Hungarian Crepes Palacsinta Recipes

GRANDMA IRENA'S PALACSINTA (HUNGARIAN CREPES)

Steps:

• Combine the flour and eggs and mix until smooth. Add the milk, soda water, vegetable oil, and salt and mix to combine; refrigerate the batter overnight.
• To make the pancakes, heat a lightly greased frying pan over medium heat. Remove the batter from the refrigerator and mix well. Pour 1/4 cup of the batter into the pan and cook the pancake for about one minute. Flip it over and cook for another minute, or until golden brown. Remove the pancake from the pan and place it on waxed paper. Repeat with the remaining batter, stacking the pancakes while keeping them separate with waxed paper.
• To make the filling, combine the chopped almonds, 1/2 cup sugar, milk, vanilla extract, and rum (if desired) in a saucepan. Cook and stir over low heat until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is creamy. Allow it to cool slightly before filling the pancakes.
• For the chocolate topping, combine the water, 1/2 cup sugar, and chocolate in a saucepan and cook over low heat just until the chocolate melts. Remove the pan from the heat and add the margarine, stirring until melted and combined.
• Spread 1 heaping tablespoon of almond filling onto each pancake, rolling them up and placing them on a platter. (You will have 10 to 15 total, depending on their size.) Pour the chocolate topping over the platter of rolled pancakes. If desired, warm the platter in a microwave for about 30 seconds before serving.

HUNGARIAN CRêPES: PALACSINTA

Steps:

• In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, melted butter, and salt. Whisk in the flour 1/4 cup at a time until the mixture is free of lumps and thoroughly combined. Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour to allow the batter to thicken.
• While the batter chills, make the filling and the raspberry sauce. For the filling, combine the cottage cheese, confectioners' sugar, lemon zest, and vanilla in a bowl. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
• To prepare the sauce, place the raspberries, lemon juice, and sugar in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Whisk the water and cornstarch together in a small bowl until well blended, then add to the raspberry mixture. Return to a simmer and continue cooking until the mixture thickens to a syrup-like consistency (do not overcook). Transfer to a bowl and set aside to cool.
• To make the palacsinta, add 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil to a 10-inch nonstick pan and rub it over the bottom and sides with a paper towel. Heat the pan over medium heat and add 1/4 cup of the batter to the center of the pan. Working quickly, lift the pan from the heat, tilting and rotating until the batter coats it completely in a thin layer.
• As soon as the crêpe appears set and "dry" (20 to 30 seconds), flip it over and cook until barely browned, 10 to 15 seconds longer. Transfer to a plate and repeat with the remaining batter.
• Stack the cooked palacsinta (crepes) on a plate. You should end up with about 1 dozen.
• To serve, place one crêpe on a flat surface and spread about 2-1/2 tablespoons of the filling on one side, about 1 inch in from the edges. Gently roll the crêpe to form a tube, making sure the filling is evenly distributed. Place seam side down on a serving plate and top with raspberry sauce.

HUNGARIAN PALACSINTA (CREPES)

Steps:

• In a bowl, whisk the eggs with 1/2 cup of the milk and the salt. Whisk in the flour until smooth, then whisk in the remaining milk and the butter; the batter should have the consistency of cream. Let the batter rest for 1 hour.
• Heat a 7-inch crêpe pan and brush with butter. Pour 1/4 cup of batter into the pan and rotate it immediately to coat the bottom evenly; pour any excess batter back into the bowl. Cook the crêpe over moderate heat until lightly browned on the bottom, about 30 seconds. Flip the crêpe and cook the second side until brown dots appear, about 10 seconds longer. Transfer to a large plate. Repeat with the melted butter and remaining batter to make 18 crêpes.
• In a saucepan, melt the apricot jam with the lemon juice; stir until smooth.
• Preheat the oven to 400°. Butter a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Spread each crêpe with 1 teaspoon of jam and 1 tablespoon of walnuts. Fold it into quarters and transfer to the baking dish. Repeat with the remaining crêpes. Cover the dish with foil and bake for 10 minutes, or until hot. Sprinkle with the remaining walnuts and sift confectioners' sugar on top. Serve the crêpes warm, with chocolate sauce if you like.