Swedish Pancakes

I suppose I should have blogged about Swedish Pancakes long ago. After all, it's a staple in most Swedish households, and beloved by kids and adults alike. However, it's not a staple in MY household, and actually, I just learned how to make them. My mom made excellent pancakes, so I never had to. And Per made good ones too. Until he forgot how. (A real disaster, that one.) See, we eat pancakes maybe once a year. And this time, he just forgot how he usually makes them. So, a very grumpy Anne decided that it was probably time to just learn it.

And it's not hard at all. But it is hard finding a recipe that works for you - everyone has their own preference, and a lot of people just add flour and milk until "just right" - whatever that is. Swedish pancakes are thin, and made without baking powder. They shouldn't be fluffy at all. We usually eat them with jam, some people add whipped cream which makes it more of a dessert (traditional on Thursdays, after a split pea soup by the way) and some eat them with just sugar. I like a dollop of crème fraîche on mine. I don't know of anyone who eats it with something savory - but you could, of course. Anyway, this is the recipe I ended up using.

Swedish Pancakes
Serves 3-4

3 eggs
3 dl flour (1 dl = 0.4 cups. So, 1,2 cups is what you need here.)
600 ml milk (2,4 cups)
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp vanilla sugar
1-2 tbsp liquid margarine, or melted butter
butter to fry

Beat eggs and flour until smooth, and gradually add the milk. Add salt and vanilla sugar. Make sure you have no lumps! Stir in the melted butter. Leave the batter for at least an hour, to rest. Then fry thin pancakes in butter - buttering between every third pancake should be enough - on medium high heat. Don't put too much batter in the pan - they should be thin. Fry until the bottom is golden, then flip using a large spatula. It's really not very difficult, so don't be afraid.



Any leftovers? Make crêpes! Just fill the pancakes with something tasty - I like a thick mushroom stew - roll them up, top with cheese, blitz under the grill until cheese is melted. Simple as that.

Recipe in Swedish:
Pannkakor