Tag: Pancakes

Recipe Traditional Dutch Pancakes

This Sunday I will host the second Afternoon Pancake event, and the theme is Dutch Pancakes (Pannenkoeken). Please join me, and try this traditional recipe (Danish version below):

Ingredients

– 400g wheat flour

– 1 tsp salt

– 15g fresh yeast, or 5g dry yeast

– 750ml lukewarm milk

– 1 tsp sugar

– Butter

Directions

  1. Sift the flour and salt over a mixing bowl.
  2. In a separate bowl, let the yeast dissolve in some of the milk, and add the sugar. Let the bowl sit at room temperature until bubbles form, approximately 10 minutes.
  3. Make a well in the flour and add the yeast mixture. Using a hand mixer, stir until there are no more lumps.
  4. Add the remaining milk, little by little.
  5. Let the batter rest at room temperature for 1 hour.
  6. Melt 1/2 tsp butter in a pan. When the butter is sizzling, hold the pan at an angle with one hand and pour the batter into the pan with the other. Move the pan slowly in a circular movement to evenly distribute the batter. The pancake should be thicker than a crêpe.
  7. Once the surface is no longer wet and the bottom is browned, flip the pancake.
  8. For plain pannenkoeken, let the pancake finish cooking until golden brown, approximately 20 seconds, and serve with stroop (thick syrup) and powdered sugar. For pannenkoeken with additional ingredients (savory or sweet), turn off the heat, add your ingredients (foods that need little cooking such as cheese should be added first and foods that need more cooking such as bacon and mushrooms should be added last), and spread about a spoonful of batter on top. Turn the heat back up. Once the bottom side is browned, flip the pancake again, and cook until done.       

Suggested Variations

  • Apple slices, cinnamon
  • Raisins, butter
  • Banana, whipping cream
  • Mixed fruits, whipping cream
  • Rum, whipping cream
  • Ham, cheese, onion
  • Ham, bacon, cheese, mushrooms, onions
  • Cheese, eggs

Danish version below this great picture:

Pannenkoeken

Hollandske Pandekager — Pannenkoeken

Ingredienser

– 400g hvedemel

– 1 tsk salt

– 15g frisk gær eller 5g tørgær

– 750ml lunken mælk

– 1 tsk sukker

– Smør

Fremgangsmåde

  1. Si mel og salt over en røreskål.
  2. Opløs gæren i lidt af mælken i en anden skål og tilsæt sukker. Lad skålen stå ved stuetemperatur, indtil der er bobler på overfladen, ca. 10 minutter.
  3. Lav en brønd i midten af melet  og tilsæt gæropløsningen. Blend dejen med en håndmixer til alle klumper er væk.
  4. Tilsæt resten af mælken, lidt efter lidt.
  5. Lad dejen stå ved stuetemperatur i en times tid.
  6. Smelt 1/2 tsk smør på en pande. Når smørret er smeltet tiltes panden med den ene hånd mens dejen hældes på panden med den anden. Bevæg panden langsomt i en cirkelbevægelse for at fordele dejen. Pandekagen bør være en del tykkere end en crêpe.
  7. Vend pandekagen, når overfladen ikke længere er våd og bunden gylden.
  8. Hvis du ønsker en neutral pandekage bages den indtil den er gylden på undersiden, ca. 20 sekunder. Pandekagen serveres med stroop (tyk sirup) og flormelis. Hvis du ønsker at lave en pandekage med fyld, skal du slukke for pladen, hvorefter du kan tilsætte de ekstra ingredienser (ingredienser der ikke behøver at blive stegt længe som f.eks. ost bør tilsættes først og ingredienser der har brug for længere tid som f.eks. bacon og champignoner bør tilsættes til sidst), og fordele en skefuld dej over. Tænd for pladen igen. Når bunden er gylden, vendes pandekagen forsigtigt og bages indtil den er færdig.

Velbekomme!

Upside down in California

I love to travel! Meeting new people, seeing new places, getting inspired and having my world view challenged.

And of course; awareness, compassion and pancakes – makes every journey a joy.

This last week in California offered all that, and at more times than one, I felt like my world was turned upside down.

You know the feeling, when reality hits?

I experienced that, mentally, emotionally and physically – and it was a pleasure.

Anthony De Mello wrote (something like this) in one of his books: “We see the world as we are and not as it is.”

We get caught up in our own view of everything, and run on autopilot!

But when we travel – we usually don´t get away with that. At least I don´t let myself get away with that.

For instance I had a nice little wakeup call, when we where looking at the stars one night, and I said out loud; “Something is wrong with the stars, the Big Dipper Constellation is turned upside down!”

Obviously nothing was wrong with the stars! I was just looking at them from a different angle on the other side of the world.

So there Camilla! Stop thinking that you are the center of the Universe.

I have nice little tales to tell about my week in California, and I will do so in the week to come.

For now some pictures to inspire:

San Juan Capistrano

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San Diego

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Manhattan beach

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Santa Monica Pier

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And did we have pancakes? Almost every day!

I will give you just one shot to make your mouth water – it os strawberry season in California;

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More to come. Love to share.

California Dreamin’ with Pancake Friendly Friends

Arrived in LA last night and I am looking forward to spending a week in California. 

I am traveling with 3 good friends from Denmark – Pancake Friendly of course – and we can’t wait to explore.

We didn’t know that it was Spring Break but I am sure that will only make the State even more alive.

So a week of Pancake Spring Break for us. I will keep you posted.  

Kids and compassion in the kitchen

Some of my favorite childhood memories involve cooking with my grandparents and eating pancakes. How about yours?

My childhood was far from picture perfect, but I do have some very clear and happy memories, and a lot of them involve my grandparents, cooking, and pancakes.

In many ways I find, that cooking with kids, and cooking for kids, is an act of compassion.

I remember feeling challenged and valued at the same time, when I was allowed in the kitchen, and allowed to take part in the cooking.

Alone in the kitchen

I was very focused – especially when knifes where involved – and very eager to learn. And most important I think, I experienced cooking as something we did together! We cooked with each other, and for each other.

And the pancakes….

I remember my sister and I sitting in the living room, reading, drawing or maybe watching TV (one channel black and white) – and then suddenly we would smell the pancakes. “Mom is baking pancakes!”

The surprise because she had said noting about it, the joy because we loved pancakes – but primarily the feeling of love and compassion.

Don´t get me wrong, I am in no way saying, that cooking is the primary way of showing kids love and compassion – you can do that in so many ways – but for me, those are the memories that stick. And probably why I love eating and baking pancakes so much.

Pancaking around Amsterdam – The Aftermath

A great taste of pancakes, a new steel pan, syrup and sugar was what I took back home from Amsterdam.

I had a great weekend, and truly enjoyed the city as well as the pancakes and the shopping.

Amsterdam is an amazing city, and Sunday morning the sun was shining, and I had a chance to just walk the streets by the canals and take it all in. If you have never been – I suggest you put this city in your list!

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I now have a new pan, and the sugar and syrup I need for the next Afternoon Pancake event. The pan is stainless steel, and I am excited to try it out. Traditionally the Dutch use a cast iron pan, but this pan is a bit lighter, and the woman in the shop promised me, that it would be at least as good as the cast iron one. I asked her, what she would recommend, and this is what she suggested.

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Back home I found a very old dutch cookbook Wannée Kookboek from the Amsterdam Housekeeping School to give inspiration to a good Dutch Pancake recipe. I think that it belonged to my Dutch grandfather, and it looks as if it has been used quite a lot. I take that as a good sign!

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I will make sure you get the new recipe in time to join me on April 12.

Pancaking around Amsterdam #2

Would you wait in line outside for the best pancakes in Amsterdam?

I did! And it was absolutely worth the wait.

Before leaving for Amsterdam I did a little research on the Internet to find out, where to go for the good pancakes in Amsterdam.

One place in particular showed up in my search The Pancake Bakery.

Not only does it have a Wall of Fame with visitors like Alicia Keys, Paris Hilton and Miley Cyrus, they also have almost 2.000 likes on their Facebook page, and more than 10.000 visitors. AND they have the domain www.pancake.nl

Reservations at this place is only possible for parties of 6 or more people – so me, myself and I just had to show up, and wait in line, as it turned out.

The weather in Amsterdam was lovely today – sun was shining, no wind and about 8 degrees Celsius. So waiting in line was fine, and I had good company with two groups of Americans who had never had Dutch pancakes before.

I could write a at least a post or two in how I find waiting in line to be kind of a blessing. I will one day, but for now just trust, that it was a pleasure.

The Pancake Bakery is a great place, and the service was a pleasure. Most impressive was the cook sweating in the kitchen swinging the heavy cast iron pans around and flipping the pancakes.

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Almost a type of Pancake baking CrossFit exercise!

Since I had pancakes with apple and cinnamon yesterday (#1) I decided to go for the Plain pancake today.

Just plain and simple.

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Add a little of the thick syrup.

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And some powdered sugar.

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And what a treat it was!

Tomorrow I promise to do a follow up post about Pancaking around Amsterdam, and also share with you what type of pan I decided to bring back home for the next Afternoon Pancake event on April 12.

Pancaking around Amsterdam #1

Arriving here quite hungry, Pancaking around the city was not the worst thing I could do.

And Pancaking that´s the right word to use, wouldn´t you say?

I think it describes what I am doing pretty well – but when I Googled the word I found out, that it is Urban slang for when a performer starts out well, but then ends his show really bad..

Hmm… Urban slang or not, I think I will continue to use the word in this other (and more positive) context.

So I took a taxi from the airport, and usually when I travel, I enjoy talking to taxi drivers. They know the city, and often have interesting stories to tell.

I asked him, if he could recommend a good place to eat pancakes in Amsterdam, and his first quick reply was; Pancakes are so easy to make yourself. You just need eggs, flour, milk and some salt. I asked if he sometimes put beer in the batter, and that made him look at me really funny and say; You put BEER in YOUR batter?

It was a nice taxi ride though, and he ended up looking in his Amsterdam Bible and recommend, that I tried pancakes at De Carrousel Pannenkoeken.

I often ask that question; What would YOU recommend – in restaurants, stores, taxis and in general when I talk to people. I find, that we all like to share, and I have seldom been disappointed, when I followed someone´s recommendation.

De Carrousel it was, and I had a great pancake with apple and cinnamon.

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Today I will continue pancaking around Amsterdam, eating more pancakes and also finding a good pan and some syrup (stroop) to bring back home.

I will keep you posted.

Dutch genes and passion for Pancakes

I know I know, it should have been a picture of me eating pancakes! And I am sure that many such pictures exist, considering the amount of pancakes I ate as a child – I just haven´t found them yet.

But the fact is that I am part Dutch – my father is Dutch – and that might explain some of my passion for pancakes.

I grew up I Denmark, but we traveled a lot to the Netherlands when I was a child, and we never visited without eating pancakes (pannenkoeken) at least ones.

It was usually my grandfather baking them, and he would spend hours in the kitchen. All us kids would then consume an unrealistic amount of pancakes in a very short time – it never really seemed fair. But I sensed that he loved it, and it sure did bring a very big smile to all our faces.

Back then we had the hot meal in the middle of the day, and the pancakes where considered the main course. We always had soup first, and that would usually make us eat less of the main course, but never when pancakes where on the menu.

Dutch Pancakes are quite large, they are thicker than Danish pancakes, and you don´t roll them, but just get one pancake that fills the whole plate. They look like this.

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We always had them with powdered sugar and a thick syrup (stroop), but they come in many variations with baked in apples, ham, cheese, banana etc.

I can reveal, that the theme of my next Afternoon Pancake event (April 12 th.) will be Dutch Pancakes – and I will visit Amsterdam this weekend to find inspiration for a good recipe, and to buy some of that special thick syrup that is a must have, when I serve them.

I will make sure to keep you posted on the trip and my findings!

Recipe Traditional Danish Pancakes

Join me this Sunday for Afternoon Pancakes, by using this fantastic recipe for Traditional Danish Pancakes;

Ingredients

  • 200g wheat flour
  • 4-6 tbsp granulated sugar
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp vanilla sugar
  • One pinch of cardamom
  • 2 tsp lemon juice
  • 500ml milk
  • 3 eggs
  • 50g butter

Directions

  1. Melt the butter in a crêpe pan, or other non-stick pan. Make sure it does not burn. Let the butter cool in the pan.
  2. Mix the dry ingredients in a big bowl. Add the milk, little by little and stir vigorously to get rid of any lumps. Add the eggs and stir. Add the butter and lemon juice, and stir well.
  3. Reheat the greased pan to medium-high. When the butter is sizzling, hold the pan at an angle with one hand and pour the batter into the pan with the other. Move the pan slowly in a circular movement to evenly distribute the batter.
  4. Flip the pancake, once light brown edges are showing.
  5. Cook shortly, approximately 10 seconds on the other side.
  6. Place the cooked pancake on a plate, and cover with foil.

In Denmark we usually ad sugar and/or jam to the Pancake. We then roll it, and eat it with our fingers. Well, at least, that is how we did it, when I was a child. This Sunday for Afternoon Pancakes, I will let my guests choose, weather they will use a knife and fork, or eat with the childish joy of just using their fingers.

Enjoy!

Why Awareness Compassion Pancakes?

Last year I decided to give myself the gift of attending the TED Global 2014 in Rio.

For a very long time, I have found inspiration in the many TED talks, and the chance to go to Rio for this event seemed like a dream come true. And it was! I promise to write more about the experience in a future post.

Before the conference, I had to fill out information for my attendees badge, including 3 things listed as; Talk to me about:

The first two was easy; Awareness, because I find, that Awareness is the key, – the key to getting the best out of life, and the key to love. And Compassion, because self-compassion and compassion in general, is essential for all of us in evolving as humans.

The third subject was a bit harder to figure out. I kept saying Awareness Compassion and … And for some strange reason, my mind kept coming up with Pancakes!

Pancakes? I could not write that I thought. But the idea kept coming back, and somehow it made sense. I love pancakes! Everybody loves pancakes. We all have our favorit type of pancakes. Eating pancakes is almost always something we do in the company of others – it is social-food. When we cook pancakes we do so with love, and with the desire to please the people around us. And most important, we all have nice pancake-memories to share.

So there. Awareness Compassion Pancakes!

After including the 3 subjects in my badge information, I felt the inspiration to talk more about those specifically – and slowly the idea of a blog, and a book project came to life.

I would love to, and plan to, share my views and thoughts on Awareness Compassion and Pancakes with you, and I hope, that you will feel inspired to share as well.