thin pancakes with strawberry-orange sauce

Growing up we ate pancakes quite often, and not just for breakfast. We were one of those lucky households that ate pancakes for breakfast, lunch or dinner and I thank my parents fondly for making that happen. However, our pancakes were not like the North American pancakes served on my friend’s breakfast plates. Instead of fluffy, airy and from a box, ours were made from simple ingredients and were thin and floppy. If we were lucky, there would be a lacy, crispy edge around each pancake and that was the part I’d eat first completely unadorned…no syrup just yet. Once I had nibbled around the crispy edges, the insides were eaten with jam, with cottage cheese and with 100% pure maple syrup (we were Canadian, after all). While my brother and I loved these pancakes, these were made for my dad through and through. My dad was from Eastern Europe and this was the kind of only kind of pancake he was familiar with. Anything else was just filler.

When my husband and I went to Lithuania two years ago on a visit to my Fatherland, I got a taste of these pancakes again. Served with jams, soft cheese curds, and whipped cream, they were decadent and delicious. And a few weekend mornings ago, I got to thinking about those thin Eastern European pancakes and decided to try my hand at them. When my mom made these, she would throw all the ingredients into her trusty Osterizer blender and let it whirl, but this time I just mixed it by hand. I couldn’t tell a difference, they were just like I remembered them. Delicious.
Instead of serving these with syrup or jam, I decided to use up those still lingering frozen strawberries into a sweet-tart sauce to accompany the pancakes. I made the sauce first and then let it cool while I made the pancakes. This was the icing on the already perfect cake. Any leftover sauce is perfect for swirling into yogurt or plopping into a bowl of Scottish oatmeal.

27 comments to “thin pancakes with strawberry-orange sauce”

  1. 1
    tara   May 5, 2009 at 12:00 pm

    We are a pancake-loving household, but I have never made crepes. I might need to rectify that soon.

  2. 2
    tania   May 5, 2009 at 12:15 pm

    mmmm lovely!
    pure comfort food-

  3. 3
    eatme_delicious   May 5, 2009 at 12:47 pm

    Yum awesome anytime meal for sure. Growing up my mom used to make waffles for dinner sometimes, which I of course loved. Actually I don’t know if we ever had waffles for breakfast..

  4. 4
    Cyndi   May 5, 2009 at 1:14 pm

    I make these often; we call them pfannenkuchen or klettiten since they’re also made in Germany and Austria. We like ours with lingonberries, and I just scored 3 jars for $.99 each at the local Ranch Market – they’re $5.98 at our local German deli. I make a whole wheat version, too, and will soon be adding ground flaxseed to those to add even more fiber.

  5. 5
    Dana   May 5, 2009 at 1:39 pm

    Those look more like crepes and more my style. Traditional “American” pancakes are much too bread-y for my taste. Love the strawberry sauce!

  6. 6
    Bijoux   May 5, 2009 at 1:57 pm

    In my current household my husband makes the pancakes, but not from scratch. They’re from a mix and they are still every bit as good as the restaurant kind. I wasn’t raised on pancakes but rather on fried dough blobs with honey and cinnamon…very dense and heavy and way too oily. But I ate them anyway. I love the idea of ultra thin pancakes outweighed by delicious berry sauce…sounds awesome! I think I’ll pass this recipe over to the man of the house 🙂

  7. 7
    Sarena Shasteen   May 5, 2009 at 2:40 pm

    Yum! This looks really good. A nice lite treat for when the weather is getting warmer!

  8. 8
    Alisa - Frugal Foodie   May 5, 2009 at 3:03 pm

    Mmm, crepes! Yum.

  9. 9
    Dawn   May 5, 2009 at 3:26 pm

    Oh wonderful! I am an avid fan of crepes, but not with all the liquor, but rather jams, and cheeses. This reminds me of that so much. Looks wonderful!

  10. 10
    Anali   May 5, 2009 at 4:26 pm

    Those look so good! I have to try them soon!

  11. 11
    indrajos istaka   May 5, 2009 at 4:35 pm

    When I began to read this post I thought the pancakes sounded very lithuanian like. I’m from lithuania as well, and am returning this summer. I can’t wait for some “blynai”

  12. 12
    brie   May 5, 2009 at 7:20 pm

    Oh yum! My Mom used to make us Danish pancakes (they look very similar) for dinner when we were growing up. I’ve been looking for a good thin pancake recipe and I have some lingonberries to use up. This might just be what I need!

  13. 13
    Maris   May 5, 2009 at 8:12 pm

    This is a good breakfast idea, especially for Mother’s Day! Or, what the heck. ANY DAY!

  14. 14
    Lane   May 5, 2009 at 3:19 pm

    I think creeps are amazing. which would be the same thing as thin pancakes. but they have to be made right. if there over done or under done there terrible. I just finished a restaurant menu design for a hole in the wall breakfast joint in the lake view neighbor hood in chicago.

  15. 15
    Culinary Wannabe   May 6, 2009 at 6:31 am

    I came from a pancakes for any meal family as well, and have already gotten my hubby hooked on the trend. I’ve never ever put cottage cheese on mine though – I’ll have to try your favorite way!

  16. 16
    stephchows   May 6, 2009 at 12:51 pm

    MMMM crepes!!! I make these for dinner when I don’t know what else I want… or when I don’t have much in the kitchen lol 🙂

  17. 17
    Kelcey   May 6, 2009 at 8:40 pm

    I just made these–SO good. I’ll never go back to making plain ol’ American pancakes.

  18. 18
    The Scootabaker   May 6, 2009 at 10:46 pm

    Just found your blog via David Lebovitz. That sucker is so awesome, huh!? Anyway, just wanted to drop you a line and tell you I like yo’ style! And keep on riding!

  19. 19
    kickpleat   May 7, 2009 at 12:01 am

    Oh yes, Tara, you must change it immediately!

    Tania, indeed it is.

    Eatme, I never ate waffles as a kid (well, sometimes we did have “eggos”), I’m jealous.

    Cyndi, a ww/flax version sounds good!

    Dana, the strawberry sauce is awesome!

    Bijoux, make sure you/your husband also makes the sauce. It’s soooo good.

    Sarena, not sure how light it is 😉 but it’s good, real good.

    Alisa, very yum!

    Lane, I think I like the term “creeps” better than crepes!!

    Thanks Dawn.

    Anali, they are great. Try them 🙂

    Indrajos, I’m jealous. Eat lots of blynai for me!

    Brie, try this out, it could be the one!

    Maris, these would would be perfect for Mother’s Day!

    Yay for pancake families, culinary.

    Steph, a great solution 🙂

    Trina, I bet you had a great time there! I loved it a lot.

    Kelcey, glad you loved them. Hooray, a convert!!

    Scoota, thanks for commenting 🙂

  20. 20
    Trina   May 6, 2009 at 5:03 pm

    oh Blynai! Yum! You’re making me a little bit homesick. 🙂 My Husband and I lived in Vilnius for a year back in 2003/04.

  21. 21
    Daily Spud   May 7, 2009 at 4:08 am

    We didn’t have pancakes that often as kids, but when we did, they were this style, with honey or sugar and lemon or jam. I could eat a whole stack of these, especially with the strawberry-orange sauce.

  22. 22
    hag   May 7, 2009 at 11:03 am

    we used to eat pancakes for dinner too. I also have fond memories of my step-dad making batches and batches of crepes with lemon, butter and sugar for sunday brunch.

    yummy…your post has reminded me of all this…thanks!

  23. 23
    thecatskillkiwi   May 7, 2009 at 4:40 pm

    Growing up in New Zealand, thin pancakes where the only pancakes anybody made.. they were typically after school snacks with either butter and jam or lemon juice and sugar. YUM!

  24. 24
    Dolores   May 7, 2009 at 4:42 pm

    how versatile a crepe could be… spinach and bechamel, chicken and vegies, whipped cream with shredded chocolate, orange marmalade, corn with white sauce, lemon juice and sugar, dulce de leche!!! Flavors from childhood….

  25. 25
    Hayley   May 7, 2009 at 7:48 pm

    These look lovely. I’m having a brunch for my brother’s graduation, and I think I’ll have to put these on the menu. Thanks for sharing!

  26. 26
    hefk   May 9, 2009 at 11:53 am

    My two year old daughter and I ate these the day after you posted this. We just might have them again this weekend and let my husband have some this time…

  27. 27
    kickpleat   May 12, 2009 at 3:55 pm

    Daily Spud, with lemon and sugar these would be soooo good. Will try that!

    Hag, glad I could let those pancakes memories flow 🙂

    Catskillkiwi, okay, the lemon/butter/sugar has been salivating!

    Dolores, wow what a childhood!

    You should, Hayley!

    haha, Hefk, glad you loved these!

Leave a comment