Palascinta (Hungarian Passover Crepes)

"The Israeli Cookbook: What's Cooking in Israel's Melting Pot.”

20 minutes

serves 8

Palascinta (Hungarian Passover Crepes)

Palascinta (Hungarian Passover Crepes). Photo by: Amir Menahem, Styling: Guy cohen

This recipe for Hungarian palascinta or crepes is made kosher for Passover by swapping flour for matzah meal. It comes from Molly Bar- David’s 1964 book “The Israeli Cookbook: What’s Cooking in Israel’s Melting Pot.” The crepes are fried in a generous amount of butter making them a perfect treat for Passover. 

Check out more Passover recipes.

Ingredients

4 eggs

1 cup water

¼ teaspoon salt

¾ cup matzah meal

For the filling: 

2 cups fromage blanc

3 tablespoons sour cream

2 tablespoons sugar

1 egg, beaten

1 lemon, zested

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For frying:

2 tablespoons butter

4 tablespoons sugar

To serve:

Sour cream

Preparation
  1. Prepare the crepes: beat the eggs in a bowl. Add water, salt, and matzah meal, and beat to a smooth, uniform batter.
  2. Pour a small amount of the mixture into a greased pan, tilting it to cover the entire surface with a thin layer of batter.
  3. Cook over medium heat for about 2 minutes, until the top is set and no longer runny. Flip the crepe onto a clean kitchen towel. Repeat this process until you have a stack of crepes and the batter is used up.
  4. Prepare the filling: In a separate bowl, mix the fromage blanc, sour cream, sugar, beaten egg, lemon zest, and vanilla. 
  5. Spread a spoonful of the filling in a thin and even layer over half of each crepe. Fold the crepe in half, then in half again, forming a triangle.
  6. Fry the crepes: heat a non-stick pan over medium heat and melt ½ tablespoon of butter, spreading it evenly. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of sugar over the butter, then add 2 blintzes and fry until golden, about 2 minutes on each side. Remove to a plate and repeat the process with the remaining butter, sugar, and blintzes. Serve hot, alongside sour cream.