Dancing on the Ceiling? – Grandpa’s Delicious Pancakes

Fall Vacation in Berlin with Grandpa

Growing up in northern Germany, every fall vacation or the equivalent of the French Toussaint holidays, my older brother and I would board a plane from Hamburg and fly to West Berlin to spend the two-week holidays with Grandpa.  At the time, Germany was still divided into East and West, as was Berlin.  A physical wall divided the city of Berlin, with grandpa living in West Berlin (see my previous post about some Berlin facts). 

My brother and I would land at the Berlin Tempelhof Airport.  During the Cold War, this airport was famous for the Berlin Airlift which became the only supply lifeline for the citizens of West Berlin after Soviet authorities halted all land and river traffic into or out of the western-controlled sectors of Berlin in June 20, 1948.  Grandpa always pointed out proudly the Berlin Airlift Memorial in front of the airport, affectionately calling it by the nicknames the locals gave it: Hungerharke (Hunger Rake) and Hungerkralle (Hunger Claw).

Since my grandfather did not drive, we would take the famous double-decker buses from the airport out to where Grandpa lived in a district called Westend.  It was always an adventure for us to ride the bus.  My brother and I would climb up to the upper deck and enjoy sitting in the top front row: the best seats on the bus!

Grandpa, of course, would join us and always point out the sights along the ride. 

Not far from Grandpa’s apartment was a quaint little park called the Brix Platz.  As it was fall, we would spend a lot of time playing in the park and its playground.  There were quite a number of chestnut and acorn trees in the park.  That’s a chestnut tree right in the middle of the playground.

We would collect the fallen chestnuts and acorns.  Once back inside, we would make little animals and men out of the chestnuts and acorns. Grandpa handed us these little drills, so we could drill some holes into the chestnuts and acorns. 

We would insert wooden matches, toothpicks, or pipe cleaners into the holes to connect chestnuts with one another, to create a body, head, arms, legs.  We made little chestnut people and pets like this:

 

Or we would string them together to make bracelets and necklaces.  It was hours and hours of entertainment.

Chef Grandpa

Such serious play made us very hungry.  Luckily Grandpa would make us pancakes, our favorites!  He would prepare the batter, and let it rest for about twenty minutes, and then he would call us into the kitchen for the grand production.  We kids were eager for the show.

He would fill a ladle with some batter and then pour it evenly into the hot frying pan.  After a short while, he would pick up the pan with one hand, and with the flick of his wrist, would flip the pancake in mid-air out of the pan, the pancake would do a 180-degree turn in mid-air and safely land on the uncooked side back in the pan. 

We kids were thrilled.  Grandpa was such a great cook.  (Mom never did that!)  We would cheer him on: "higher, grandpa, higher!"  After another short while, he would repeat the flip, but this time would catch the finished pancake on a plate which he held in the other hand. Taaa – daaah!

Do it again, Grandpa, do it again, higher.  One time, I don’t know exactly how it happened, as we dared him to toss the pancake higher, and higher still, grandpa flung it so high, that it hit the ceiling.  It stuck there for a few seconds (I’m sure to grandpa, it must have felt like an eternity!)  As he looked up at the stuck pancake in amazement, it loosened and fell back down to earth.  It landed on his head like a beret!  We kids were beside ourselves.  We laughed so hard that we fell on the kitchen floor with laughter.  Grandpa too joined in and the three of us laughed until we cried!  What a cook!  What a showman!  They were the BEST pancakes EVER!

Grandpa’s pancakes were different than American Style pancakes, as they were not tall and fluffy.  That is because he did not use any leavening (like yeast or baking powder).  They were thin, but not as thin as French crepes would be.  Here’s the recipe. 

Grandpa’s Pancakes (Pfannkuchen)

Ingredients:

200 g (1 1/4 c) all-purpose flour

300 ml (1 1/4 c)  milk (you can use skim, 2% or whole milk)

2 medium eggs

60 g (4 T + ¼ t) melted butter (or vegetable oil, but butter is better!)

30 g (2 T + 1 ¼ t) sugar

1 pinch salt

Instructions:

• In a medium bowl, combine the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, and salt)
• Add the milk all at once, and whisk together until you have a smooth batter with no clumps.
• Add the eggs and continue to beat until they are well incorporated
• Add the melted butter, and incorporate well.
• Let the batter rest 15 to 20 minutes.
• Heat a large frying pan to medium.
• Fill a ladle with the dough and pour it in the hot pan, spreading the batter thinly in the pan (about 2-3 mm, or 1/8 inch)
• Keep a close eye on the pancake, as you see the batter drying, lift it with a spatula to see if it is golden on the underside, then flip.
• Fry a wee bit longer, then when golden, transfer to a plate.

Serve with powdered sugar, jam, Nutella, or even fruit on top.  Of course, you could even add a slice of deli ham on top or some cheese.  

Dig in and enjoy!

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