Ole's Swedish Hot Cakes

Serves: 4 (2 pancakes per person)

This recipe comes from the Little River Inn just south of Mendocino along the Northern California coast. The pancakes can be served with maple syrup or a big spoonful of strawberry sauce in the center. To really gild the lily, you can top that with a spoonful of whipped cream. Note: The cook time is per batch.

Ingredients:

Instructions:

Melt the butter and let it cool slightly. Meanwhile, stir together the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt in a mixing bowl. Whisk in the milk, half-and-half and zest. The mixture will be very liquid; don't worry. Whisk in the egg yolks (this will thicken the batter slightly). In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form and stir them gently into the batter. (You don't need to fold them; the batter is not that delicate.) This will thicken it to about the consistency of a good homemade eggnog. Whisk in the melted butter. (The recipe can be made ahead to this point and refrigerated, tightly covered, overnight.)

Heat a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until drops of water skitter across the surface. Slowly pour one-half cup of the batter in the center, forming as much of a circle as you can (using a ladle or measuring-cup with a lip makes this easier). Cook until the bottom of the pancake has lightly browned and the top begins to look slightly dry, about 3 minutes. Flip the pancake and cook until it feels somewhat firm when pressed lightly in the center, 2 more minutes. Remove from the pan and keep warm in the oven. Serve 2 pancakes per person.

Per serving: 575 cal.; 14 g pro.; 32 g carb.; 44 g fat (26 sat); 318 mg chol.; 708 mg sod.; 1 g fiber. ---

QUICK STRAWBERRY SAUCE

Makes 1 cup

The bright, fresh berry taste complements the buttery richness of Swedish hot cakes.

Ingredients:

Instructions:

Place the strawberries, sugar and orange juice in the work bowl of a food processor and pulse 4 or 5 times just to chop them small. Don't puree. Transfer the mixture into a small nonstick skillet and cook over medium-high heat until it begins to thicken, about 5 minutes. Set aside until ready to use.

Per serving: 34 cal.; 0 g pro.; 8 g . carb.; 0 g fat; 0 mg chol.; 0 mg sod.; 1 g fiber.