Hungarian Gala Palacsinta Cake Food

HUNGARIAN CREPES: PALACSINTA

Steps:

• Mix eggs, flour, milk, sugar and salt to make a smooth pancake dough. Let the dough rest for 1 to 2 hours.
• Stir in the carbonated water at the last moment, just before cooking the pancakes.
• Heat an 8-inch frying pan. When the pan is hot, add 1/4 teaspoon of the butter. Let butter melt and swirl to cover the bottom of the pan.
• Pour a ladle of the batter into the pan and gently tip and twist the pan so that the batter covers the entire bottom of the pan. When the top of the batter bubbles, turn the pancake over and cook for 4 or 5 seconds longer. Remove the pancake. Continue until the batter is all cooked; add butter before cooking each pancake.
• Serve by spreading raspberry jam, cocoa mix, or your favorite filling and roll up the pancake, serve with fresh berries.

HUNGARIAN SWEET PANCAKES (PALACSINTA)

Steps:

• In a medium mixing bowl, combine eggs , milk, club soda, and orange juice. Stir in flour, sugar, salt, and vanilla extract to form a smooth batter.
• Heat 1 teaspoon butter in an 8-inch skillet. Use a small ladle to add enough batter to coat the bottom of the pan in a thin, even layer, rotating pan as needed to cover.
• Cook for 2 minutes on the first side and 1 1/2 minutes on the second side or until the pancake is lightly browned. Remove and keep warm while cooking the rest of the pancakes with the remainder of the butter and batter.
• Fill with any combination of fruit preserves, sugared ground nuts, whipped cream and fresh fruit, pie filling, etc., and roll or fold into triangles. Dust with confectioners' sugar and serve with a dollop of whipped cream, a grating of chocolate, or a fruit, custard, or chocolate sauce , if desired.
• Enjoy.

HUNGARIAN GALA PALACSINTA CAKE

Steps:

• FOR THE BATTER: Mix the flour and salt and one tablespoon sugar together in a big bowl.
• Work in the eggs, one at a time, then very gradually add the milk, beating well as you go along.
• Beat in the melted butter and strain the batter to remove any large lumps.
• Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.
• Just before using, shake or stir the batter and pour in as much soda water as needed to make a thin batter, the consistency of light cream.
• Make each palacsinta separately: heat a 6 1/2 inch crepe pan or a small frying pan with sloping sides until very hot, then brush with cooking oil.
• When it starts to smoke, remove from the heat and pour 2 to 3 tablespoons of batter into the pan (work with a ladle the right size, if possible).
• Quickly turn the pan around so the batter flows to the sides, thinly coating the entire bottom.
• A palacsinta is supposed to be very thin, as thin as it can be without getting lacy.
• Pour any excess batter back into the bowl.
• Put the pan back on the heat for about a minute, then give it a couple of good jerks to loosen the palacsinta, then flip it if you can or turn it over by hand, using a spatula to lift it up out of the pan first.
• Cook briefly on the second side and slide it into a warm dish or pie plate.
• Continue making palacsinta until you have at least three per person.
• Keep the palacsinta warm on the back of the stove or in the warming oven, or make them several hours in advance and warm them up later.
• The palacsinta batter may also be made in a blender: put the milk, eggs, salt, flour and melted butter in the jar, in that order.
• Blend at top speed for about 1 minute, then scrape down the sides of the jar and blend another few seconds.
• Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight; just before making the palacsinta, shake or stir the batter and ADD the SODA water.
• Make the palacsinta and set them aside while preparing the fillings in separate dishes.
• Filling 1: Mix the grated chocolate with the chopped walnuts and confectioners’ sugar.
• Set it aside.
• Filling 2: Thin the jam with brandy or water, and mash up any large pieces of fruit.
• Put that to one side.
• Filling 3: Strain the pot cheese and force it through a potato ricer.
• Mix it well with the egg yolk, confectioners’ sugar, and lemon rind, and stir in the raisins.
• Beat the egg white until stiff, then fold it into the pot cheese mixture.
• To form the rakott palacsinta, lightly butter an 8-inch springform pan and place a palacsinta on the bottom.
• Spread it with some nut and chocolate filling (number 1), and cover with a second palacsinta.
• Spread that with a thin layer of apricot jam (number 2), and cover it with another palacsinta.
• Spread it with the pot cheese filling (number 3), and cover with a fourth palacsinta.
• REPEAT and continue the layering process until you reach the top of the pan; end with a palacsinta.
• Three quarters of an hour before serving, preheat the oven to 300 F.
• and beat the egg whites with the sugar until stiff and shiny.
• Pile the meringue on the top palacsinta and place the pan in the oven to bake for 30 minutes or more, or until the meringue is lightly browned (“pink”).
• Remove the sides of the pan and transfer the rakott palacsinta to a platter.
• Serve hot, cut in wedges like a cake.
• The Hungarian Cookbook.
• Susan Derecskey.