Icelandic skonsur or scones, when translated into English, are delicious thick, airy griddle cakes that are best eaten directly from the skillet smothered with butter or topped with something sweet or savory. My granny often served them with thin slices of smoked lamb, or cheese for breakfast or with the traditional Icelandic lamb and veggie soup for a hearty and satisfying winter meal.
My granny’s original recipe was a bit sweeter than mine and did not contain any melted butter in the batter. Instead, I remember her using about half a tablespoon of melted butter per griddle cake on skillet when cooking, and sometimes she topped the cakes with another dollop of butter when serving them directly from skillet. Personally, I think so much butter is too much of a good thing, but either way they are filling and delicious!
Here in Greece, I love them for breakfast or brunch with Greek yogurt, fresh fruit and honey or just plain honey.
Recipe for 3 medium sized Skonsur
Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 heaped tsp baking powder
2 Tblsp sugar
Pinch of salt
1 large egg
1 ½ cup milk
20g unsalted butter (optional), melted
Melted butter for cooking
Preparation Method
In a large bowl, mix together all the dry ingredients. Add half the milk whisked together with egg and stir. Add the melted butter (if using) and then add the rest of the milk and stir until you have a smooth thick batter.
Heat a thick bottomed medium sized skillet or crepe pan over medium heat. Lightly brush pan with melted butter ladle batter into hot pan.
Cook until tiny bubbles appear across the top and the underside is golden brown. Then, with the help of a spatula, flip scone and cook for about 2 minutes or until golden brown.
Once cooked, transfer scones onto a backing rack to cool or serve immediately with topping of choice. These are always best when eaten warm or at room temperature.
Yield: 4 – 6 servings
© KaritasM – November 2019
