02 February 2011

Nalesniki z Serem or Polish Crepes/Pancakes with Cheese

This is actually a sweet dish.  And is it gooooood...

There are many recipes for the batter but in the end, it's like Dessert Crepes.

Ingredients for Batter:

1 1/2 cups Milk
1 cup Flour (I used unbleached)
2 Eggs
2 tablespoons Sugar
1 tablespoon Melted Butter




Combine all ingredients in a bowl.




Mix really well.  Make sure, if using a mixer, to scrape the bottom of the bowl a few times so that no flour clumps on the bottom.




A tip I learned from a French friend years ago, allow the batter to sit at room temperature for 1/2 an hour to an hour.  In a medium sized frying pan, heat one tablespoon of oil and pour in a couple of tablespoons of batter.  Immediately, twist pan around to evenly distribute batter.  Heat until lightly golden brown (I constantly overcook them slightly, oops, I'm a Busy Mommy!) on one side. 




I love the French saying "The first crepe goes to the dogs" since the first one absorbs the most oil and just doesn't quite turn out right...




Ingredients for Cheese Filling:

1 1/2 cups White Cheese (Farmers Cheese, Ricotta, or very dry Cottage Cheese)
1 Egg Yolk
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract or Vanilla Sugar
Sugar
Zest from an Orange (or Lemon, if you like)
(See Notes)




Mix all ingredients together.






On the browned side of the crepes, smear filling as thick as you like.  I usually do about one tablespoon. 




Roll either into a burrito style shape or fold into a quarter.




At this point, you can set them aside with plastic wrap for later.  Or you can brown slightly on each side and serve. 




You can drizzle with fruit syrup, if you like, or sprinkle with powdered sugar.  I buy mine from the local ethnic store (a Polish brand for about $3-4 for 1 Liter), which we also sometimes drizzle on ice cream, other desserts, mix into beer or other drinks, or dissolve into water for a different drink.




Smacznego!



Notes:

I cannot really tell you how much Sugar to use, since, according to my Babcia (and I agree), it depends on the cheese and how you like it.  I used Ricotta cheese and 4 tablespoons of Powdered Sugar.  Granulated Sugar can also be used.

I love the Polish language.  My Babcia in telling me her recipe, said "Żółtko" (pronounced Zoo-TKOh, and meaning Egg Yolk), which always makes me think of "Złoto" (pronounced Zuoh-Toh, and meaning Gold).

Don't worry, a recipe for Vanilla Sugar will be coming soon.

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19 comments:

Unknown said...

wow that sounds yummy I am def going to try this out.

Anonymous said...

Hahah, you make Polish naleśniki and me, I am somewhat of an expert on American pancakes :P Noone I know makes better pancakes than me :P (Although I have no earthly idea if I make them right, like in America. I should probably go to Jeff's one day and try them :D). Pancakes with clone syrup = pure awesomeness. :)

Unknown said...

Pancakes, ewwww! lol I can't stand them.

Anonymous said...

How so? They're not that much different than naleśniki. Just a little baking powder, the rest is kinda similar...
...though the best crepes I ever ate were in Saint-Quay-Portireux in Bretagne. These were really, utterly delicious!

Unknown said...

Ooo, I've never had pancakes with cheese. I think I would like this a lot, especially with the fruit syrup drizzled over. Maybe I'll whip up a batch of these along with some homemade blueberry syrup. :)

Unknown said...

Pancakes (American style, anyway) to me are just, I don't know, flour cardboard? That's just me. Texturally and flavor wise, I've never enjoyed them. That's just me, though.

Yes, the best crepes I've ever had were in Paris, I was blessed enough to get one of those Nutella filled street vendor crepes (with strawberries). Yummmm...

Thank you, Ada.

Amy said...

I would try these if someone brought them to me, but I'm not sure I'd make them for myself. I think it's the ricotta cheese that scares me.

Unknown said...

Amy, do you like Italian Cannoli? Because they are made with ricotta cheese as well...

Keep an open mind with my recipes. I have an American husband and kids, so anything I write about, they love as well. ;)

Anonymous said...

I make those pacakes with spinach, mushrooms filling with tomatoe sauce. it's delicious! not everybody likes the taste of sweet naleśnik with that filling so instead of milk you can use just water...
It's very good! Be honest with you I can put almost anything inside the neleśnik and call it good food :-) I love naleśniki!
I love them with strawberry jam!!! love it, love it, love it! have to make some soon :-) but barszcz first!

Unknown said...

Mmm, that does sound good. I plan on making some savory soon as well... That sounds like a great idea for lunch for us.

Nemi said...

I love it! Uwielbiam naleśniki! Z serem, dżemem...mogłabym jeść je każdego dnia:) Pozdrawiam!

Unknown said...

Dzienkujem, Nemi! It means a lot when a fellow Pole loves my recipes, makes me feel like I'm doing it right.

Anonymous said...

Dear Polish Mama on the Prairie, I am Polish born and raised in Poland and I also cook and would like to mention than not only French know that batter had to be put aside for 1/2 hour or so, it is not only the French idea I do it the same way.

Unknown said...

Yes, my Babcia later told me this as well. I merely meant to acknowledge the friend who told me this trick, she knows who she is but saying "French friend" reinforces it. :)

Anonymous said...

This looks amazing! Can't wait to try it.

Kaye said...

thanks for this recipe, i cooked naleszniki z serem for my boyfriend and he just had one word, amazing :-) so he liked it a lot. I am not Polish so im learning how to cook typical Polish food :-) dziękuję :-)

Kaye said...

Hi! My boyfriend (he's Polish) and I want to thank you for the recipe. We liked it a lot. I am not Polish so I am learning how to cook the typical Polish food :-)

Catherine Czerkawska said...

Lovely recipe - reminded me of my Polish relatives. My great aunt used to use a combination of that cheese filling with plum butter. I'm going to have to make some pancakes. We have a new Polish deli in our nearby town - I bought some wonderful slightly smoky 'hunters' salami' there last week and have been using it in various ways - am going to buy some more tomorrow.Only hoping they will have makowiec in time for Christmas!

Agnieszka said...

I love Nalesniki! this is such a great dish! I live in Australia, and whenever I make it, it makes me think of my childhood, and my Babcia's cooking! YUM!