Pancakes Fit for a King

If you like crepes, you’ll love this old family recipe for German Pancakes. Unlike most of the German Pancakes I’ve stumbled across, these contain no potatoes. They don’t have any leavening either, which makes them quite different from your run-of-the-mill breakfast pancake.

I first learned to make these as a young bride, taught by my mother-in-law, whose ancestry traces back several generations to a royal baker for the ruling house of Bavaria — back when there was a ruling house of Bavaria. Whether this recipe’s roots stretch back that far, I can’t say. I only know it’s been a favorite of my husband’s family for generations.

Please note this most important point. They’re not crepes. Not at all. No siree, no way, no how, just ask my mother-in-law, who insists they’re not at all like crepes and will then detail the many ways in which crepes and German Pancakes differ. Maybe it’s cultural pride. Maybe it’s stubborness. My guess is the main difference is the family didn’t prepare them quite in the way that crepes generally are served. They folded their German Pancakes into thirds and slathered them with syrup or other sweet stuff. Plus crepes tend to be a lot smaller.

Rebel that I am, I wrap my big unleavened German Pancakes around fruits and other such foods one might find in a dish featuring crepes. That is, when I’m not eating them fresh.

One other thing — they’re not a low-calorie breakfast. If you really must watch your calories or cholestrol, you can eliminate the butter, use non-stick cookware, spray the pan with Pam-light or something of the sort. You can even use skim milk if you must. I’ve done all of that. I like the full calorie version better though.

Here’s how to make them:

Measure out 1 cup flour, 2 tablespoons sugar, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 3 eggs, 1 1/2 cups milk and mix well.

I toss it all into the blender and puree until it’s smooth with no lumps or bits of flour sticking to the sides. Melt 1/3 stick of butter. Ten to 15 seconds in the microwave should do it. Drizzle the melted butter into the mixture while blending so that it mixes thoroughly and remains smooth.

Using a medium setting, heat a skillet, and lightly coat with butter to keep the pancake from sticking.

My favorite pan for cooking German Pancakes is this stainless steel electric skillet, set on 325 degrees F. I set it up on a table on the front porch when I want to avoid heating up the kitchen any more. I’ve also used this skillet to make this recipe in a camper and even in the break room at the office. It’s that simple and portable.

Add about a third cup batter to the skillet.

Quickly, before the batter sets up, tilt and turn the skillet around to spread the batter into a large circle.

Cook until the bottom browns slightly. The edges should lift easily without sticking. If the pancake does stick, you’ve not used enough butter. Carefully lift and flip the pancake.

It should feel loose and floppy, and it’ll tear easily. I usually mangle one or two from each batch. Fortunately, the messy ones still taste wonderful.

Fold the cooked pancake into thirds and remove from the skillet.

You can dust lightly with powdered sugar or drizzle with syrup at this point. That’s how I was introduced to this dish many years ago. Or eat it plain.

I can rarely resist snacking on the first one that comes out of the skillet, and I don’t need all that sugar anyway. German pancakes are particularly good with apple butter or applesauce, or just about any type of jam, actually. I like them with whatever fresh fruit is in season.

That’s peaches this week, with whipped cream, of course, if you’re in the mood to splurge on the calories.

The recipe —

German Pancakes

Ingredients:

1 cup flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
1/3 stick melted butter
additional butter for oiling skillet between pancakes

Measure out 1 cup flour, 2 tablespoons sugar, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 3 eggs, 1 1/2 cup milk and mix well. I toss it all into the blender and puree it smooth. Melt 1/3 stick of butter. Add to mixture and mix thoroughly.

Warm the skillet using medium heat and lightly coat with butter to prevent sticking. When butter bubbles, add 1/3 cup batter to the skillet. Quickly tilt and turn the skillet to spread the batter in a large circle. Cook until the bottom browns slightly. Flip over and cook until lightly browned. Fold the cooked pancake into thirds and remove from the skillet. Repeat until all batter is used. Serve with fresh fruit, syrup, or lightly dusted with powdered sugar. Makes 7-8 pancakes.

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German Pancakes

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