Nalesniki Food

MOM'S NALESNIKI (SURPRISINGLY EASY POLISH CREPES)

Steps:

• Combine the flour, salt, egg and 1/2 cup each of milk and water and blend with hand mixer.
• Keep adding the remaining milk and water until you get a batter that's a bit thinner than sour cream. I've included some pictures to get an idea, but it should be pretty runny.
• Heat a frying pan (approx. 9" diameter) over high heat and spray with non-stick spray (or coat with oil that can withstand high temperatures).
• Pour about one and a quarter soup ladle on the center of the hot, greased pan. Tilt the pan immediately to spread the batter around. Remember, the batter may look really thin in spots, but that's ok, it'll still flip once it's cooked through (this is where I always went wrong because it seemed too thin and I panicked, but if it gets too thick it won't set properly).
• Let cook for a few minutes, depending on how hot the pan is this could take from 1-3 minutes. You can tell when it's ready to flip when 1) the crepe slides around when you move the pan and 2) you don't see anymore soft or uncooked areas in the top of the crepe. They're pretty thin so you can literally see the runny sections firm up!
• Flip the crepe over and cook for 30seconds - 1 minutes then slide onto a plate.
• If folding with any mixture, place mixture on half of crepe, fold over then fold over again so you get a quarter triangle. Depending on the filling, they can be served immediately or if using cheese filling (described in the intro, adjust ingredients to your personal preference), fry them up in a bit of butter to get the outside crispy and melt the cheese a bit. For jam or apple sauce, we just roll them up and top with sour cream and/or sugar.

NALYSNYKY (UKRAINIAN CREPES)

Steps:

• TO MAKE CREPES.
• In a bowl, using a hand held electric mixer, beat eggs until light and fluffy.
• Add milk, water, flour and salt and beat until all ingredients are incorporated and batter is smooth.
• Heat a 6 inch frying pan on medium heat.
• Butter the pan lightly and pour about 1/4 cup of batter into the pan, swirling the pan until the batter spreads evenly in the pan.
• Cook crepes on medium heat for about 1 minute or until lightly browned.
• Bake on 1 side only, do not turn over.
• Continue to cook the crepes, buttering the frying pan each time.
• Place the cooked crepes on a platter and keep warm in the oven at 250°F.
• TO MAKE CHEESE FILLING.
• Place the cottage cheese in a cheese cloth and squeeze out as much moisture as possible.
• Transfer the cheese to a mixing bowl.
• Add egg yolks, cream salt, and dill weed and mix to blend well.
• Remove warmed crepes from the oven and increase oven temperature to 350°F.
• Separate and place 1 crepe with the brown side down on a smooth surface.
• Spoon about 1 heaping tablespoon of cheese filling near one edge of the crepe.
• Start rolling the crepe over the filling, tuck in each side to prevent the filling from falling out, and continue to roll.
• Continue to fill and roll the remaining crepes.
• Place the finished nalysnyky into a lightly buttered 13 inch by 9 inch oven proof casserole dish in layers.
• Dot each layer with some butter.
• Bake in preheated 350 F oven for 20 minutes.
• Serve hot with melted butter, a dollop of sour cream or yogurt.

POLISH NALESNIKI

Steps:

• Process ricotta cheese and cream cheese in a food processor until smooth and creamy; add egg yolk, melted butter, sugar, vanilla extract, and salt and process until fluffy.
• Divide cheese mixture between the crepes. Spread filling into a thin layer and roll crepes around the filling.
• Melt 1 teaspoon butter in a skillet over medium heat. Fry 3 crepes in melted butter until heated through, 1 to 2 minutes per side; repeat with remaining butter and crepes.

NALESNIKI

Steps:

• Beat eggs until light.
• Add milk and water, and beat to mix.
• Add flour and salt, beat to mix.
• Heat a small frying pan (~6inches) on Medium heat.
• Melt a tbsp of butter, coating the pan.
• Add about 3 tbsp of the batter.
• Cook the bottom side only.
• Remove from pan and place on large patter until ready to fill.
• Repeat until all mix is gone.
• Add 2 tbsp filling to pancake.
• Roll up 'jelly style' (like a taco).
• Place in a buttered 9x13 pan and cover with foil.
• Place in a 250°F oven for about 30 minutes.
• Cream Cheese filling: Mix eggs with cheese.
• Add sugar.
• Add remaining ingredients, mix well.

NALEśNIKI (POLISH SWEET OR SAVORY CREPES)

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• In a blender or food processor , combine flour, milk, water, eggs, butter, and salt and process until smooth.
• Transfer batter to a pitcher. Cover the pitcher with plastic wrap and let rest for 30 minutes so liquid can be absorbed by the flour.
• Heat a crepe pan or small skillet over medium heat and lightly coat with butter. Using a 2-ounce ladle, spoon 1 portion of batter into pan.
• Immediately rotate pan and swirl batter until it covers the entire bottom of the pan. Cook until crepe is lightly brown or spotted brown on underside. Flip and cook second side until it is light brown.
• Remove crepe to waxed paper or parchment paper and repeat with remaining batter. You may need to recoat the pan with butter as you cook crepes.
• Place 2 heaping tablespoons of savory filling or sweet filling on each naleśniki. Fold sides in first and then fold bottom up, rolling away from yourself, similar to an egg roll or burrito.
• Filled naleśniki should then be pan-fried in butter over medium-high heat or baked in a buttered casserole dish at 350 F until the filling is set.

NALESNIKI (POLISH PANCAKES)

Steps:

• Batter: Sift the flour into a large bowl.
• Add the egg and the egg yolks from the separated eggs.
• Add the milk, water, oil and nutmeg and mix thoroughly.
• Whisk the egg whites together with the salt until stiff, and fold into the batter.
• Filling: Cream the butter with the egg yolk and mix together with the cheese.
• Add the sugar and vanilla sugar.
• Mix well.
• If the mixture is too stiff, add a little bit of milk.
• Putting It Together: Melt some of the butter over medium heat in a small frying pan.
• When it's hot, pour in about 2tbs of batter and cook on both sides until lightly browned.
• Remove from pan and keep warm in the oven at low heat.
• Repeat until all of the batter is used.
• Put a tablespoonful of filling on each pancake, fold over and serve hot.

NALESNIKI - POLISH CREPES WITH APPLE FILLING

Steps:

• Make the filling to start off with:.
• Cook apples with sugar, cinnamon and lemon juice. Mash apples slightly until it resembles course applesauce. Set aside & allow to cool.
• For the crepes:.
• Beat eggs. Mix sugar, salt and flour well together and stir quickly into the eggs. Add milk and beat hard. Have ready one or more heavy six inch crepe pans, lightly buttered and well heated.
• Pour just enough batter into each to cover the bottom of the pan when it is tilted and swirled.
• Shake the crepes over the fire until they are slightly browned on the bottom and firm to the touch on top. Do not turn. Put them aside to cool. This may be done several hours before serving.
• Fill crepes and roll up. Place on buttered baking dish and brush well with melted butter.
• Mix sugar with bread crumbs and butter and sprinkle over top. Bake in 350 degree F oven for 20 minutes.