Tag: Pancakes

Pancakes with Poppy Seeds

  • I have been looking at recipes for various pancakes using poppy seeds.
  • Some did not turn out very well.
  • So I decided to use my best perfect pancake recipe and add 1 tablespoon of poppy seed per egg.
  • Poppy seeds contain several vitamins including B12 – so it is good to include these.

INGREDIENTS

  • 200g of plain flour
  • 2 eggs
  • 200ml of milk
  • 200ml of water
  • Pinch of salt
  • 2 tablespoons of poppy seeds

METHOD

Sift the flour

You must use a mixture of milk and water – 50/50 is the best – this ensures that the pancakes do not burn as easily and also enables you to make then very thin and elastic so they are easy to work with. (This is the most important tip).

  • Beat the eggs and add then them first to the sifted flour.
  • Add the milk mixture to the egg and flour mix until you have a batter the consistency of pouring cream.
  • Add the poppy seeds and stir.
  • Leave the batter to stand for at least 1 hour in which time it will thicken, then add a little more liquid.
  • Stir so that all the poppy seeds are well distributed.
  • Use a special thin pan which you use just for pancakes, mine has a base diameter of 20 cm and is made of steel, once seasoned, just wipe it clean between uses with kitchen roll – never scour it or use detergent.
  • Work out how much batter you need for a pancake and find a measure which will then give you a consistent amount – I use a small ladle which holds 45ml.
  • Have a dish of melted butter or margarine and sunflower oil for frying so you can add just enough and tip some back if needed.
  • Can be served sweet or savoury.

Racuszki with Rhubarb

  • This is the first of several new recipes with rhubarb.
  • Racuszki are a cross between a fritter and an American style pancake.
  • Rbubarb is starting to grow in the garden.
  • I decided to try a recipe based on racuszki made with apples which I had posted several years ago.
  • INGREDIENTS
  • 4 -5 stalks of rhubarb (depends on size)
  • 130g plain flour
  • Pinch of salt
  • 125ml of yoghurt
  • 2 eggs
  • Water (up to 60ml)
  • *
  • Sunflower oil for frying
  • METHOD
  • Chop the rhubarb into thin slices around 1 to 5cm (no more).
  • Mix the flour, salt and yoghurt in a large bowl.
  • Beat in the eggs.
  • Add enough water to make a very thick batter.
  • Stir in the rhubarb to coat the pieces.
  • Using 1-2 tablespoons, drop these on a hot griddle or frying pan – you may need a little sunflower oil.
  • Have the heat on low to medium so you do not burn them.
  • Flatten the rhubarb so you only have 1 layer in each pancake.
  • Turn over and bake on both sides.
  • *
  • Best eaten hot – but you can keep them in a warm oven if you want to serve them all together.
  • *
  • Dust with icing sugar to serve or sugar mixed with cinnamon.

Kefir Pancakes

  • I got this idea from a recently bought Polish magazine.
  • In my first attempt I used the proportions in this recipe.
  • The results were not good as the batter was too liquid and most of the pancakes stuck to the pan.
  • I adjusted the proportions of the kefir and water and they turned out super.
  • The method of mixing up the batter is quite different from the way I usually make pancakes – see my perfect pancake – but the results are good.
  • You can fill the pancakes with the fillings you like.
  • I used sweet twarȯg(or well drained yoghurt cheese) for the filling and served it with yoghurt sweetened with icing sugar and
  • A fruit sauce made from dark fruits jam, lemon juice and a little water – heated together and left to cool.

INGREDIENTS

  • 250 – 275 plain flour
  • Pinch of salt
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar
  • 250ml kefir
  • 250ml water
  • *
  • Butter/oil for frying

METHOD

  • In a large bowl, whisk the eggs with the sugar until creamy and fluffy.
  • Add the kefir, water and the pinch of salt.
  • Whisk again.
  • *
  • Add the flour bit by bit and whisk.
  • You want a thick-ish batter.
  • Do not add all the flour at first – start with around 250g and add more if needed.
  • It will depend on the flour how much you will need.
  • *
  • Leave for a few minutes whilst you prepare the filling and the pan.
  • I always use my special pancake pan and ladle.
  • I found you needed about a ladle and a half for these.
  • They are a little thicker and softer than my usual pancakes.
  • Prepare the pan with a little butter and oil.
  • Heat but not too hot or they will burn.
  • Make the pancakes one by one – turning them over to cook on both sides.
  • You can serve them straight away or stack them between greaseproof paper for later.
  • NOTE – you can re-heat them later if you make too many for the day.
  • *
  • I used sweet twarȯg(or well drained yoghurt cheese) for the filling and served it with yoghurt sweetened with icing sugar and dregged with icing sugar as well as 
  • A fruit sauce made from a dark fruits jam, lemon juice and a little water – heated together and left to cool.

 

Racuszki made with Yeast

  • One of my Polish friends came over and whilst we were chatting we found that we both had a copy of the Kuchnia Polska, that I call my bible.
  • She had wanted to show me how to made Racuczki (fritters/pancakes) made using yeast.
  • We followed the instructions from the book.
  • We had ours with a bought apple and rose petal jam.

INGREDIENTS

  • 250g  of  plain flour
  • 2 eggs
  • 250 ml of milk
  • 15g of fresh yeast
  • 50g of granulated sugar
  • *
  • Sunflower oil for frying.
  • *
  • Jam or fruit syrup to serve.

METHOD

  • Warm the milk to hand heat and add the yeast and  ½ teaspoon of the sugar.
  • Leave to start to bubble.
  • Mix the eggs with the rest of the sugar.
  • Mix together the yeast mixture and the egg mixture with the flour.
  • You are aiming for a thick cream mix – adjust with more milk or flour as necessary.
  • Cover and leave until the mixture rises.
  • *
  • Heat sunflower oil in a frying pan.
  • Add large tablespoonfuls of the mixture to fry.
  • Using 2 spoons is a help.
  • Fry till golden on both sides.
  • *
  • We had ours with apple and rose petal jam.

Fresh Cabbage Fritters

  • I have lots of recipes for vegetable fritters/pancakes including one for sauekraut.
  • This one uses a whole cabbage head – this is good if it is a small cabbage.
  • Otherwise I think ½ a head is better.
  • You could use a sweetheart cabbage.
  • Next time I would chop the cabbage into smaller pieces.

INGREDIENTS

  • Whole small white cabbage
  • 1 onion
  • 2 cloves of garlic
  • Butter for frying
  • 100g plain flour
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon of salt
  • 1 teaspoon chilli flakes – optional
  • *
  • Sunflower oil for frying.

METHOD

  • Chop the white cabbage into small pieces.
  • Cook in salted water for around 20 minutes.
  • Drain and pat dry.
  • Leave to cool.
  • You may want to chop the pieces even smaller.
  • Dice the onion and chop the garlic.
  • Fry in butter till golden.
  • Leave till cool.
  • Mix the cabbage and onion mix together.
  • Mix together with the flour, salt and flour.
  • Beaten the eggs and mix everything together.
  • Stir in the chilli flakes.
  • *
  • Make little patties.
  • Fry in sunflower oil for around 4 minutes on each side.
  • Taking care not to burn them.

They taste good with a fried egg or two.

Courgette Fritters & Extras

  • I posted the original courgette fritter recipe in 2017.
  • Although courgette fritters are not from an old Polish recipe they do have some similarity  to Polish potato pancakes and to carrot pancakes.
  • Courgette in Polish is cukinia – so this is another vegetable that owes its name to Italian  – zucchini.
  • I often make variations on this recipe by adding other vegetables such a baby leaf spinach or sweetcorn (also see sweetcorn fritters).
  • Chopped chilli is also a good addition.
  • The amounts of the ingredients are all approximate.

Ingredients

  • 2 to 3 courgettes
  • 1 egg (can be 2 if using more vegetables)
  • 2 -3 tablespoons of soured cream, yoghurt, crème fraise or yoghurt cheese
  • 2 tablespoons of plain flour
  • Grated rind of 1 lemon(optional)
  • Salt
  • Sunflower oil for frying.
  • *
  • Baby leaf spinach, sweetcorn and chilli or any quickly cooked vegetable.
  • Chopped garlic – optional

Method

  • Grate the courgettes using a coarse grater.
  • Sprinkle the courgettes with salt.
  • Place the salted courgettes onto a clean tea towel and place this in a colander for around 30 minutes.
  • Wrap the tea towel up and squeeze out the liquid from the courgettes.
  • Note
  • The green stains on the tea towel will come out in a hot wash but  do not use fabric softener for tea towels used for this and similar purposes.

Place the dried grated courgettes in a bowl and add the grated lemon rind.

Keep them on a heat proof plate  in a low heat oven whilst you make the rest.

  • You can place a sheet of kitchen roll on top of the first layer to stop them sticking.
  • Serve them with grilled meats and salad.

  • Served here with grilled bacon and fried eggs.

Pancake Rolls

  • I have been thinking about making savoury pancakes for a while.
  • I came across a new word (to me) – ruloniki. 
  • Sweet pancakes are served – fan folded whereas savoury ones are rolled up.
  • Either the pancake is just rolled up or – 
  • Two sides are first folded in slightly and then the pancake is rolled up.
  • I made these with a mushroom filling – based on my mushroom sauce – adding more potato flour to make the sauce thicker.
  • First make a batch of pancakes and keep them warm or heat them up later when needed.

INGREDIENTS for mushroom sauce

  • 450g of mushrooms sliced
  • Butter for frying
  • 1 mushroom stock cube
  • 500ml hot water
  • 2-3 tablespoons of potato flour or cornflour
  • 3 tablespoons of milk
  • 60ml of soured cream

METHOD for mushroom sauce

  • Dissolve the stock cube in the hot water.
  • Slice the mushroom caps into fine slices and fry them gently in some butter till they are soft.
  • Add the mushrooms to the mushroom stock,
  • Simmer gently for about 5 to 10 minutes.
  • In a little dish mix the potato flour or cornflour with the milk.
  • Add the potato or cornflour mixture to the cooked mushrooms and stir gently over the heat until the sauce thickens.
  • Remove from the heat and add the soured cream and mix.
  • *
  • Spread some sauce over a pancake.
  • Two sides are first folded in slightly and then the pancake is rolled up.
  • *
  • You can serve these individually or say 3 at a time.
  • *
  • Keep them warm in a low oven whilst you are making them. 

A vintage Pyrex plate is used here.

Sour Cherry Sauce – 2

  • This sauce is good for desserts.
  • It can be served hot or cold.
  • Use it with pancakes – hot
  • or cold to pour over baked cheesecake when serving
  • or add to Greek style yoghurt

Ingredients

  • Jar or part jar of sour cherries
  • 4 cloves
  • Small stick of cinnamon
  • 1 tablespoon of potato or cornflour
  • *
  • Optional – a little sugar to taste

Method

  • Put the cherries and the juice into a saucepan.
  • Add the cloves and cinnamon.
  • Simmer gently for around 10 minutes.
  • Leave to cool.
  • Remove the spices.
  • Mix the potato or cornflour with a little of the juice.
  • Stir this into the cherries.
  • Bring up to the boil, stirring often.
  • The sauce will thicken.
  • Leave on a low heat if serving hot or
  • Leave to cool.

Pancakes with Bacon

  • These are the thick American style pancakes not the thin crepes.
  • A good way of serving the bacon.

Ingredients

  • 2 eggs – beaten
  • 180 – 200ml of milk
  • 180g plain flour
  • 2 teaspoons of baking powder
  • 6 rashers of streaky smoked bacon
  • *
  • Sunflower oil for frying
  • *
  • Fried eggs, maple syrup or sugar, butter – to serve

Method

  • Chop the bacon into small squares.
  • Fry till crisp & strain of any fat.
  • Keep to one side & warm.
  • *
  • Mix the flour and the baking powder together.
  • Make a well in the centre of the flour.
  • Mix in the eggs.
  • Mix in enough milk to make a thick batter.
  • *
  • Fry large tablespoons of the batter on a hot griddle or frying pan.
  • Add some bacon bits to the top.
  • Turn over the pancakes and fry on the other side.
  • *
  • Serve as savoury with scrambled or fried eggs or more sweet with butter and maple syrup.
  • This Pyrex design from the 1970s is called Carnaby.

Spinach Pancakes – 2

  • This version of pancakes is the thicker type more like an American style pancake.
  • In Polish they would be known more as  racuszki or placki.
  • In England more like dropped scones or Scottish Pancakes.
  • This recipe uses milk.
  • Though not tried you could make a version with yoghurt & milk.

Ingredients

  • 1 egg
  • 100g fresh spinach
  • 90ml milk
  • 70 – 90g plain flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • *
  • 50g granulated sugar for a sweet version
  • *
  • Sunflower oil for frying

Method

  • Shred the spinach in a mini-chopper or blender.
  • Mix the eggs with the milk.
  • Mix the baking powder with the flour.
  • Add the spinach to the egg mixture.
  • *
  • Add sugar if using.
  • *
  • Add the flour to the mixture until it is thick enough to drop off a spoon.
  • *
  • Fry tablespoonfuls on both sides on a hot oiled griddle pan.

Good served with sweet or savoury extras

 

Served here on Vintage Pyrex, Royal Doulton – Tapestry and Carnation.