Saturday, January 30, 2010

Egg Cakes—a second-cousin-once-removed crêpe


Egg Cakes are thin, delicate pancakes with a smooth texture, reminiscent of crêpes but less sweet. They’re perfect when served hot, rolled with butter, and dipped in pure maple syrup—making them a family-favorite finger food.

There’s an old story in our family surrounding egg cakes. The story centers around a hired man – a man who worked hard all day on my Grandfather's farm and sang songs all evening, accompanying himself on an old guitar. "Drifting along like a tumblin' tumbleweed. . ."; "I Don't Hurt Anymore" and other Hank Snow favourites.

One morning, so the story goes, this hired man with the squinty eyes, the slow drawl, and the quiet manner, announced that he was going to make breakfast. Without looking at a recipe, he put together a mixture of milk (from the cow in the barn) and eggs (from the chickens in the coop) and produced what he called "Egg Cakes." Said they were like his mother always made. She was Norwegian.


My grandparents, as I understand, were enthralled and asked the hired man for his recipe. So here it is, copied from the hired man's instructions, into an old Hilroy notebook.


Recipe: Egg Cakes

Makes: 4 large ones


Ingredients:

1/2 cup flour
3 eggs
2 teaspoons sugar
1 cup milk

Instructions:

  1. In a mixing bowl, combine flour, eggs, sugar, and milk.
  2. Use an egg beater to whisk the mixture until light and frothy.
  3. Heat a greased pan over medium heat.
  4. Pour a portion of the batter into the pan, tilting to spread evenly.
  5. Cook until golden brown on one side, then flip and cook the other side.
  6. Serve hot, buttered, and rolled, with a side of maple syrup for dipping.

Tasting Notes
These egg cakes are a nostalgic delight with their smooth, delicate flavor. They're best enjoyed fresh off the pan and are incredibly versatile. Pair them with fruit, jam, or even powdered sugar for a sweet twist, or enjoy them plain for a classic taste.{It's finger food at our house!} This recipe is similar, though not as sweet as Crêpes au sucre (Sugar pancakes).




17 comments:

Michele said...

Fantastic post, and thanks for sharing such a neat recipe!

Jennifer said...

I adore crepes so I know I'd love these! GREAT post, thanks so much!

pigpigscorner said...

The texture looks gorgeous!

Anonymous said...

I just love recipes that come with a story like that! How can I resist trying these, especially since this week has included french toast, scones, welsh cakes and oatmeal. I think I need to top off my breakfast bonanza with these for sunday breakfast!

angela@spinachtiger said...

Hi Shari
I'm always looking for ways to make eggs and pancakes. Voila. Nice idea.I just saw also the cutest lace pancakes at not quite nigella that you might enjoy looking at.

Y said...

Yum, I love the sound of egg cakes! Love the story behind them too.

Malak said...

I love the light shining on the egg cake. Just gorgeous! And I love the finger food idea!

tiny house said...

Wow! What a cute egg recipe! I like it! Thanks for sharing a wonderful recipe.

Dolce said...

And you are right in time for "la chandeleur" which is the day for crepes : tomorrow Feb the 2nd :)

The Butcher Block said...

Hot off the pan is right. That's how we eat at our house too.

FoodTherapy4Me said...

LOVE the story behind your egg cakes! Our family eats a korean inspired version we called rolled eggs. Included in the egg 'batter' are scallions and ham. Thanks for sharing!!

strawberriesinparis said...

These are just like my mexican pancakes!! So delicious!

http://strawberriesinparis.com/2009/05/04/mexican-pancakes/

laura kate said...

this is nearly identical to the recipe passed down from my norwegian great great grandmother. eggcakes are comfort food for me.

i've never heard of them being served with maple syrup though! always butter and sugar or maybe some jam in our family.

great post :)

Unknown said...

I just got done making these and they are great! if you top them with a little powdered sugar and a splash of lime or lemon and they are incredible!

katie said...

Looks a bit more custardy. Almost asian...

MyKitchenInHalfCups said...

I'm sure the egg cakes are wonders (great photo by the way) but the story is just the best! Excellent.

ode2eggs said...

i just found your blog and I'm glad I did! This dish looks divine! Can't wait to try out. Awesome post! :)