Pancake: Pönnukökur - Traditional Icelandic and Manitoba Style

It’s been a while since I posted. 

I’ve missed you, too.

We’ve been busy travelling and checking items off our bucket lists.

When you’re turning 70 - if you’re very lucky - that becomes the new norm.

We find travel to be wonderful, and I hope you’ve been having a good summer filled with great experiences, too.

I notice that the recipe for Hoito Restaurant’s Finnish Pancakes is one of  last week's top posts.

I posted that recipe in June, 2015, after we had been in Thunder Bay.

It was one of our favourite memories of our trip.

Who doesn’t love pancakes in all their many forms, flavours, textures, with all their toppings and accompaniments?

Well, the Icelandics pride themselves on Pönnukökur, their pancakes.

During the last evening of our trip to Iceland, after a delicious meal in a Reykjavík restaurant, we had a chance to sample Pönnukökur for dessert.

Our guide, Hildur, said her grandmother’s recipe was much better.

That’s saying something - everyone raved about the Pönnukökur we were enjoying.

Still, I do wonder about Grandma’s recipe. Don’t you?

In Manitoba we have a strong connection to the Scandinavian countries.

During Folklorama we have a Scandinavian Pavilion which gives a nod to each country:

Monday: Danish - sausages and tart

Tuesday: Finland - Finnish meat pies, carrot casserole and cookies

Wednesday: Iceland - Fish chowder and pönnukökur 

Thursday: Norway - Lamb Stew and krumkake

Friday: Sweden - Fish and cheese pie and rosettes

Sunday & Saturday: Roast Pork 

Each day’s menu also included meatballs, chicken and asparagus tart, cheese platter, and all the regular desserts – vinarterta, rice pudding, compote.

You never leave hungry when you eat with a Scandinavian - or a Manitoban!

Hints:

Pönnukökur is usually cooked on a special Icelandic pancake pan, which is traditionally never washed or rinsed, not even with water.

The pancakes should be thin. A proper pancake is only about a millimeter thick! 

They are usually served rolled up with sugar (granulated or brown sugar and icing sugar) and rolled up, or filled with jam, folded into quarters and serve with whipped cream.

Icelandic cafés also serve them with ice cream. 

You can also stack them on a plate, sprinkling some sugar on top of each pancake.

They are good either warm or cold.

You can also bake the Manitoba Pönnukökur.

Lightly grease a griddle with butter and preheat.

Remove from heat and pour about 1/5 cup batter on it and bake.

Regrease pan lightly with butter for each pancake.

The Scandinavian Pavilions also served Janson’s Temptation and Kjotkaker.

Enjoy!!

                        Pönnukökur

In a bowl, whisk together  until thoroughly combined

3 Cups flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

Melt in a small pot

1/2 Cup butter

Place in a large bowl

8 eggs

Whisk eggs until well beaten, then whisk in

1 Cup sour cream

1 teaspoon vanilla 

Whisk the flour mixture into the sour cream mixture.

Stir in

4 Cups milk

the melted butter

Stir until you have a thin but smooth batter. 

Heat griddle to 350º - 400º F

Melt in griddle

1/2 teaspoon butter 

Heat over medium heat until the butter is fragrant.

Pour in enough batter to coat the skillet in a thin layer.

Allow to cook until the bottom is lightly browned, then turn the pancake over to brown the other side.

Remove to warm plates and keep warm.

Repeat, re-buttering pan now and then, until all of the batter is gone.

Fill each pönnukökur with brown sugar and icing sugar, and roll up.

                        Manitoba Style Pönnukökur

Makes about 2 dozen.

Sift together

1 1/2 Cups flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Place in a large bowl

2 eggs

Beat.

Add 

1/3 Cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 Cup sour cream or buttermilk

Stir together.

Add sifted dry ingredients.

Mix under smooth.

Gradually stir in

2 Cups milk

Heat griddle to 350º - 400º F

Melt in griddle

1/2 teaspoon butter 

Add batter a half ladle at a time, making thin circles. 

Let brown on one side.

When bubbles appear on top, flip the pancake over. 

The colour should be golden brown on top and medium brown on bottom.  

Remove to warm plates and keep warm.

Repeat, re-buttering pan, until all of the batter is gone.

Serve hot spread with white or brown sugar and rolled up.

Or serve with blueberries and whipped cream.

Baked Finnish Pancakes / Pannukakku (with and without Apples)

I recently posted the recipe for Finnish Pancakes.

They are a speciality of Hoito Restaurant in Thunder Bay, Ontario.

I got an email asking if there is a baked version.

The Finns are like us Maltese.
They have variations in their best recipes.
A few years ago we sampled a baked Finnish pancake in the Upper Peninsula, which has a huge Finnish community. 

Baked Finnish pancakes isn't like the pancakes served at the Hoito Restaurant.
Finnish Oven Pancakes puff up like a Yorkshire pudding.  
They have a bit of a crust, but they’re still soft inside. 
And they are easier to make and are a nice alternative for breakfast.

Hints:

Here are some topping ideas…
If you added the sugar to the batter top with:
Powdered sugar and a squeeze of lemon juice
A handful or two of fresh or frozen berries
A sprinkle of brown sugar and / or a drizzle of maple syrup
A dollop of fruit jam
A drizzle of caramel sauce over apples sautéed in butter  
A dollop of sweetened whipped cream and / or Nutella

If you didn’t add the sugar, top with:
Sausage gravy and chopped green onions
Beef or chicken stew
Cooked mushrooms and / or Gravy

                        Baked Finnish Pancakes

Serves 4-6

Preheat oven to 400 F

Beat together
3 1/2 Cup milk
1 1/2 Cup of flour
6 eggs
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon sugar (optional)

Melt in a 9 x 13 inch pan
1/4 Cup butter
Add the mixture and spread in the pan.
Bake for 30 to 40 minutes.
Serve topped as desired.

                        Baked Finnish Pancakes II

Serves: 4

Place in a medium bowl
4 large eggs
1 Cup flour
1 Cup milk (whole milk works best)
1 pinch of salt
4 Tablespoons sugar, optional
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, optional
Beat together, until the mixture is smooth.  Set aside.

Preheat oven to 300 F

Place in an 8- or 9-inch cake pan or 10-inch pie plate
4 Tablespoons (1/2 of one stick) butter, cut into four pieces
Place the pan or pie plate in the oven.
After the butter has melted, remove the pan from the oven.

Preheat oven to 400 F

Pour the batter into the hot pan.
Return the pan into the oven. 
Bake for 30 to 40 minutes.
The oven pancake will puff up and be a deep golden brown. 
Test by quickly inserting a knife in the centre of the pancake. 
If the knife comes out clean, the pancake is done.
Remove the pan from the oven.
Cut the pancake. It will deflate some.  It’s supposed to do that.
Serve topped as desired.

                        Baked Apple Finnish Pancakes

Serves 4-6

Preheat oven to 425 F

In a small bowl combine
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 Tablespoons sugar
Set aside.

Place in a 9 x 13 inch pan
2 Tablespoons butter
Place in oven to melt the butter.
Remove pan from oven and add
4 Cups apples, peeled and thinly sliced
Toss to coat.
Bake in the oven for five minutes.

While the apples are baking, place in a medium bowl
6 eggs
1 Cup milk
2/3 Cup of flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
Beat together until smooth.
Remove the pan from the oven.
Pour the egg mixture over the cooked apples. 
Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar over the pancake.
Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the pancake is puffed and browned.

Hoito Restaurant’s Finnish Pancake Recipe, a Thunder Bay Favourite

Last month Paul and I were in Thunder Bay, Ontario, attending the 2015 TLR Convention.

TLR stands for Thousand Lakes Region, which is a division of the National Model Railroad Association, an organization with members in both the United Staes and Canada.

The convention had been organized by Frank Gerry and his son, Paul.

They did an excellent job and a great time was had by all.

The convention was a chance for us to get together with other model railroaders.

Four members of the Winnipeg Model Railroad Club - Ian Plett, Neil Carleton, Paul and I - received awards at the banquet.

We also attended clinics where we learned more about the hobby.

Local model railroaders allowed us to see their train layouts.

Thunder Bay is quite an interesting place.

We toured Resolute Forrest Products (a paper mill) and the Bombardier Transportation Plant, where they make standard railroad cars.

One evening we toured the Thunder Bay Historical Museum.

Paul Shaffer, the bandleader on The Late Show with David Letterman, is originally from there, but we didn’t visit his house.

Along with seeing Thunder Bay’s tourist sites we also sampled some of their delicacies.

When we signed in there was a platter of Persians on the desk.

Persians, a cinnamon bun pastry with pink icing, originated in Thunder Bay.

Many made a point of trying the Finnish pancakes at the Hoito at 314 Bay Street.

The Hoito Restaurant is in a historic building which was completed in 1910.

The building was initially used by the Työkansa Finnish Publishing Co., and by the Finnish Society Restaurant, and the Finnish Labour Temple.

It is popularly known as the Finnish Heritage building. 

In 1918 the Hoito Restaurant was established in the lower part of the building to offer hearty meals at low prices to the Finnish bushworkers. 

In the 1930s dinner there was 25 cents.

In the 1960s it was $1.00. 

Today it is a café style restaurant with home style food, featuring many Finnish dishes, including Finnish Pancakes.

Thank you, Darlene Granholm, head cook at Hoito, for the pancake recipe.

Having a hectic morning?
Don't have a griddle or cast iron skillet?
Just want something a little different?
Want something to jazz up a bit of leftover stew?
Try Baked Finnish pancakes!

Hints:

If your batter is too runny, mix in a bit more flour.

If your batter is too heavy, simply add more milk.

I heard that some folks add a teaspoon of grated orange peel to the batter.

Well, not at the Hoito.

If you don’t have a griddle, a cast iron pan is recommended.

Pour in about 1 Cup batter, enough to cover 3/4 of the bottom.

Tilt the pan to cover bottom evenly, making one pancake at a time.

The Finnish way of serving is rolled up with fruit jams or jellies and a dab of butter.

Some people serve them dusted with confectioners’ sugar.

Or topped with syrup and berries.

Want fruit but don’t have berries?

Sliced bananas also go well with the pancakes.

These pancakes can also be used as crepes. 

You can serve them stuffed with cooked shrimp, scallops or chicken and rolled up.

They can be topped with any white cream sauce. 

Steamed asparagus in the crepes served with Hollandaise sauce is nice. 

                        Hoito Restaurant’s Finnish Pancakes

Serves 4-6

Place in a large bowl

5 eggs

6 Cups milk

Lightly whisk together.

Add

2 teaspoons salt

4 Tablespoons sugar

Slowly mix in

3 Cups flour

You want it not too runny or too heavy.

Heat griddle to 350º - 400º F

Melt in griddle

1/2 teaspoon butter or margarine.

Add batter a half ladle at a time, making circles. 

Let brown on one side.

When bubbles appear on top, flip the pancake over. 

The colour should be golden brown on top and medium brown on bottom.  

Remove to warm plates and keep warm.

Repeat, re-buttering pan now and then, until all of the batter is gone.

Serve hot plain, or with strawberries and whipped cream.

Or with fried eggs and bacon. 

The Hoito Restaurant way is to serve them stacked and doused with pancake syrup.

A dab of butter is always good.