Pancakes

I ate mostly the thick pancakes popular in America for years.  My father was a great one for keeping sourdough going in a small crock pot placed on a spruce beam just reachable near the ceiling in our homestead cabin.  The starter is easily made from yeast, flour, and water.  He would prepare the pancakes using a small amount of the starter in

the batter and then replenish the ingredients in the crock pot.   Those of you who have eaten sourdough pancakes and bread know that they have their own unique flavor.  These are still very popular in Alaska and across the north and western United States.

For my sixth birthday I celebrated in Chicago with my family and grandfather.  On that occasion we had lunch at a restaurant where I was treated to a Swedish pancake.  It was yummy and is still a nice memory today.   It consisted of a crepe filled with vanilla ice cream and strawberries, rolled up and topped with whipping cream.  

We have used the crepe recipe that I share below in my cooking courses over the years.  Crepes are good at breakfast, lunch or supper as they contain either savory or sweet fillings.  They are more versatile than the thick pancakes which are good, but usually a breakfast food.  Kids in my courses have easily mastered mixing the batter up in the food processor, but you can get the same smooth batter with a mixing bowl and whisk.  We have cooked the crepes in a traditional crepe pan, using a narrow spatula to turn.  The picture here is a crepe filled with creamed spinach (previous post) and topped with a little filling and coarsely grated Parmesan.  

Crepe Batter:  Makes 12 to 15, 7-inch/17 cm crepes

Ingredients:

3 eggs

1/8 teaspoon salt

2 cups/9 oz/250 g plain flour

one pint/500 ml, whole milk

1/4 cup/2 oz/50 ml vegetable oil

Using a food processor:

1. Put all the above ingredients into the bowl of the food processor.  Blend 1 minute.
2.   Scrape down sides with a rubber spatula and blend again for just a few seconds.

Using a mixing bowl and whisk:

1. Whip eggs and salt together.  
2. Slowly add flour alternately with milk and beat until smooth.
3. Add oil and mix thoroughly.
   

Refrigerate the batter for at least one hour.

1. Brush 1/2 teaspoon oil on crepe pan.  Heat crepe pan on medium heat until drizzling a few drops of water sprinkled on, dance.
2. The next procedure takes two hands.  With one hold the crepe pan.  With the other, pour in 2 to 3 tablespoons of batter.  
3. Tilt the pan around until the batter reaches all sides making a complete circle.
4. Return pan to heat.
5. Cook crepe until it is completely congealed.  (All bubbles gone)
6. Turn crepe over with narrow spatula.  Cook only a few seconds.
7. Remove onto plate. 
8. Repeat the process until desired number of crepes are cooked.
9. Store any remaining batter covered in the refrigerator.
These crepes are excellent with your choices of savory fillings or with chocolate sauce (see next post).  Bon appetit!

© Judy Labi 2013