Hi! I've been trying to make this common genenrally "simple" recipe and it always drives me off the wall and I can't get past forgetting about it and moving on with the things I know how to make that always generally come out fine. For some reason my Nalesniki get burnt or they come out in a mush every time. Can someone "experienced" with this recipe tell me the right ingredient ratios and heat to use for this? I know they have to be very specific. I'm not sure if there's supposed to be more milk than water or maybe I'm not using enough eggs for the batter. I also need to know if there's a right type of skillet to use for this, should it be heavy bottom or thin?? I've tried to make this more than 15 times and my romance with this recipe ends with me cursing at the pot and things flying out the window because I get SO frustrated with it..
Thanks! I'll try this one, but if it doesn't work I may give up and have to go talk to mommy. BTW did you check on the other thing I asked earlier in the other post you said you'd check on? haha ;)
This is amazing. I NEVER used a recipe ;) I just mix ingredients and since I know how the mix should look like (I mean, density and stuff), they're always okay ;)
Just remember not to use too much grease on your pan (just a little, it is good to actually only spray the pan with oil) and make the pan very hot (on the verge of oil burning).
See, this is what people have told me, that it's not even the recipe, but that you just "know", like driving a car, but that's exactly the problem for me. I'm not sure what it's supposed to "look" like. To me the batter looked "ok" in that it was very light yellow in color and had the consistency of heavy cream. Once I pour that on a heated pan though it tends to just sit there and I can't get it to set so that it's "flippable". Instead it gets somewhat stuck to the bottom and burns with the top being completely uncooked. I tried covering it thinking that the heat would reach the top but that doesn't help and omg omg omg it's sooooo frustrating1 just thinking about it!ghghgh.
Oh, you really seem frustrated :( I cannot tell you what the good amounts of ingredients are, but the density can be tested as follows: put a spoon inside the mix and take it out: the excess of mix should run down the spoon easily, but not leaving it clean: there should be a thin layer of mix still covering the spoon. Remember that there should be more water than milk in the mix. Also, the mix thickens with time, so after making the mix, you should leave it for 10-15 mins and then check the density. If it is too thick, add water.
The light yellow colour seems fine tho. How many eggs do you use? I would recommend at least 2. Plus, if you pour a very, very thin layer of mix on the very hot pan (maybe you are using too much of it?), it should cook almost immediately.
Plus, don't make the gas mark lower when you start frying pancakes. The pan must be hot all the time. This is so puzling, really. I truly hope you'll succeed I will still be keeping my fingers crossed ;)
haha! :) I will let you know the next time I try it! This is good advice, thank you for taking the time to describe it in detail that will really help. I did use 2 eggs, but how many spoons of flour would you recommend about for 2 eggs? about 3 full ones?
Your dough sounds like it is still too thick and you should add baking powder as well as a smidgen of baking soda to the recipe. (This will result in tiny bubbles forming and breaking open as the crepe cooks.) I like a medium sized non stick frying pan best and crepes have to be cooked on moderate heat. (HIgh heat will result in burning the bottom and leaving the top raw.) Do not pour oil into the pan. Instead get a pastry brush and dip the tip into canola oil then brush the pan very lightly to prevent sticking.
Holding the pan in one hand and a ladel in the other, pour half of a medium or small sized ladel full into the hot pan and quickly rotate the pan to spread the liquid evenly around the pan before returning it to the burner. If it doesn't spread easily it is too thick so add some warm milk or butter milk to thin out the dough. If it is too thin (goes gummy on you when you try to flip it) add more flour until a thicker consistency is achieved. Dip your finger into the dough and taste it so that you can adjust the salt to sugar flavor as needed.
It's just like making crepes. Like Lily said, as soon as you pour the batter into the pan, lift the pan and rotate it spreading the batter into a thin layer. You can put some butter on a papertowel and rub it onto the hot pan, therefore not using too much butter. The butter burns a little and makes the crepe brown. Kind of like pancakes, and the edges will be dry and little holes might show throughout the top of the crepe. You can pick it up with your fingers or a pair of tongs to flip it. Just keep making one after the other, staking them on a plate when they are finished.
Hi I am polish and nalesniki is the simplest polish dessert. don't get frustrated when they burn they should be brown after all. and dont use any oil on a pan . traditional, simple way: 1 egg, 0.5 spoon of sugar, 1 water glass of flour, 0.5 water glass of milk ,0.5 glass of club soda, 0.4 spoon of baking soda ,6 spoons (medium) of oil, a little salt. combine ingredients and You good to go.
try to make them as thin as its possible. Smacznego Monika
This is my Mamcik's (my grandmother's) recipe for nalesniki - we wrote down all the details for a family cookbook so the kids and grandkids would know how to make it, so the instructions are pretty fussy. However, it makes magnificent nalesniki! Good luck -
2 to 3 recipes blini batter 3 to 4 lbs roasted beef (usually rump roast) About 1 c mushrooms – if dried, soaked in water; if fresh, sautéed and juices reserved; if canned, undrained Cooked carrot (optional) ¼ to ½ c drippings or cooking water from beef Maggi
Deglaze pan in which beef is cooked and reserve ½ cup drippings. Remove all fat and gristle from meat. Grind with mushrooms and enough pan drippings to moisten mix (and carrot, if desired) in food grinder or food processor. If using processor, process to coarse-to-fine grind – don’t overprocess into paste. Meat mixture should be crumbly and moist. Season with Maggi –add more drippings or cooking water if mixture seems dry.
Blini: 1 c water 3 eggs ½ c flour Dash salt Parchment paper Oil or butter
Make blini batter, one recipe at a time. Have two nonstick crepe pans oiled and ready, and plenty of counter space to cool blini; cover counter with parchment paper. When pans are hot, pour about ½ cup batter into first pan. When bubbles begin to appear, put ½ cup batter into second pan. When blini appear lightly browned on bottom, and firm on top, turn pan upside down over parchment paper and tap to release blini. Re-oil pan and repeat – by the time the first blini is back on the stove, the second blini should be ready to come out of the pan. Have two stacks of blini going – one from one pan, one from the second. That gives each blini a little time to cool.
When you run out of batter, stop and make more. Don’t make a double or triple recipe because the batter can discolor or lose its fluff while it’s sitting. Also, the first two or three blinis generally turn out poorly. When the batter settles, and the pans get a better coating of oil and have heated thoroughly, they’ll be better.
When blini are done, assemble nalesniki. Peel one blini off its stack, and place on counter browned side down. Place 1-2 heaping teaspoons meat into the center of the blini; fold bottom half of circle over meat. Fold right and left sides over meat, and roll up. When all nalesniki are assembled, they can be cooked immediately or stored in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. We’ve never been patient enough to try freezing them, but that would probably work as long as you thawed them completely first, and were willing to settle for a less fluffy texture in the blini.
Before cooking nalesniki, you can make Mamcik’s quick sauce of 2 cans of prepared beef gravy, one can of cream of mushroom soup, reserved ½ cup drippings, Maggi seasoning to taste, and milk if needed to thin. Otherwise, you can try any sort of beef or mushroom sauce to serve over them. In any case, have sauce almost ready before beginning the sautéing.
To cook nalesniki, melt butter in large nonstick pan. Place nalesniki in pan and sauté until blini begins to turn medium brown; turn over and continue until second side is cooked. Serve immediately – if family is willing to wait until all the nalesniki are cooked, keep nalesniki warm until they’re all done and everyone can eat together. (Of course, this doesn’t apply to the nalesniki that break in the pan and must be sampled for quality by the cook.)
1 c flour dash salt 1 tsp oil 3/4 c milk 3/4 c water 2 T sugar or splenda 2 eggs
I use almond flavoring and even put in a few tsp of ground flax seed for fiber.
mix well with whisk. Batter should be thin enough to coat a lightly Pam sprayed 6inch pan, if thickens - add more water Use about 2 T batter...I saved a coffee scoop that holds the right amount. While holding hot pan at an angle pour the batter on the top while rotating to coat the pan (still at an angle). I use medium high gas heat and lightly brown one side and then flip just for a few seconds on the back side.
Filling:
use immersion blender to mix 1 lg cottage cheese, rinsed and drained well when rather smooth add any of the following..
sweetener to taste orange flavoring and 1 T rind apricot chunky jam (if jam used don't use as much sweetener) Eat as is or put in pan and bake till warm, I pour a little orange juice over
Make ice cream rolls - freeze individually, put on plate and streak plate and roll with chocolate syrup, with a dab of whipped cream....looks elegant and always ready for drop in company
Hi I have been to Poland several time And i know many polish dishes not only by name even I may cook them better then a native Polish. Not only Polish dishes even i may cook indian continental & Mughlai as well.If any body interested in my dishes I always welcome you....in Polish language...serdecznie zapraszamy w kuchni Indyskie......Now a these days im in India..Bangalore(city of garden's)
Don't give up on eating nalesniki. In different part of Poland they are very different, not to mention what happens when one adds different cooks into the mix in each part of Poland. Try elsewhere than where you decided you didn't like them.
My Polish mother-in-law says "first pancake, like first children...over the shoulder" LOL. I think that you are making them too thick, and you need a little baking powder. Truthfully, I only have one pan that I use that makes crepes right-the others cook unevenly and will burn thin nalesniki. It is a well"seasoned" pan..the one that looks all blackened and old, not the perfect shiny ones. Good lick!
