A Swede Tradition

It's a running joke in my family whether the Norwegians or the Swedes are better. Considering we are all a mixture of both, it doesn't really matter. But the Swedes definitely take the cake in the pancake territory (pun intended). Of course Norwegians have kransekake, krumkake, and lefse, but nothing is quite like the perfection that is the swedish pancake. They may look a lot like crepes, and the recipe might even be very similar, but to us they are far superior. In fact, we'll drive halfway across the state just for a taste! My grandparents have been making these pancakes for years, my aunt served them up to me and my sisters during our college days, and even today they'll show up on the menu whenever family gets together. So I thought it was high time I try whippin up these puppies for myself (well, not just myself, I decided it'd be nice to share).







Turns out I had quite the marathon Swedish-pancake night! Evan and I invited our friends Marit and Tim over for dinner. But my sister Sarah, who is at St. Olaf College not too far away, is a die-hard Swedish pancake fan (who isn't?) so once she heard we'd have some batter on our hands, she decided to stop by as well. You know, for a test run. And she brought her boyfriend, Caleb, along. Then just two weeks later there was another swedish pancakes gathering (yea, we sound like a cult) at my aunt's house just north of the cities. The Sykoras drove out from Rapid City, SD (Ok, not just for the pancakes - Anna had a volleyball tourney), more cousins drove down from Concordia college, and Sarah and I drove up from Minneap. and Northfield. We just can't get enough of our sweet Swede family tradition!

Interested in making some of your own pancakes? Follow the recipe card at the top of this post and cook 'em up in a pan on the stove. Cast iron is preferable but we've used regular pans in a pinch. Just grease it lightly with olive oil before starting (just on a paper towel). The key is to get them really thin! And you'll need a long, thin spatula like this. We went on a wild goose-chase one night to track one down. Ended up finding one in the frosting aisle of a kitchen specialty store.

I put a little video together so you can see our pancake making and flipping technique.

Here's to family, friends, and all our swedish pancake memories, and many more to come!



What recipes are near and dear to your family? Feel free to leave a comment or link to your blog as I always love trying out new recipes!

Wanna see what else we've been enjoying in the Pierson kitchen? Check out our recipes here.