In case the blonde hair and blue eyes weren't enough indication,
I'm Swedish, well, among other things anyway. My dad's grandmother was 100%
Swedish and passed down a lot of her family's heritage to her children and
grandchildren. She passed along traditions, parts of the language and most of
all her recipes. Like any recipe passed down for generations, this one is
authentic, delicious and a family favorite.
Because of their delicate, delicious
flavor and their similarity to crepes, I always get excited when I see crepes
on the menu at a restaurant. But sadly, I am usually disappointed. It's the old
rule of, never order something from a menu that you can make better at home
yourself.
Anytime I make Swedish Pancakes for
friends they joke with me that they are crepes and why do I call them Swedish
Pancakes. I always told them they are different but couldn't really explain
why. For the most part they seemed like they were one in the same.
However, when I traveled to Paris, France
recently I learned to explain the difference. I was just certain that crepes in
Paris would blow my mind and cause me to think differently about my own Swedish
Pancakes. I mean, I knew that my family's Swedish Pancakes were incredible but
this is the French we're talking about, they're known for their crepes! So
while in Paris I made a point to seek out crepes anywhere I could, from street
vendors and restaurants, looking for that incredible flavor I just knew would
be there. Surprisingly, I was vastly disappointed.
Crepes in France were tough, chewy and
doused in chocolate and other sugary toppings. They treat their crepes more
like a dessert. My family's Swedish Pancakes are anything but chewy. They are
warm, soft and can be torn apart with two pinky fingers. They are bursting with
flavor, especially if you dust them with a little powdered sugar and a couple
drops of syrup. The crepes I tried in Paris were bland, somewhat stale
and if it weren’t for the jellies, chocolate sauce or bananas covering
them would taste more like stale bread than pancakes. Paris crepes are not made
for breakfast and quite honestly, the Swedish do them far better.
In my family, we always topped our Swedish Pancakes with butter,
powdered sugar and syrup. But over the years, I’ve tried out a variety of
toppings that are a little more healthy than my family’s staples. Don’t get me
wrong, butter, powdered sugar and syrup are a great way to eat them, but you
can save quite a few calories and the sugar by dropping the butter – they are
so flavorful you don’t really miss it anyway, especially if you cook them in a
little bit of butter you won’t need anymore. You can also drop calories and
sugar by eliminating the syrup and substituting natural fruit jelly, or better
yet, fresh fruit like strawberries or blueberries. A fine dusting of powdered
sugar is always welcome no matter the topping you choose but is not entirely
necessary. If you want a little extra sweetness however try drizzling a little
honey on top.
So without further adieu, below is my family’s Swedish Pancake
recipe. Guaranteed to taste better than crepes in Paris.
Ingredients:
2 Eggs
½ Cup Flour
Just Under ¾ Cup Lowfat Milk
Pinch of Salt
2 t. Sugar
Heat a medium saucepan to medium low heat. Coat the pan with a
thin layer of butter. Mix all ingredients until smooth. Pour just enough batter
to cover the bottom of the pan and move the pan to make sure the bottom is
coated evenly. Flip after a couple minute or when light brown spots appear on
the bottom of the pancake. Cook the other side for approximately one minute.
Roll and top with the toppings of your choosing.
