Cinnamon Apple-Stuffed Crepe recipe

Unfortunately, the older my boys get, the less time I have with them as their busy schedules take them from sports practices to music lessons.  The one time that always seems to be ours as a family, however?  Sunday morning. While teenagers are not typically eager to rise early on a Sunday morning (ha!), sweet smells from the kitchen always seem to naturally beckon them so I don't have to. 

Every family has their weekend ritual.  While ours is typically Finnish Pannukakkuh, I often like to revisit MY childhood Sunday morning memories when my father would wake the family with stuffed crepes.   He tended to fill them with whatever was in season at the time: berries in the summer, apples in the Fall, or even homemade mousse if feeling unusually decadent.   

I share as his basic crepe recipe is fool-proof and is the one that I still use to this day. Enjoy!

Cinnamon Apple-Stuffed Crepes

Basic Crepe Recipe  

Ingredients:

1 large egg
1/4 cup + 2 T milk
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup flour
1.5 tablespoon melted butter
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Dash of cinnamon
Additional butter or pan-coating spray for pan

NOTE:   I double this for our family of 4, to allow for mess ups and 2 hungry teenage boys.

If using the basic recipe for a savory crepe, I omit the cinnamon and vanilla.  I often add garlic powder and chives.

Directions:
Mix ingredients with a whisk.  It will be runny! Heat pan on medium to medium-high. Grease pan with butter/spray. Pour approximately 1 ounce of batter in center of pan and swirl until it is spread super thin. Cook for 30-45 seconds and flip.  Cook for another 15-30 seconds and remove to a plate.  Layer them in between small squares of wax paper until batter is gone.

Cinnamon Apple Filling Recipe

Slice 3-4 apples.  Toss in a pan with 1 tablespoon of butter or coconut oil, 1 tablespoon or brown sugar, a dash of cinnamon, and an 1/8 tsp of salt.  Saute until soft.

Assemble, garnish, enjoy! =)

Happy St. Patrick's Day with Green Pannukakku!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

How does the half Irish, half Finnish Nenonen family kick off the day?  Green Pannukakku- or baked Finnish oven pancakes-  for the kids, of course. 

Learn more about this tradition and get our recipe HERE.

In the kitchen: Pannukakku

I am married to a good Finnish boy from a good Finnish family (note last name). Almost 19 years ago, when I met Steve, I was quickly introduced to this...

Pannukakku, aka. Baked Finnish Oven Pancake.  Best description of the taste?  A  warm sugared donut.

Steve's great grandparents were Finnish immigrants, who brought along this popular recipe.   It is truly a Nenonen Family tradition.  No extended family AM gathering is without Pannukakku.  Period.

As far as our little family of 4 goes, Pannukakku typically makes an appearance on Sunday AMs and almost always trumps french toast or traditional American pancakes.  The kids love it and their friends beg for it.  Hence, I thought it would be fun to share our rendition. 

NOTE:  there are a million variations of Pannukakku.  Some prefer a more custard version... others prefer a very light and fluffy version.  Ours lies somewhere in the middle.  The traditional Finnish pancake is split into small rounds.  We bake ours in a large glass baking dish instead because we are lazy ;).  Enjoy!

Pannukakku

3 large eggs

1 cup of unbleached flour
(we often times substitute whole wheat, though it makes for a much more dense cake)

1 cup milk
(OK to use skim- we do)

4 tablespoons of sugar + additional sprinkle

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a medium bowl, whisk eggs. Beat in sugar and then add milk and salt.  Whisk flour in slowly until blended.  Add melted butter last.

Spray glass baking dish with non-stick spray and add batter. 

Bake until the pancake is lightly browned and puffed, about 20 minutes.

Remove from oven.  Give it an additional light sprinkle of sugar and bake for an additional 5 minutes. Watch carefully so it doesn't burn!

Serve immediately.  Some families top with butter, syrup, curd, fresh fruit puree, or preserves.  We usually enjoy ours plain with a side of berries.