Well, today was Portuguese pancake day at our house. Portuguese pancakes are something that my grandmother (who was Portuguese) used to make for us on Pancake Tuesday. It is a recipe that she got from her mother.
So the kids and I were up bright and early to prepare. There are two types of Portuguese pancakes - sonhos (we call it soonyage) which is the kind we make and malasadas (we call it malasaditch) which is another variation that contains yeast. Keep in mind that our Portuguese roots are there but pretty far back so we could be pronouncing it wrong.
Here's the recipe with my grandmother's beautiful handwriting.
Ava was immediately in a bad mood because I wasn't paying attention and put the boys in the wrong high chairs (Ethan is on the left, Owen is on the right).
Then I realized there was a quirk I hadn't yet captured. I decided to push her buttons a bit and mismatched her sippy cup. (I later felt guilty as she was wearing her I Heart Mom shirt which she picked out herself).
All is right with the world again:
Then my mom and I got to baking. First step was to get the syrup boiling on the stove.
Bring 3 cups of sugar, 1-1/2 cups of water and three cinnamon sticks to a boil on the stove.
Put 2 cups of water in another pot.
Add one dessert spoon of butter,
and a pinch of salt (this is an 1/8 of a tsp - good to know) and bring it to a boil on the stove.
Add 1/2 lb of flour (this is 1-3/4 cups - also good to know) and mix with a wooden spoon.
While this is going on, a crowd of onlookers start to form:
and Ava and Grandad are watching Thomas.
Cover the syrup and turn off the heat. Remove cinnamon sticks. The syrup is going to crystallize but that's okay.
Stir the flour mixture on a low heat to cook it. Let it cool.
Get a taste tester to check the syrup. Quality control is of the utmost importance. :)
Add the six eggs one at a time and mix with a mix master/hand mixer until bubbles form.
Looking for the bubbles:
Cover and set aside the mixture for two hours.
So we took a lunch break. This picture sums up our house on any given day. If I am in the kitchen making something, somebody is always at the gate. And that someone at the gate usually gets something to snack on. And Scarlett is usually there keeping a close watch to make sure it isn't dropped. While this is going on, the boys are milling around in the background putting anything and everything in their mouths.
Ava killed me today. She had my mom do her hair and told her exactly where to put everything and how to do it. She looks like she escaped from Woodstock.
After two hours is up, heat about an inch of oil in a large pot. Drop 1/4 tsp dollops of batter into the oil. Make sure the oil is on a low heat so they don't burn. Flip them over to cook them evenly on all sides.
This just in. Grandad has fallen asleep on the couch. I turned around to find Ava had covered him with a blanket and was giving him a kiss. This is going to be a favourite picture of mine for years to come I suspect.
Once golden brown, pull from the oil. See? Just like a TimBit, only lighter and more hollow.
Heat the syrup on the stove or in the microwave and drizzle over the pancakes.
Enjoy.
Well that was it! Thanks mom for a great day. Love you Nana baby. xo
So the kids and I were up bright and early to prepare. There are two types of Portuguese pancakes - sonhos (we call it soonyage) which is the kind we make and malasadas (we call it malasaditch) which is another variation that contains yeast. Keep in mind that our Portuguese roots are there but pretty far back so we could be pronouncing it wrong.
Here's the recipe with my grandmother's beautiful handwriting.
Ava was immediately in a bad mood because I wasn't paying attention and put the boys in the wrong high chairs (Ethan is on the left, Owen is on the right).
Then I realized there was a quirk I hadn't yet captured. I decided to push her buttons a bit and mismatched her sippy cup. (I later felt guilty as she was wearing her I Heart Mom shirt which she picked out herself).
All is right with the world again:
Then my mom and I got to baking. First step was to get the syrup boiling on the stove.
Bring 3 cups of sugar, 1-1/2 cups of water and three cinnamon sticks to a boil on the stove.
Put 2 cups of water in another pot.
Add one dessert spoon of butter,
and a pinch of salt (this is an 1/8 of a tsp - good to know) and bring it to a boil on the stove.
Add 1/2 lb of flour (this is 1-3/4 cups - also good to know) and mix with a wooden spoon.
While this is going on, a crowd of onlookers start to form:
and Ava and Grandad are watching Thomas.
Cover the syrup and turn off the heat. Remove cinnamon sticks. The syrup is going to crystallize but that's okay.
Stir the flour mixture on a low heat to cook it. Let it cool.
Get a taste tester to check the syrup. Quality control is of the utmost importance. :)
Add the six eggs one at a time and mix with a mix master/hand mixer until bubbles form.
Looking for the bubbles:
Cover and set aside the mixture for two hours.
So we took a lunch break. This picture sums up our house on any given day. If I am in the kitchen making something, somebody is always at the gate. And that someone at the gate usually gets something to snack on. And Scarlett is usually there keeping a close watch to make sure it isn't dropped. While this is going on, the boys are milling around in the background putting anything and everything in their mouths.
Ava killed me today. She had my mom do her hair and told her exactly where to put everything and how to do it. She looks like she escaped from Woodstock.
After two hours is up, heat about an inch of oil in a large pot. Drop 1/4 tsp dollops of batter into the oil. Make sure the oil is on a low heat so they don't burn. Flip them over to cook them evenly on all sides.
This just in. Grandad has fallen asleep on the couch. I turned around to find Ava had covered him with a blanket and was giving him a kiss. This is going to be a favourite picture of mine for years to come I suspect.
Once golden brown, pull from the oil. See? Just like a TimBit, only lighter and more hollow.
Heat the syrup on the stove or in the microwave and drizzle over the pancakes.
Enjoy.
Well that was it! Thanks mom for a great day. Love you Nana baby. xo
Comments
Hope everyone enjoyed them! Tradition passing at it's greatest!
Love Mom
My favourite picture is the last one. So full of feelings! I am so fortunate that I got to meet your Nana.