Palacsintas

This recipe was passed down to me from my great-grandmother, who came to this country from Hungary. She was a tough cookie, sharp as a tack, and she lived in the inner city. (This is significant to a country girl like me. Nothing sends me into paranoid claustrophobia like visiting the city.) She passed away a few years ago, but I will always remember the first time I tasted her palacsintas.

Pronounced:


They are Hungarian Crepes. Although they're not the healthiest meal, I did manage to change out the vegetable oil for coconut oil. It's better for you, and you don't need to use as much in the pan. Our favorite filling is cottage cheese with pineapple and maraschino cherries and homemade apple butter. (I'll be sharing the apple butter recipe during the upcoming apple season. Oh yeah. It's a season.) But the possibilities are endless for fillings: jelly, jam, cream cheese, ricotta, cocoa and sugar, fruit, honey, maple syrup...use your imagination. I always get smiles and cheers:)

Palacsintas

2 1/2 cups flour
2 eggs
1/4 cup sugar
pinch salt
milk
1 tsp vanilla
coconut oil

Mix flour, eggs, sugar, and salt in a large mixing bowl with a large spoon or whisk. Add milk, gradually, until batter thickness resembles pancake syrup. Then, mix in 1 tsp vanilla. Let batter rest for 15 minutes. Put 1-2 tsp coconut oil in large pan and heat on medium. When pan and oil are hot, pour about 1/3 cup (or a ladle-full) batter in pan and immediately lift pan and tilt it from side to side, spreading the batter to cover the bottom of the pan. When set and starting to brown, flip the palacsinta with a spatula and cook until lightly golden. (They don't take long at all) Spread with filling, and roll up. Dust with confectioner's sugar, if desired. Replace oil in pan, as needed, to finish cooking the palacsintas.

I prefer to cut mine, and eat with a fork, like a civilized person...but my little barbarians love to pick these babies up and see if they can get all 10 fingers sticky. They can.