CAST IRON: SWEDISH PANCAKES IN A PLETT PAN

Where do traditions come from???  I have thought about it from time to time.  I think it comes from trying new things from time to time.  If they are an unqualified hit, they become a favorite food item in the household.  My page is about family, cast iron and traditions.  We don't have much of a pancake tradition at our house, but they do get served from time to time.  The longest dry spell was just after my husband and I got married.  He mentioned something about using the pancakes that were "left over" to re-sole some shoes.  Did not happen again for SEVERAL years, mostly because I refused to make pancakes. 

PANCAKES!!!!   A pancake is the staple that keeps a working man going.  Don't know who said it, but it's the truth.  Every country has a different name for their pancakes.  Here in our world, there are silver dollar, sourdough, buttermilk, buckwheat..... oh my!!  In days gone by, there were hoecakes, so called as they were cooked on the flat of the hoe over a hot bed of coals. 

Russians call them Blinz or Blini... Swedish is plett.  French have crepes (much thinner than the regular pancake and rolled)  Danish have stuffed pancakes called aebleskiivers.  In China they are 煎饼卷菜 (jiān bǐng juǎn cài) ..well anyway you get the drift.  EVERYBODY loves a pancake.

A question arose on one of my favorite Facebook Groups:  Cast Iron Cooking.   The Swedish Plett pan comes up on a regular basis, as they are inexpensive and often folks don't take the trouble to learn about a different way of cooking something.  My Plett pan has 7 spots for the delectable little 3" pancakes.  Often the pans will have 8 spots.  So mine was short a bit... so am I... LMFAO!!! 

SWEDISH PLETT
Batter:
2 eggs
3 cups half and half
1 TBS of sugar
1 tsp of salt
1 1/2 cups flour

Yep... that's it.  Traditionally they are topped with ligonberry preserves... Yes, I had to look that one up early on, as I had NEVER heard of ligonberry.  Also known as mountain cranberries or partridge berries or cow berries.  They are quite tart, so cranberry is substituted when no ligonberry is not available...ME...nah, not so much.  I'm a raspberry type girl.    However you top your pancake; butter, powdered sugar, syrup, jams or jellies...  They are all delicious. 

When getting ready to make your Plett in your cast iron, brush the wells with a small swish of butter.  Get the pan piping hot, and only fill the well about 2/3 full as the batter will spread out.  It may take a little practice, but I find using a measuring cup with a pour spout is helpful.  Cook until you get small bubbles around the edges of the cake.  Since Plett are so small,  you will turn them a bit sooner than a traditional pancake.  ENJOY!!