Introduction: Nalesniki- Traditional Polish Crepes With Cheese Filling
Nalesniki are traditional Polish crepes that can be filled with a sweet cheese filling or fruit preserves. My family makes Nalesniki for the holidays and servers them as a dessert but they also make for a great breakfast!
Nalesniki (makes about 20)
Pancake:
3 cups unbleached flour
2 eggs
1 cup milk
2.5-3 (+) cups water
2 tsp sugar
pinch of salt
Combine all ingredients in pot with a handle. Use mixer on medium speed until all ingredients are combined. Keep adding water until the mix is thick but runny (like heavy cream).
Heat an omelet pan on medium high heat. Grease bottom of omelet pan by dipping a paper towel in a shallow dish of olive oil.
Ladle one full ladle of liquid dough into center of heated greased pan. Rapidly swirl the pan as to cover entire bottom with dough. Touch up air holes with dough on back of spoon as needed. Using a spatula, flip the pancake as soon as it’s golden. Transfer pancake to flat dish when both sides are barely golden. Repeat until all mixture is used.
Filling:
3 lbs (48 oz) ricotta cheese
3 eggs
¾ - 1 cups (according to taste) sugar
1 tsp vanilla
zest of ½ lemon
½ tsp lemon juice
Mix by hand all ingredients in a large bowl.
Nalesniki:
Put ½ spoonful of filling onto the front/middle part of a pancake. Fold the top down onto filling. Then fold both left and right side in towards the middle; finish rolling the pancake from front to back. Repeat!
To Serve:
Sautee both sides in butter until golden.
Serve with sugar, sour cream, or jam.
Nalesniki (makes about 20)
Pancake:
3 cups unbleached flour
2 eggs
1 cup milk
2.5-3 (+) cups water
2 tsp sugar
pinch of salt
Combine all ingredients in pot with a handle. Use mixer on medium speed until all ingredients are combined. Keep adding water until the mix is thick but runny (like heavy cream).
Heat an omelet pan on medium high heat. Grease bottom of omelet pan by dipping a paper towel in a shallow dish of olive oil.
Ladle one full ladle of liquid dough into center of heated greased pan. Rapidly swirl the pan as to cover entire bottom with dough. Touch up air holes with dough on back of spoon as needed. Using a spatula, flip the pancake as soon as it’s golden. Transfer pancake to flat dish when both sides are barely golden. Repeat until all mixture is used.
Filling:
3 lbs (48 oz) ricotta cheese
3 eggs
¾ - 1 cups (according to taste) sugar
1 tsp vanilla
zest of ½ lemon
½ tsp lemon juice
Mix by hand all ingredients in a large bowl.
Nalesniki:
Put ½ spoonful of filling onto the front/middle part of a pancake. Fold the top down onto filling. Then fold both left and right side in towards the middle; finish rolling the pancake from front to back. Repeat!
To Serve:
Sautee both sides in butter until golden.
Serve with sugar, sour cream, or jam.
Step 1: Mix the Pancake Ingredients
Pancake:
3 cups unbleached flour
2 eggs
1 cup milk
2.5-3 (+) cups water
2 tsp sugar
pinch of salt
Combine all ingredients in pot with a handle. Use mixer on medium speed until all ingredients are combined. Keep adding water until the mix is thick but runny (like heavy cream).
3 cups unbleached flour
2 eggs
1 cup milk
2.5-3 (+) cups water
2 tsp sugar
pinch of salt
Combine all ingredients in pot with a handle. Use mixer on medium speed until all ingredients are combined. Keep adding water until the mix is thick but runny (like heavy cream).
Step 2: Prep Pan
Heat an omelet pan on medium high heat. Grease bottom of omelet pan by dipping a paper towel in a shallow dish of olive oil.
Step 3: Make the Pancake
Ladle one ladle of liquid dough into center of heated greased pan.
Rapidly swirl the pan as to cover the entire bottom with dough (the thiner the pancake is the better - use just enough liquid dough to cover the bottom of the pan).
Touch up air holes with dough on back of spoon as needed.
Rapidly swirl the pan as to cover the entire bottom with dough (the thiner the pancake is the better - use just enough liquid dough to cover the bottom of the pan).
Touch up air holes with dough on back of spoon as needed.
Step 4: Repeat Steps 2-4 Until All Pancake Mixture Is Used
Using a spatula, flip the pancake as soon as it’s golden. Transfer pancake to flat dish when both sides are barely golden.
Repeat steps 2-4 until all liquid dough mixture is used.
Repeat steps 2-4 until all liquid dough mixture is used.
Step 5: Make the Cheese Filling
Filling:
3 lbs (48 oz) ricotta cheese
3 eggs
¾ - 1 cups (according to taste) sugar
1 tsp vanilla
zest of ½ lemon
½ tsp lemon juice
Mix by hand all ingredients in a large bowl.
3 lbs (48 oz) ricotta cheese
3 eggs
¾ - 1 cups (according to taste) sugar
1 tsp vanilla
zest of ½ lemon
½ tsp lemon juice
Mix by hand all ingredients in a large bowl.
Step 6: Assemble the Nalesniki
Nalesniki:
Put ½ spoonful of filling onto the front/middle part of a pancake. Fold the top down onto filling. Then fold both left and right side in towards the middle; finish rolling the pancake from front to back. Repeat!
Once complete, store the Nalesniki in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
Put ½ spoonful of filling onto the front/middle part of a pancake. Fold the top down onto filling. Then fold both left and right side in towards the middle; finish rolling the pancake from front to back. Repeat!
Once complete, store the Nalesniki in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
Step 7: Sautee the Nalesniki
Sautee both sides in butter until golden.
Step 8: Serve and Enjoy!
Serve with sugar, sour cream, or jam. Enjoy!