of salt. Whisk these together.
Once you have combined the dry ingredients, pour in the milk and egg mixture and whisk it to create a very thin batter. At this point, I would also preheat the skillet (or griddle) at medium heat.
After combining the dry ingredients, milk, and egg, pour in the melted butter and whisk it in as well.
You’ll need a little bit of oil to prevent your pancakes from sticking to the pan. I just pour a little canola into a condiment cup and brush it onto my pan. When you are certain that your pan is hot, brush it with a very thin layer of oil.
Now, pour two tablespoons of batter into your skillet or griddle for each pancake. My 10-inch skillet held three pancakes, however misshapen they might have been (this wouldn’t happen if I had one of those groovy Swedish pancake pans!). Once the tops of the pancakes are bubbly and not runny, carefully flip them. I use a small offset spatula to do this. Let them cook until they are light browned on both sides, then transfer to the oven to keep them warm until you are ready to eat.
Serve your Swedish pancakes with yummy lingonberries and maple syrup. Oh, and bacon, eggs, and coffee (not pictured!).
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