Every Sunday morning for as long as I can remember, I’ve woken up to the aroma of my dad’s Dutch flensjes wafting through the house. The minute the scent of melted butter seeped into my room, I would spring up from my bed and sprint to the kitchen, reluctant to miss the satisfying sizzle of the batter being poured onto the hot skillet. Before long I’d be shoveling flensjes, oozing with melted semi-sweet chocolate, into my mouth, asking for seconds and thirds while still devouring my first serving.
So, what are they?
The Dutch flensje resembles an extremely thin pancake, similar to the French crêpe. Flensjes can be can be served with various toppings such as strawberries, bananas, or chocolate chips (a personal favorite). My Oma, the woman who started this Sunday morning tradition, serves her flensjes with a pinch of sugar and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. Flensjes can also be served as a savory dish. One of my favorite savory combos includes roasted bell peppers, spinach, tomatoes, and mozzarella, topped with a thin spread of homemade basil-garlic pesto.
Try it out!
The beauty of flensjes is their versatility. Feel free try out various ingredients when topping yours!
Recipe
Serves 4 people, 3 flensjes each.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup of flour
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup of milk
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 pinch of salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 tablespoons butter
Preparation:
1. Place flour into a large mixing bowl. Set aside.
2. In a smaller bowl, combine eggs, milk, sugar, vanilla and salt. Mix until incorporated.
3. In the large mixing bowl, slowly add the liquid mixture by beating it into the flour a quarter cup at a time. The batter should have a runny consistency. If the batter seems dense, add more milk until it meets the desired thickness.
4. Heat 7-8 inch skillet over medium heat until hot. Grease pan lightly with ½ tablespoon butter.
5. Pour sparse ¼ cup of batter into skillet, tilting the pan so the batter evenly covers the bottom. Cook until edges begin to brown, then flip. Cook for 1-2 more minutes before removing from the pan.
6. Roll in your toppings of choice and serve warm.