Palacinky Recipe
One of the favorite things my Slovak husband likes to make and eat is palacinky (pronounced pa-la-tsing-kee). It’s hard to describe exactly what a palacinka is if you are not familiar with central-European cuisine (palacinka-singular, palacinky-plural).
In English, a palacinka is a pancake, but I find the French word crepe, a bit more precise. In Russian they are called blini (blintzes, the anglicized version of this word). In Austria they are called Palatschinke and in Germany Pfannkuchen, but it’s all the same thing: a very liquid-like batter made from flour, milk, and eggs that is pored into a hot pan or griddle and cooked. They are then filled and rolled up with fruit, or jam, or Nutella, or a combination, and then served with a dollop of whipped cream. This sounds more like a dessert, but my husband likes to have it as a main course.
Thank goodness for the recipe book of traditional Slovak meals that I bought on a spur of the moment. Here’s the recipe. We’ve tried it. It’s a winner:
Palacinky batter:- 2 ½ cups of milk
- 2 eggs
- 1 ¾ cups flour
- 1 level tablespoon sugar
- a pinch of salt
Beat the eggs and add the milk, sugar and salt. Add the flour last, adding a bit more milk if the batter is too thick. The batter should be much thinner than typical pancake batter. After the batter is mixed, let it sit for 15 minutes.
Using a ladle, pour the batter onto a hot, buttered, non-stick pan or griddle. Slightly tilt the pan to spread the batter thinly over a larger area. Let it cook for a few minutes before turning it over. The palacinka should brown slightly.
Possible filling ideas:Note: the first one or two are usually a disaster so don’t get discouraged. Just eat the scraps and keep going ;)
- Wet fruit such as strawberries, pineapple, raspberries, or tangerines.
- Nutella
- Various jams such as strawberry, apricot, or blueberry.
9 Comments on “Palacinky Recipe”
sounds delicious. a nutella palacinka with a dark pivo!
August 6th, 2007 at 09:26 PM
How about:
Yum!
August 7th, 2007 at 03:33 PM
My grandma always spread the inside of the palacinka with Lekvar's prune butter before rolling it up. She served them warm with an ice cold glass of milk. What a great memory!
December 23rd, 2007 at 03:56 PM
Hey There, I just stumbled into your website and I love it. Being born and raised in Zilina, I have lots of cool memories popping out in my mind while reading this. I make crepes all the time, mostly with Nutella and banana (with a hint of Cool Whip). Yum. I am going back to Slovakia in one week, can't want to be home again, smelling the fresh air and picking up some cucoriedky. Petra
August 7th, 2008 at 06:47 AM
I've been looking through your site & so far i has been the most helpful site i hvae come across! Just wondering where I might buy a traditional slovak cookbook (in english). Also, can you suggest any expat groups within the Nitra area or Banksa Bystrica? I dont speak slovak as yet and am desperate for human contact!! :)
August 30th, 2008 at 01:53 PM
My mom, whose parents were born in Austria, would also use Lekvar and sometimes apple butter for these. I grew up eating them and they are a good light meal for when you aren't feeling great.
September 2nd, 2008 at 12:38 AM
YO SOY ESPAÑOLA PERO ESTOY CASADA CON UN ESLOVACO Y AUNQUE RESIDIMOS EN ESPAÑA CADA AÑO VAMOS A ESLOVAQUIA UNAS SEMANAS Y LOS LOS PALACINKY QUE HACE MI SUEGRA SON BUENISIMOS
September 19th, 2008 at 09:03 AM
When my Grandmother made these, she would fill them with either a cheese filling or prune butter. Then she should put them in a baking dish and cover them with butter and ground walnuts and baked them till they were warmed through. What wonderful memories.
February 17th, 2009 at 03:38 AM
Great recipe. It worked out really well. The only thing is that I didn't use sugar. My husband is from the Balkans and they eat them there but don't use sugar. I quite like it that way. Thanks for the recipe and instructions!
March 14th, 2010 at 07:08 AM