I had this for Christmas brunch but it’s also great as a dessert or as a festive brunch any time of year.

My cousin Rhia has a family tradition of making Scandinavian pancake for Christmas brunch. They are quite decadent but surprisingly easy to make so they are perfect for Christmas morning, especially if your serious eating is not to be done until later in the day. Although it is called a pancake, it is actually baked in an oven and I suspect some magic might be involved since they rise and go all fluffy and golden despite the absence of yeast.

I made this for my boyfriend and me this Christmas and it was a great hit. I had one slice with homemade cranberry and rhubarb sauce (cook cranberries and chopped rhubarb in their own juices and sweeten) and Greek yogurt and a second slice with fresh blueberries and raspberries and maple syrup. Yum!

I thought I would share the recipe, but it’s not technically a road test since I have made it before. The quantities below serve between four and eight depending on whether it is dessert or brunch and how hungry people are.

Ingredients

1/4 cup butter (equivalent to 2oz or 60g)
3 large, free-range eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
6 tbs sugar
3/4 cup plain flour
1/4 tsp fine salt

[A note on measurements: This is an American recipe so a cup equals 8 fluid ounces. This is pretty close to a metric cup measurement of 250ml. I don't have kitchen scales here in New York so I can't tell you the weights].

Method

Preheat oven to 220C or 425F. Put butter into a wide (20cm or 9 inches) oven-proof pan and melt it in the oven. Meanwhile, beat the eggs, milk, sugar, flour and salt until smooth. Remove the pan from the oven and pour the mixture into the hot pan. Bake for 30 minutes. The pancake will inflate like a balloon and the outer skin should be crisp and golden. Serve in wedges with your favourite toppings.