March 21, 2015

Norwegian-style thin pancakes

I get to talk about a couple of my favorite things today: breakfast and pancakes! They are familiar topics here because I truly love breakfast - it's what I look forward to when I go to bed at night!  

For me, weekday breakfasts are more about quick nourishment - they are important and enjoyable but not the true meal we get to make on the weekends when we have more time.  Everyone is home and there's time to set the table and linger over a hot meal together to kick start the day; I never want to leave the breakfast table!  The fellas in my house love pancakes so I make them often (still no waffle-iron here). While we already have a few favorite recipes, I welcome the chance to try something new every once in a while.
Folded Norwegian (thin) pancakes served with strawberry jam
Which brings me to these Norwegian pancakes, a recipe I've been eyeing from Sweet Paul's Eat and Make.  These are thin unleavened pancakes, very much like crepes or Swedish pancakes.  I honestly couldn't tell you the difference between them, if any, but whatever you call it - these pancakes are wonderfully tasty.  They are tender, light, delicately flavorful on their own and a beautiful canvas for filling with jam, fresh fruit, Nutella, what have you.  

They were also surprisingly easy to make.  I found the thin batter easy to cook and handle, and they cook up very quickly.  When it comes to prep, the key is to let the batter rest for about half an hour before using.  When it comes to serving, make sure to keep the pancakes nice and warm in the oven while you make the batch so everyone can enjoy them that way.  
Filled with Nutella
My pancake-loving family and I gave these a big thumbs up.  This is a great change-up from our traditional thicker American pancakes.  Certainly, both kinds are great though I think there's something special about these thin crepe-like pancakes. It may just be that they're different from our typical thing, or maybe because they look delicate and harder to make than our usual flapjacks.  Whatever the case may be, these are delicious and it's always nice to have some variety.  Now that I have this easy recipe in my back pocket, I plan to make these pancakes a part of our weekend breakfast rotation.  
When those summer berries start to arrive at the farmer's market, I will be loading my plate up with them to enjoy on top of these delicious thin pancakes.

I scaled the recipe down by half to make just about the right portion for one of our weekend breakfasts for three.  Instead of using 1 1/2 eggs, I used 1 extra-large one (this will keep things simple for the future).  I keep both large and extra-large eggs in the fridge; I usually grab the large for baking and crack an extra-large for breakfast and savory cooking.  Interestingly, there was no sugar in the recipe at all.  I choose to add 1/2 teaspoon to my batch.
One of the things I love about Eat and Make is the simple recipes, which are generally short.  The flip side of that is not having as detailed instructions or descriptions as you would from say, one of Dorie Greenspan's books.  

So here, you'll likely need to make some adjustments to the batter - by adding a bit more milk - to get it to the right consistency if it "feels too thick" after the initial blend.  In other words, the batter needs to be fluid but not so thin that it's like water. I'd say we're after the consistency of heavy cream.  I needed to add a bit more milk to my batter after blending it, and ended up using just about a cup.  I snapped the picture below to give you a sense (it should be a little thicker than this crepe batter) of what it should look like.
And speaking of the batter, I used the blender to whip it up.  You could also use a food processor and I'm sure it would be just as well to whisk it thoroughly with a big balloon whisk and a large bowl if you have neither of those equipment.  Letting the batter rest for about half an hour is important.  The flour will absorb the liquids and the batter will be easier to handle/flip when cooking.  
I used a 10-inch non-stick skillet to make these pancakes.  You could grease the pan with a touch of butter but I use a little bit of canola oil.  Use just shy of 1/4 cup of batter per pancake.  From my experience, I found it worked best to stream the batter directly into the center of the pan, then pick it up and swirl around quickly to distribute the batter around.  It takes less than a minute for it to set and be ready to flip. 
You should be able to flip the pancake quite easily.  A handful of seconds on the second side and you can put it on a plate and continue on.  Keep the pancakes in a 250 degree oven (keep stacking them on top of each other) to keep them nice and warm.  
Fill your pancakes with jam, Nutella, fresh fruit, a small pat of butter and a sprinkle of sugar, or whatever you have in mind.  You can fold them or roll them up.  Either way, I think you will enjoy them as much as we did.

Recipe:

Norwegian-style (thin) Pancakes
Adapted from Sweet Paul's Eat and Make

- Makes about 7 thin pancakes - 

1 cup sifted unbleached all-purpose flour (sift before measuring)
Pinch of salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 extra-large egg
Up to 1 cup whole milk
2 1/2 tablespoons butter, melted (plus more for pan)

Place flour, salt, sugar, egg, and butter into a blender or food processor.  Also add all but 2 tablespoons of the milk.  Process mixture until you have a smooth batter (stop and scrape the sides of the blender, as needed).  Let batter rest for 30 minutes.  This is important as it allows the flour to absorb the liquid and make the pancakes easier to flip when cooking.

If the batter seems too thick, add some more of the remaining milk to get the consistency of heavy cream.

Preheat oven to 250 degrees.  Lightly grease (with butter or vegetable oil) a 10-inch non-stick skillet over medium-heat.  Pour a little less than 1/4 cup of batter into the center of the pan, swirl pan to distribute the batter evenly around, and let cook for about 1 minute.  Turn the pancake over using a spatula and cook for about 30 seconds more.  The pancakes should be light brown on both sides.  Set pancake on to a plate or baking sheet and set in the oven to keep warm.  Continue with remaining batter.

To serve, fill or serve with your choice of jam, fresh fruit, or other accompaniments.  Fold or roll the warm pancakes, as desired




52 comments:

  1. Monica, these are GORGEOUS pancakes! I love uber thin pancakes and that jam/berry sauce looks amazing. I can only imagine dipping each delish bite into that!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thin pancakes are so good...as are soft fluffy ones! haha. Love them all. Thanks, Kristi!

      Delete
  2. Mmmm. I am imagining these Norwegian crepe-pancakes with those summer berries you mentioned. And some whipped cream or mascarpone maybe? Really lovely, Monica. You find the best recipes! Breakfast almost never looks this good at my house! ;)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I am trying not to think about it until I see those ripe berries at the farmer's market! Whipped cream or mascarpone would work beautifully for sure. : ) I think I'm like a truffle pig hunting for recipes sometimes, Wendy. ; )

      Delete
  3. These thin pancakes look wonderfully delicious! I haven't made any in a long time and really should whip up a batch soon. Thanks for sharing, Monica.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I hear you. These are thin but not so thin, easy to handle.

      Delete
  4. Weekend breakfasts are the best, aren't they? I love these thin pancakes- They'd be so good with strawberries!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Absolutely...I am getting ready for one of those long breakfasts in a bit here! Enjoy Sunday, Betty!

      Delete
  5. Weekend breakfasts are my favorite! Love that there is no need to rush off anywhere. These thin pancakes look so delicious and such a great way to spend that extra time with family in the morning:) I'd love to wake up to a big plate of these with nutella, strawberries and whipped cream :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Happy Sunday, Kelly! You described my husband's ideal way to enjoy thin pancakes like these! He likes strawberries & whipped cream on a belgian waffle too when we head to the diner. : )

      Delete
  6. Happy Sunday Monica! I hope you stayed and enjoyed several of these delicious Norwegian style waffles with your boys with a hot cup of tea/coffee and mingled. Slathering it with nutella really got my attention. It is so funny it is like we have changed hats you are stateside baking and I am in your old stomping ground visiting the wet markets. Will you be traveling home any time soon? Take Care, BAM

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. We had a great Sunday morning breakfast today, thanks, BAM. : )
      I moved from HK when I was just about 8 and have only gone back once. Believe me when I say you know more about HK, cuisine and such, than I do.

      Delete
  7. Once again you made another one of my bucket-list items! I love that these are pancakes and wonder what the difference is between these and crepes. The dictionary states crepes are a thin French pancake so there you have it! You did a beautiful job and the photos are wonderful. I love those long lingering breakfasts and really miss that. This empty nester thing is good and bad :( I don't think I'll ever get over missing my kids at times like those. I know you cherish your family time - so have a great week and enjoy - they grow so fast!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Tricia - I would say that crepes are a bit lighter than these. The lines between many of these things are kind of blurred. It's really wonderfully delicious...and while I love eating anything with my family on our weekend breakfasts, it's really fun to try something new. All breakfast foods tend to be so delicious. Must be the eggs.

      Delete
  8. Just perfect to starting a day before performing wisdom molar teeth surgery,lol
    Dedy@Dentist CHef

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. haha! Now that's a thought! You need to fortify yourself well before something like that!

      Delete
  9. I've always been intimidated by making crepes, although I know my family would love it if I tried. If I filled them with Nutella, I think they'd be so happy, no one would notice any errors in the crepes!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Same here but it's one of those things that turns out easier than you envisioned. These thin "pancakes" are a bit heartier/thicker and a great place to start. I found the batter very easy to work with. Besides, once the Nutella goes on, it won't matter, as you said. ; )

      Delete
  10. I've never heard this style of pancakes, they look fantastic, though.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hope you try it one day...it's really good.

      Delete
  11. This looks like my kind of breakfast! Yum!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm a big fan of all kinds of breakfasts so let's do them all! ; )

      Delete
  12. WOW!
    These crepes look so amazing! I need to make this for my little one. Have you ever tried a crepe cake? I tried it once in NYC, cannot wait to go back to eat it.
    Crazy about crepes.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. My sister loves Lady M's crepe cake, Asmita. I think I have tried it once but I honestly can't remember. I need to get myself a slice soon...it's such a labor of love and a great thing to leave to the professionals! : ) I love crepes too...not sure what it is about those light thin cakes...is it the fillings? : )

      Delete
  13. I have never made crepes. And obviously I need to remedy that! These look perfect!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm pretty sure you'd love it. Thanks, Dorothy.

      Delete
  14. These are such pretty pancakes!! I'm not a huge pancake person (waffle girl all the way) but I do love crepes! With some nutella and fruit on the side?? Yum yum!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. These are like the dainty, somewhat more graceful counterpart to our pancakes maybe? : ) And please don't mention waffles! Don't tell my son but I do prefer a waffle to pancakes if I had to choose.

      Delete
  15. they're beautiful. the perfect dish to wake up to. the perfect sweet and savory meal too!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks - yes, it's so neutral you can have it sweet or savory. : )

      Delete
  16. i LOVE a thin pancake, monica: especially all folded up with jam because it's been the way i've eaten my pancakes since childhood. yours look just perfect...like paper thin, which is the best. beautiful!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. How lucky were you! Sounds delicious. Thank you!

      Delete
  17. Oh! This is my childhood! Thin pancakes every single day! Love them!

    Thanks for your comment! I just realized that I posted only one photo of my pasta... Uploaded more few minutes ago, writing about it in case you'd like to see the rest! Have a wonderful week!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Your pasta looks wonderful, Marcela. : ) Thin pancakes definitely have a lot of charm.

      Delete
  18. I love really thin crepes and these look absolutely expertly done Monica! :D I have made Norwegian pancakes so I should give these a go.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You know how easy this recipe must be if they came out easily for me, Lorraine. : ) Thank you!

      Delete
  19. So good!

    God bless,
    XO, Claire
    Http://www.littlemissfashionqueen.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  20. These pancakes look so delicious! Yours look gorgeous, and the ones with Nutella are so so great.

    http://www.popularmakeup.com/a/

    ReplyDelete
  21. These are so pretty and delicate...I love the texture of this pancakes/crepes...it is so funny because backing Brazil, we call these pancakes, so when I move to US I was very confused when I saw the American pancakes...
    Have a great week Monica :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. haha...I can totally imagine! I like them all but these thin pancakes feel like such a treat since it's not as common here, I suppose.

      Delete
  22. I love these thin pancakes!! I can't wait to try them!

    ReplyDelete
  23. Girl, you have got crepe SKILLZ. They look so perfect! I'll take mine smothered in nutella and jam please!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Since I have no skillz to speak of, I can assure you it's the recipe. That resting for the batter must be doing the trick. : )

      Delete
  24. I love breakfast too and as you rightly said, weekdays are rush-rush! For me though, these wonderful sweet crepes are brunch. I can hardly make a sweet breakfast on weekends because everyone is not a sweet taker. Crepes are always great like these ones look to be. I also love crepes over pancakes for the thin batter and this one ticks all the boxes. Fantastic!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. My husband and the little one could eat pancakes every morning, I think. I'm actually the one who prefers savory for the first meal. : ) My husband loves dutch baby pancakes so these thin style ones are a natural hit. And we love loading our crepes with ice cream...then we have dessert!

      Delete
  25. Monica, they are gorgeous looking pancakes. I'd love to have them once in a while on weekends, what a treat. I had these the first time when I was in Paris when I tried these for the first time with Nutella and that was an experience. I will never forget it as we missed our flight because we were enjoying these crepes a lot..haha.
    I need to make them. Great job, they look so lovely.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Everything tastes better in Paris, doesn't it? To miss a flight is rather extreme but if there's ever a place to miss one, Paris is it. When we were there, my husband and son would get the nutella and I went for the chestnut cream. I love chestnut cream as much (maybe almost) as nutella.

      Delete
  26. Yum! This does remind me very much of Swedish pancakes, which are a cross between pancake flavor but light and eggy like crepes. They taste great rolled up and dusted in powdered sugar, basically as you have it! (:

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I hear that maybe Swedish pancakes are a tad thinner but you know how it is...the lines are very blurred. It's all delicious and that's good enough for me! : )

      Delete

LinkWithin

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...