Grandma Annie’s special treat

I’m sure we all have that special recipe that gives you “all the feels”.  This recipe for Norwegian Lefse is that recipe for me.  I still remember the feeling of excitement every time I would arrive at my Grandma Annie’s house.  I always knew that it was a given that there would be Lefse in the house!  It didn’t matter what time of year we were visiting, there was always a stocked supply of Lefse.  Additionally, if my sweet Annie grandma came to visit us, she would always bring Lefse.  It was a family favourite and she was the type of grandma who loved to fill your tummy with goodness!

I love keeping the memories of my sweet grandma fresh in my memory by baking her recipes or keeping up some her traditions.  This is one way that I honour this sweet lady who made such an impact on my life!

Last week, I had it all planned out.  I’d put the baby down for her nap, which would guarantee me a good couple hours of uninterrupted Lefse making.  It’s one of those recipes that is definitely hands on and needs attention.  Well, off course Mila didn’t want to nap this day so I just had to “roll with it”… Literally!

Having a little baby crawling around spreading flour from one end of the kitchen to the other definitely added an interesting element to the mix, but hey…YOLO right?  (note the baby flour handprint on my leggings LOL)

What is Lefse anyways?

The way I describe it is the mixture between a pancake/flatbread and a pastry with buttery/sugary + cinnamon goodness in the middle!  Some traditional Lefse recipes call for potatoes and are more like a potato pancake.  I feel like this recipe is way less involved and easier to make.  The end result is delicious!

The First Step

Mix the dry ingredients together, then slowly add in the softened butter and mix well.

Next, add in all the wet ingredients and fold in gently being careful not to over mix as this will make the end result dry and not as fluffy.  You want it mixed well, but if you’re using a stand mixer as I did just use the low setting and stop as soon as its blended.

This is where you are going to use that extra cup of flour you set aside at the beginning. Slowly start adding flour and shaping the dough. Because the dough is still fairly wet at this stage its important that you don’t mix too much flour in (because this ends up making it quite dry) but also using just enough flour that it’s not sticking to the rolling pin.  Its one of those trial and error things and I certainly don’t have it mastered like my Annie grandma yet…but I’ll keep trying:) . Shape the dough into a log and cut into sections.

Next, roll into flat pancake shapes and fry on low in a non stick frying pan.  Be careful not to over cook or burn them for that matter.  I usually do this step on low heat and I’d say its about 1-2 minutes per side.

The Filling

The filling is made of equal parts butter with icing sugar and cinnamon to taste.  Once the Lefse have cooled completely, generously spread the filling in between 2 pieces and then cut into desired shapes and sizes.

I look forward to making this recipe for years to come and eventually mastering it just like my sweet grandma did.  Family recipes are a keepsake and I’ll do my part in making sure this one continues through the next generations.  Enjoy!

 

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Photography by my dear friend Bernine Marie

 

 

 

 

Norwegian Lefse Recipe
Recipe Type: Pastry
Cuisine: Norwegian
Author: Karin U Living
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: Varies depending on size
This Lefse recipe is an old family favourite. A classic Norwegian treat.
Ingredients
  • 6 Cups White Flour (set aside 1 cup for later)
  • 2 Teaspoons Baking Powder
  • 2 Teaspoons Baking Soda
  • 2 Teaspoons Cardamon
  • 1/2 Cup White Sugar
  • 1 Cup Marg/Butter (softened)
  • 2 Eggs
  • 1/2 Cup Rogers Golden syrup
  • 1 Cup Sour Cream
  • Filling: Equal portions of butter and icing sugar with cinnamon to taste
Instructions
  1. Mix the dry ingredients together. 2. Add in the butter and mix until blended. 3. Mix sour cream and syrup together 4. Beat eggs with whisk and add to the sour cream and syrup 5. Add a little milk to bring the liquid up to 2 cups. 6. Add the liquid to the dry mixture blending gently. Flour the counter (be careful to add flour as sparingly as possibly as too much flour will make the lefse dry) and roll the dough into a log and then cut into sections. 7. Make into flat pancake shapes and fry on low to medium heat on a dry pan. Be sure to monitor the temperature assuring that you don’t burn. It should only be a few minutes per side. Allow to cool completely before adding the filling. When completely cooled, spread a generous layer of filling, top with another lefse and then cut into desired shapes/sizes. Enjoy!