Recipe
February 28, 2019
Birthday-Worthy Swedish Pancakes

Try this Birthday-Worthy Swedish Pancakes recipe from the cookbook Where Cooking Begins.
My husband’s family, the Musics, celebrate birthdays with a Swedish pancake feast, to be enjoyed by the person of honor, ideally in bed, with a full array of fillings, toppings, and embellishments for customizing each crepe-like pancake the second it comes out of the pan. The tradition lives on at our house, where we spread out at the dining table, bowls and spoons within easy reach.
Directions
Yield: Makes 8 to 10 pancakes
- In a blender, combine flour, sugar, salt, milk, eggs and 6 tablespoons melted butter. Puree until mixture is smooth and bubbles form on top, about 30 seconds. Let batter rest at least 15 minutes at room temperature for flour to hydrate, which makes for more tender pancakes (or refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 1 day). After resting, whisk batter to combine; it should be the consistency of heavy cream (thin with more milk, as needed).
- Heat a 12-inch stainless steel skillet over medium heat. Lightly coat with shortening. Add ⅓ cup batter and immediately tilt skillet in all directions so that batter spreads evenly across skillet’s surface and into a round. Cook until underside is golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Loosen edge of pancake with a heat-proof spatula, then grasp the edge between your fingertips and flip onto second side. Cook 1 minute more. Slide out of skillet and serve immediately. Repeat with remaining batter. (Grease skillet as needed.)
- There is no point in trying to keep these warm for any length of time. Every person should get to garnish their pancake upon receipt, with the toppings they like. If you’re not sure where to start, the Musics suggest a dusting of powdered sugar, a drizzle of maple syrup and some lemon juice squeezed over.
Excerpted from Where Cooking Begins: Uncomplicated Recipes to Make You a Great Cook by Carla Lalli Music. Text Copyright © 2019 by Carla Lalli Music. Published in the United States by Clarkson Potter/Publishers, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random House LLC, New York. Reproduced by arrangement with the Publisher. All rights reserved.