A Swedish Pancake Christmas Breakfast

My husband's family is from Sweden – his parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins are all Swedish. Most of his relatives still live there. Only his father's father (Farfar is the name for your father's father) came over to America from the old country. His name was Knut.

The Swedes have brought some wonderful foods with them to the U.S. including Swedish meatballs, the thin Swedish crispy cookies like Anna's, crackers such as Wasa (the family calls them Knackebrod), and much more.

One of our favorites is Swedish Pancakes, which, ironically, are not always served for breakfast in Sweden. They are a tradition on Thursday nights served after a yellow pea and ham soup (just like split pea soup except with yellow peas).

The Abrahamsson's do enjoy Swedish pancakes for breakfast. They are light, almost like a crepe, and delicious. For your Christmas breakfast, serve them with lingonberry jam (available at IKEA or specialty food stores), bacon or sausage, and fresh fruit. Maybe you will start a new tradition in your family!

Swedish Pancakes

Makes about 10

You can make the batter the night before and refrigerate it.

Preheat the oven to 225 degrees and place a cookie sheet in the oven.

2 eggs

2 cups milk

1 cup flour

3 T sugar

3 T butter, melted

1/8 tsp. salt

pinch of nutmeg

Lingonberry jam, for serving

Dusting of powdered sugar, if desired

In medium bowl beat eggs, then add milk and flour alternately and mix. Add remaining ingredients and stir.

In a crepe pan or shallow non-stick skillet, add a drop or two of vegetable oil and heat the pan. Pour in about ¼ cup of batter and twirl the pan to spread the batter to the edges. Let cook until just lightly browned on the underside. Flip to other side with a wide spatula. Cook for about 1-2 minutes and while in pan, flip one side into the middle and repeat (like a letter going into an envelope) and place on heated cookie sheet in oven. Repeat until all the batter is used.

To serve, the traditional Swedish way is to "open up" the pancake with your knife and fork and spread a little lingonberry jam in the inside and close it back up. This way, the jam gets all nice and warm.  Or spread a little jam on the top of the pancake, as pictured.

No need for syrup.  Enjoy!