I first started making pancakes when the kids were really little, in animal shapes with chocolate chips melted in for the eyes, nose, and mouth. There was Mickey Mouse, the Easter Bunny, and Clifford the Big Red Dog, but they were basically variations on the same theme. Over time I tried all the various kinds of pancake mixes, and “won” the pancake basket at one of the kid’s preschool fund-raising auctions. I used white chocolate, mint chocolate, dark chocolate, and butterscotch chips. We quickly tired of basic “syrup” and became conversant in the various grades of maple syrup. One Christmas some friends gave us a waffle maker which further diversified my repertoire. Every Saturday morning I was ritually mixing batter. Sometimes there was bacon.
Things really changed, however, when I chaperoned a Girl Scout camping trip. The leader had spent some time in Europe and made his version of Swedish pancakes for the troop of 15 kids. The pancakes were flatter, oddly-shaped, griddle cakes smothered in butter and berry jam. I loved them and brought the recipe home. I bought a crepe pan and made them large enough to roll up with a filling inside. We diversified to strawberries, blueberries, and bananas; Nutella, whipped crème, and powdered sugar. We got maple syrup from Quebec, birch syrup from Alaska, and coconut syrup from Hawaii. Eventually we filled a shoebox with bottles of various shapes and colors of sprinkles.
On the morning after sleepovers we would explain to the uninitiated that the pancake is the vehicle for any and all forms of sugar, limited only by your imagination. A “challenge” item was often included on the Lazy Susan, like a half-empty jar of sauerkraut from the back of the fridge, but no one has ever felt the need to really go there. I bought a second crepe pan for greater efficiency. Several times we’ve had to clean whipped cream off of the piano following explosive applications. One of my kid’s friends even said that she wouldn’t sleep over unless I made Swedish pancakes in the morning.
The pancakes led to crepes, both sweet and savory. I learned how to make a creamy Swiss cheese sauce to put over ham, and hollandaise sauce to put over salmon. We have savory crepes for dinner followed by sweet crepes for dessert.
Now my youngest daughter has started to experiment with pancakes on her own. I’m not ready to relinquish control of the crepe pans just yet, but the pressure is off for me to be the only one in the kitchen on Saturday morning. And recently I was introduced to gaufres by a friend who opened a local boutique shop. They are French waffles and a whole new spin on the pancake. I aspire to greater things and don’t forget that March 25th is Waffle Day in Sweden. Bon appetite!
Aww I also love a good breakfast! Food brings & keeps a family together. Glad to have stumbled upon your family blog, just added to my bookmarks for future family ideas.